Over the years, our torture tests have proven this to be an Achilles' heel. The glass is laser treated, which lets the manufacturer etch the transistor right onto the pane, rather than add a second layer. The result is a display that requires less battery charge for backlighting yet produces better contrast. Even better, drops, spills, and punts are less likely to hurt it. Toshiba will also focus on cooling techniques.
Reliability is also a major factor for handheld PCs and cellular phones.
But then, smaller screens, fewer ports, and few or no moving parts make handhelds and phones less susceptible to life's hard knocks. On the other hand, these devices are growing in complexity with color screens, faster CPUs, and various add-ons. And manufacturers use lightweight composites to keep their gadgets feathery. But as our tests bear out, the handheld PCs and cellular phones in this roundup will put up with businesspeople on the go. And, yes, we'll make our tests even tougher next year.