Panasonic Toughbooks - Rugged Laptops for Fieldwork
Panasonic Toughbooks are billed as "rugged laptops for field work". Try to take a standard laptop onto a construction site or in an emergency room and you'll have a ruined computer before the end of a single workday. Panasonic's Toughbook series of laptop computers are built to withstand accidents that would completely destroy your average laptop -- most of their models are given a "drop rating", meaning a drop height that the laptop has been tested to withstand. Most Toughbook models come with spill resistant keyboards (the most common destroyer of laptops, in the field or not, is a cup of coffee) and other features that make Toughbooks just plain tougher than other laptop models.
What Makes Toughbooks so Tough?
There are currently ten models of Panasonic's popular rugged laptops, ranging from the not so tough (the cost effective F8 "business rugged" model) to the ultra rugged Toughbook 31. Panasonic has categorized their Toughbook line into some easy to understand categories. The "business rugged" models (F8, W8, and T8) are much lighter and not as "tough" as their higher end Toughbooks. The next toughest category is called "semi rugged", and these models (52 and 74) have a two and a half foot drop rating and spill resistant keyboards, but they aren't quite the beasts that the Toughbook series is known for. That honor goes to their "fully rugged" series, models 19, 30, and 31. These laptops are rated to survive a six foot fall and look like something out of an 80s science fiction flick.
Toughbooks come with shock mounted hard drives. Damage to the hard drive usually means it's time to buy a computer, and if you're using a laptop in difficult work conditions, such as those found in a busy hospital or an outdoor location, you'll want to have your hard drive protected from danger. Since many of these Toughbooks are rated to withstand a six foot drop, you can rest assured that a little nudge or a small tumble won't cause the Toughbook to hiccup.
Panasonic goes out of their way to specify that most of these Toughbook models are meant for "field word" -- a hilarious little euphemism that seems to lend the Toughbook a masculine, "tough guy" air. Having said that, there's no other laptop you'd rather have "out in the field" than one with extra features to protect it from spills, drops, and other incidents.
What Are the Different Panasonic Toughbook Models Like?
From field-specific models (like the H1 Field or H1 Health) to low cost "everyday" Toughbooks, you can find a Panasonic Toughbook laptop for a lot of different prices with a ton of different features.
F8 -- Weighing in at 3.7 pounds, and featuring a one foot drop rating and spill proof keyboard, the F8 is considered the lightest laptop with a built-in DVD drive. A 14 inch widescreen LCD display means the screen is easy to read in even the worst conditions. A 250GB shock-mounted flex-connect hard drive is powerful and safe. The F8 uses an Intel® Core2 processor.
F9 -- An upgraded version of the Toughbook F8, the F9 has a faster hard drive (320 GB shock-mounted) than its predecessor, with the same Toughbook features like spill resistance and a one foot drop rating. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability, as well as optional Gobi2000 mobile broadband service, this is a tough machine that keeps you connected to your network of friends and employees.
T8 -- Even lighter than the Toughbook F8 and F9 models, the T8 weighs just 3.3 pounds. The rugged look of this model comes from its built in magnesium alloy case and the unique rubber hand strap that can be easily removed for sanitizing. Embedded wireless features mean you get the same flexibility in communication as the F9 in a lighter package. Drop and spill resistant, the T8 is the tough guy of business laptops.
W8 -- An even lighter version of the T8 is available from Panasonic. The W8 is still rated to survive falls of up to a foot, and the keyboard is spill resistant, but the smaller screen means the machine is lighter. The W8 uses the same case as the T8, but without the removable carrying strap. The 160 GB shock mounted hard drive is a little wimpy compared to other Toughbook models, but for most business use, this rugged little laptop is perfect.
52 -- Once you get up to Toughbook 52, the drop proof rating of the Panasonic Toughbook starts to go up. These are the rugged laptops for field work that Panasonic is so proud of. Two and a half foot drop rating (more than double the rating of the smaller models) and the option to choose either a 16 inch widescreen or 13 inch touchscreen make this a really adaptable Toughbook model.
74 -- Think of model 74 as the little brother of the 52, but a little brother with a specific calling. The Toughbook 74 has covered ports along with a spill resistant keyboard and a foot of drop rating, so the entire laptop is spill proof and not just the vulnerable under-keyboard area. All Toughbook 74 models come with a 13 inch touchscreen. The 74's keyboard is also "quick release", so if a spill does happen, you can replace the keyboard instead of the whole laptop.
19 -- The three "top of the line" Panasonic Toughbook models look even weirder and tougher than the previous models. Model 19 is drop rated up to six feet, the old magnesium alloy case from earlier models is in play here. You also get a 2MP camera, a beautiful backlit keyboard (with the option of a rubber keyboard if you'd like), a GPS receiver, and Gobi2000 mobile broadband. The touch LCD is just icing on the cake.
30 -- Pansonic's "ultimate Toughbook" (the toughest laptop they make) is the Toughbook 30. This award winning design takes the best of other models (magnesium alloy case and removable carrying strap) and combines them with "all weather" connectivity and a sunlight-viewable 1,000 nit touchscreen display to build the ultimate Panasonic laptop. An IntelCore2 processor, a backup battery and 160GB shock-mounted HDD means you get a top notch laptop in all working conditions.
31 -- Take the Panasonic Toughbook 30, add an even brighter and easier to read touchscreen, kick up the battery power to eleven hours at a charge, and attach an even more secure and sturdy handle, and you've got the Toughbook 31. Though it isn't any faster than the 30, it is more "rugged" in appearance, has a better display, and the long battery life makes it ideal for work in the field.
H1 Health -- This is a special design by Panasonic aimed at health facilities like hospitals and emergency rooms. Called a "mobile clinical assistant", the H1 Health has a super bright 10.4" touch display and weighs under 3.5 pounds. The H1 Health features two batteries for extended use, an 80GB shock-mounted hard drive, and embedded wireless capabilities. According to Panasonic, the H1 Health is "designed to meet the specific needs of healthcare professionals.