Product Review
Tuff Cases Portable Workstation
by Mitchell Levine

Long-time readers of Education Update’s Technology and Education section already know that mobile computing has been a major concern for New York City schools for some time. Over the last couple of years, thousands of students and teachers have received portable units as part of an initiative carried through by the Department of Education and the Laptop Foundation of America.

Unfortunately, one built-in problem persists: The districts in the public education system that most critically need access to the technology also have the least space to deploy it. And that still leaves unanswered the question as to how the systems can be safely packaged for daily transport by students to and from school. As anyone that’s ever dropped a laptop can attest, even minor spills can create total catastrophe when a digital device is involved; a shock as small as 5 foot/pounds can cause anything from a hard drive crash to complete destruction of the CPU.

The portable workstations manufactured by Tuff Cases, inc. can provide a dependable, practical solution to all of the above. Our evaluation model, the company’s TFC 101, looks like a sturdy, stylish piece of luggage with a 17” by 19” frame and a well-d extendable porter’s handle and wheels. Unfolded, it seems to almost magically metamorphosis a compact, precisely engineered station, which when completed with a, provides pretty much anything necessary to work with a laptop: a 33” high work area with a cloth file holder, a two position outlet strip, external mouse platform, and a cloth pouch to house the mouse.

No special tools were required, nor any convoluted gerry-rigging to create an efficient computing environment usable almost anywhere. As an environment to use a laptop in, it’s a bit more cramped than a standard workstation, but with a little practice can easily be accommodated to. Actually, once the printer’s installed, it’s really a very efficient little workspace. For the very tall, there might be a little lack of room for one’s legs, but I’m 6’1” and cleared it pronto.

Although our evaluation model was not equipped with one, the manufacturer even makes an option for a printer tray available. For anyone whom would like to be able to both carry and empower their laptop computer in just about any setting imaginable, Education Update recommends the Tuff Cases line of products. For more information, call 513-779-5420 or log on the companies’ site at www.tuffcases.com#