Rugged convertible tablets are a laptop computer just like any other, although the screen flips around and changes to show the screen as the top so that you can write on it like a tablet of paper. And the fact that it's rugged means it's in cased in a hardened and sometimes rubber-like material so that it will withstand many of the elements such as dirt, wind, water and snow. Plus, it's made to withstand a fall from several feet without breaking or cracking or damaging your information that is stored on the HDD.