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Toughbook for computer forensic use

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2018 8:24 pm
by jadams951
Anyone ever used a Toughbook for field use doing computer forensics. I've grown to love my Toughbook(CF-53). I'm needing a new laptop to use for field use. I wouldn't be using it for imaging of drives and such but I mainly would be using it for live preview work looking for illegal material. While I'm new to this field and still trying to become a computer geek I know I don't really need a gaming computer. I think for my purposes a good processor with a good number of cores and high RAM would suffice. Although, me being me, I'd like to have a good video card in it. How are the toughbooks with the video cards?

Re: Toughbook for computer forensic use

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2018 8:30 pm
by Shawn
Pick a good Linux distro

Re: Toughbook for computer forensic use

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 7:46 pm
by ADOR
One advantage to having a graphics card is the CPU can focus on just being a CPU and not having to help render graphics as well.
How long do you want to operate it in the field? Do you want to hot swap batteries or is shutting down and swapping batteries fine?

Toughbooks with "newer" dedicated graphics are limited to CF-31, CF-52 and CF-54.

Re: Toughbook for computer forensic use

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 7:36 pm
by jadams951
ADOR wrote:One advantage to having a graphics card is the CPU can focus on just being a CPU and not having to help render graphics as well.
How long do you want to operate it in the field? Do you want to hot swap batteries or is shutting down and swapping batteries fine?

Toughbooks with "newer" dedicated graphics are limited to CF-31, CF-52 and CF-54.
I'm not too concerned with battery life. As I typically always have access to a plug on scenes. But knowing how awesome the battery life is on my CF53 I can only imagine it would be more than sufficient.

Re: Toughbook for computer forensic use

Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 2:20 pm
by User32
I'd get a 54 if you're not doing any rough field work like working in the rain.

"illegal material" = CP, warez and all that? IT Forensics sounds like a interesting job!