You can see immediately that the S14I is designed for fieldwork and vehicle mounting, not a tame office space. Its 14‑inch display feels compact, with that 1080p resolution framed by thick bezels. It also takes some dedicated effort to lift the lid, thanks to heavy‑duty hinges that eliminate wobble. A latch keeps the screen shut during transport by handle.
The panel, meanwhile, delivers peak brightness rated over 1,000 nits—two to three times that of a standard laptop—paired with an anti-glare coating for visibility in direct sunlight. Color reproduction is just serviceable rather than vivid, but it suits the S14I’s mission-focused role. The panel also supports many types of touch input (glove, finger, and stylus), which you can turn off.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The S14I excels for low-light use, featuring red keyboard backlighting and a night-vision display mode with just a few nits of brightness. You can toggle the backlighting with Fn+Shift, and brightness adjusts with Fn+F4/F5. The backlighting is too dim for daylight, though the keys’ bold white typeface is legible without illumination.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
I find the keyboard adequate for short typing stints, but I wouldn’t write a novel on it. While the keys provide ample travel, minimal cushioning at the bottom of each keystroke can cause fatigue. Even so, I reached 107 words per minute with 98% accuracy in MonkeyType with these keys. The layout is mostly sound, featuring an inverted-T arrow cluster, though it comes with some quirks, like swapped Fn/Ctrl keys in ThinkPad style and a short space bar that may be hard to hit with your left thumb.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Two programmable keys sit above the keyboard. Through Durabook’s Quick Menu app, P1 can toggle night vision, enable stealth mode (lower performance with fans off), or launch an app. You can also turn off the key entirely. P2 manages touch-screen modes or launches an app. The Quick Menu also provides system controls, including battery profiles for full charge, extended lifespan, or thermal management.
Above the display, the webcam delivers average, slightly soft video, but adds IR support for facial recognition and a sliding privacy shutter. You can boost security with an optional fingerprint reader (our unit didn’t have one). Audio comes from dual speakers beneath the palm rest. They’re loud enough for noisy environments, such as a warehouse floor, but predictably tinny, prioritizing volume over fidelity.
Get Our Best Stories!
All the Latest Tech, Tested by Our Experts
By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy
Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
