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When I hear “carbon steel,” I hear 1070 to 1095 steels, which I can harden to over Rc 54 with an oil quench.

Well, whoopy duck. You're going to make a laptop case out of Rc 54 oil quenched hardened steel. Not. You want to try machining that into useable shape after you've hardened it? Or harden it after machining and maintain it's shape and thinness without warping or distorting?

Liquidmetal Defense Applications
Liquidmetal® Technologies has partnered with many Department of Defense research, engineering and development agencies, major defense companies and select universities to insert Liquidmetal® alloys as an enabling technology to enhance product performance and reduce weight. The material properties and characteristics of Liquidmetal alloys make them highly beneficial for numerous Space, Air, Land and Sea military applications. Liquidmetal alloys' technology provides for the optimization of properties for specific applications by tailoring the combination of process, chemistry and atomic structure. The net-shape processing characteristics of Liquidmetal alloys make the fabrication of highly sophisticated and sound composite structures possible while eliminating most secondary machining and processing.
The properties of Liquidmetal® alloys suitable for the defense applications are:

High Yield Strength
Unique Acoustical Properties
High Hardness
Low Melting Temperature
High Strength to Weight Ratio
Net-shape Casting
Superior Elastic Limit
Fabrication Process Similar to Plastics
High Corrosion Resistance
Non-Magnetic
High Wear-Resistance

Awarded a series of multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts by the Department of Defense, Liquidmetal alloys' technology is currently being developed for use as a Kinetic Energy Penetrator (KEP) rod. The KEP, the key component of the highly effective armor piercing ammunition system, currently utilizes Depleted Uranium (DU) because of its density and self-sharpening behavior. Ballistic tests conducted by the Army have proven that the Liquidmetal® tungsten composite KEP exhibits self-sharpening similar to the DU KEP. As a result, the Department of Defense is working closely with Liquidmetal Technologies to develop a new class of effective and environmentally benign KEP rods.
The high strength and lightweight attributes of Liquidmetal alloys enable the Department of Defense to support its transformation toward lighter smaller and more cost effective systems. Liquidmetal Technologies is supporting research and development for a wide range of military applications. Examples include:

Fuzes and Sub-Munition Components
Lighter Weight Fragmentation Devices
Composite Armor
Aircraft Fasteners
Light Weight Casings for Ordnance
EMP and EMI Shielding
MEMS Casings and Components
Novel KEP's
Thin Walled Casings and Components for Electronics
Casings for Night Sights and Optical Devices
Missile Components:Fins, nosecones, gimbals, and bodies
Spacecraft, Aircraft, UAV & Ship Components

Liquidmetal® coatings, applied via thermal spray, provide high hardness with low friction. This characteristic is ideal for high wear environments. As the coating is mostly amorphous, little or no shrinkage occurs and thermal expansion is similar to that of typical steels. Test results demonstrate that Liquidmetal coatings are very resistant to thermal and load cycling. Liquidmetal coatings can be used to wear proof lighter materials such as aluminum and titanium to reduce system weight.