Durabook’s Z14I-DX3 looks nominally like a laptop, but at ten kilos it probably justifies the company’s description as “a workstation-class, edge AI computing platform.” Rugged laptops aren’t unusual, but this triple-screened effort probably isn’t intended for commercial use. Unless you regularly helicopter to mountaintops to check your email, anyway.
The biggest clue, apart from its appearance? Durabook won’t tell you upfront how much one of them costs. Instead, the company will send you a quote if you’re sufficiently interested in owning one. Just think what the nerds in the coffee shop will do if you slam this thing onto a table.
Durabook ahead
And it will slam. The Z14I-DX3 weighs in at a mighty 9.8 kilograms, accounting for its three screens and multiple batteries. The triple-display setup uses 14in 1,920 x 1,080 panels, which fold into each other when Durabook’s unit is packed down for transportation.
Buyers can specify one of Intel’s Meteor Lake chipsets inside, namely the Core Ultra 5 125U or the Ultra 7 165U, but it’ll also throw 64GB of RAM into the machine. An Nvidia workstation GPU, either the RTX A500, 3500 Ada, or 5000 Ada, is also installed. 256GB of NVMe storage is standard, but there are three bays to fill with extras. This is all encased in a magnesium-alloy chassis that’s supposed to withstand temperatures between -29° and 63° C. Various mil-spec ratings mean the only thing damaged when it’s dropped will be your foot.
Dynabook has also rigged this thing to connect to anything, whether physically or wirelessly. Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7, Ethernet, RF antenna connections for GPS, or integrated 4G or 5G connectivity are options. The range of ports is similarly wide, going all the way to the humble serial port as well as all the modern stuff.
It’s all supposed to be powered by the AC adaptor, but there are batteries (plural) inside. A 6,900mAh unit drives the main machine, with a 6,700mAh battery dedicated to the displays. Buyers can also add an extra 4,700mAh battery when they order the thing. There’s… a reason Dynabook won’t tell you what it costs up front.
