Time is not the only test
Time is not the only test
the test of time
Released in 2006, the XR-1 was General Dynamics' flagship Ultra Rugged Notebook designed for military, law enforcement and commercial use. Now a decade has passed, and the original component specs of the XR-1 have long since started faded into history...but the design still holds true. This is due to a rhobust design philosophy: from the honest materials used throughout (magnesium chassis for strength with a TPU wrap for bounce and radio - clarity) to a timeless form language which speaks of premium quality and ruggedness in the same breath.
Time is not the only test
Time is not the only test
TIME IS NOT THE ONLY TEST
One of the things that made the XR-1 such a great piece of technology was the fact that it is just as much a tool as it was tech. The physicality of the product had to undergo some of the most grueling environmental challenges imaginable - in service of creating a machine that can perform millions of calculations a second while being submerged in bleach, dropped from a helicopter, or whatever kind of insane punishment you can think of. Every micron of this enclosure is packed with shockmounted drives, seam-sealed IO, an assortment of antenna and transmissive tech (Satellite broadband, Wi-fi, bluetooth, etc) which far outstrips what one would typically expect from a computer.
Time is not the only test
Time is not the only test
ARCHITECTURE MEETS ENVIRONMENT
The intended environment for the XR-1 is beyond rugged, but perhaps more challenging is what happens inside the shell. The engineering team effectively re-invented the PC - adapting each component to perform well beyond the industry standard. On top of this, there was a no-holds-barred approach to functionality: every kind of antenna possible, every kind of input viable (touch, stylus, a glow in the dark keyboard with biometrics and seam sealed touchpads). The ID was the bridge between these two worlds - our intent was to communicate the inner qualities of the product and also adapt to the external trials of everyday use.