Panasonic unveils new ToughBooks

At just over 1kg, the CF-U1 ultra-mobile PC is the lightest of Panasonic's Toughbook range.

update Panasonic has updated its ToughBook range with the release of four notebooks, and a new rugged ultra-mobile PC.

The new mobile computers range from semi-rugged to fully rugged, and are aimed primarily at utilities, telecom companies and government agencies with a mobile workforce. The five new computers unveiled include two semi-rugged business notebooks, two fully rugged notebooks and one UPMC.

Panasonic's two new semi-rugged notebooks are the CF-52, a 15.4-inch desktop replacement, and the CF-W7, a 12.1-inch lightweight business notebook. The CF-52 features Intel's new Centrino 2 platform along with "ShirleyPeak" (a/b/g/n) Wi-Fi technology. It is available locally for a recommended retail price of $3,000. Panasonic's CF-W7 is based on Intel's first Centrino platform, and is available for $3,600.

Panasonic's new fully rugged toughbooks include the 10.4-inch CF-19 and the 13.3-inch CF-30. Both notebooks carry an IP54 rating, which certifies them as protected against water and dust, along with drop protection at up to 90cm. Both notebooks feature Intel Core 2 Duo processors, and run off Intel's first Centrino platform. The CF-30 has an RRP of $7000 while the CF-19 has an RRP of $6000.

Panasonic has also introduced a new model to the ToughBook range with the CF-U1, a UMPC weighing 1.06kg, which shares the IP54 rating of the other fully rugged toughbooks. The CF-U1 includes a 5.4-inch LED touchscreen, hot swappable dual Li-Ion batteries, a solid state drive, Wi-Fi and an Intel Atom processor. The CF-U1 also includes a QWERTY keypad, and is available for an RRP of $3,500.

Local Panasonic ruggedised notebook customers include Telstra, Sydney Water, National Foods, Coca-Cola Amatil, Bluescope steel, Mitsubishi Motors and Ambulance Victoria.

Alex Serpo travelled to central Australia as a guest of Panasonic.