That's a good question. A Windows laptop. It's super annoying, constantly updating itself, forced reboots, network disconnections, fragile, yet is required for many CAD and acquisition/control proprietary software.
On the fragility I have had good results with HP elitebook models with aluminum casing. (Not the ones with plastic casing!) These are common in corporate fleets and so are relatively cheap on eBay.
I'm not Ben but having worked in a lot of labs my answer is pH meters, they routinely are annoying, fragile and finicky but there really isn't a better way when you can't just use paper test strips.