Acer Enduro N53 Rugged Laptop Acer's new rugged laptop combines the toughness of field computers with the modern styling of ultrabooks.

Yes, you can carry your slim ultrabook to the field if you need a computer at work. If you’re working around construction sites, factory floors, or some other place that isn’t an air-conditioned office, though, it might not be the best machine to have lying around. You want something a little more rugged. Something like the Acer Enduro N53.

Billed as the “thinnest and lightest IP53-rated” laptop, it combines the durability of rugged notebooks with the professional styling of modern ultrabooks, so you can have a computer that’s tough enough for fieldwork without the unappealing aesthetics that make it look like it can morph into a Transformer robot. Seriously, have you seen those rugged laptops? Whether you work in an oil rig, a mining site, or some other industry with plenty of hazards around, this thing lets you rock a capable laptop without looking like you’re operating attack drones in the battlefield.

The Acer Enduro N53 has a 14-inch display covered in Gorilla Glass for keeping out nicks and scratches, although there are no details on the actual panel. At this point, though, it should be safe to assume this is, at least, a 1080p display that’s been coated to eliminate glare when used under direct sunlight (because, it’s meant for fieldwork). Under the hood, it combines a 10th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, an optional discrete GPU (Nvidia MX230), up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and up to 1.5TB of total storage (1TB HDD and 512GB SSD), so this should pack more power than you’ll need to run all the Excel sheets, Word documents, and web apps you’re likely to be using.

It measures just 0.98-inches thick, which is still pretty chunky for modern ultrabooks. Compared to other rugged notebooks in the market, though, this is pretty slim, all while ditching the briefcase form factor traditionally used for fieldwork laptops, so you can easily slip it in a small backpack like those people that work in the city. Oh yeah, it boasts 13 hours of battery life, so you should be able to go through a whole workday without recharging, while having enough left to watch YouTube videos, play a quick game, or simp on your favorite egirl on Twitch before going home.

The Acer Enduro N53 has a honeycomb shell and shock-absorbent corners that will allow it to withstand drops, falls, and all sorts of impact. In fact, it meets all MIL-STD-810G standard for durability, so you never have to handle this delicately when you’re out typing stuff in the field. It also gets IP53 certification, so it should handle spills easily, although that also means you shouldn’t submerge this in water, so it’s not quite as water-capable as some of the burlier rugged laptops out there. All ports, by the way, are sealed (you’ll need to open them to use) to keep dust and water out, while the keyboard has drainage holes to ensure it gets rid of any water that gets on it immediately. It also uses a water-resistant fan that, supposedly, repels water from all angles.

If you handle sensitive stuff, you’ll love this laptop’s security features. It has TPM 2.0 anti-tampering chip, which checks for signs of intrusion every time it boots up, along with fingerprint login, Windows Hello, and the full complement of Windows 10’s security features.

The Acer Enduro N53 goes on sale in August, priced starting at $899.

Check It Out