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Panasonic Toughbook in use by U.S. Navy

Toughbook is a trademarked brand name owned by Panasonic and refers to its line of semi-rugged and rugged laptop computers. In 2005, Panasonic added the Toughbook Arbitrator mobile digital camera and mobile digital video recorder (DVR) system to their line. Toughbook computers are commonly used by public safety (police, fire and emergency medical services), utilities, field service, healthcare, construction, and Federal and civilian military personnel.

[edit] Overview

Panasonic Toughbook CF-M34

The Toughbook is designed to withstand vibration, drops, spills, extreme temperature, and other rough handling. While originally targeted at military, law enforcement and heavy industrial users, Panasonic has expanded marketing towards a wider audience in recent years.^[1]

The Toughbook line has an average annual repair rate of around 3.2%. Panasonic's fully-rugged Toughbook PCs have an average annualized failure of about 1.5%.

Panasonic Computer Solutions Company markets the Toughbook product family in North, Central, South American and European markets through their network of dealers. These units are not usually sold through consumer retail channels; most sales are to organizations.^[2]

They are often connected by WiFi Wireless LAN, embedded (internal) cellular wide area network (WAN), or via satellite to a dispatch center for real-time record checks and report taking. Virtually all Toughbook models can have CDMA 1X-EVDO, EDGE, or HSDPA country-wide Wireless WAN capabilities built in. Panasonic was one of the earliest adopters of WWAN technology and was the first to incorporate it into laptops.^[3] They have extensive test facilities that allow them to finely tune integrated radio modems to deliver superior connectivity. GPS is also offered internally in the Toughbook 19, 28, 29 and 30.^[4]

[edit] Usage

Many law enforcement agencies use fully rugged Toughbook laptops in their patrol cars to run computer-assisted dispatch software.^[5] Utility companies similarly dispatch field workers, print work orders, and conduct inspections and repairs using these devices.^[6] Many Emergency Medical Services providers also use Toughbooks for patient-care reporting and computer aided dispatch.^[7]

Many field forces deploy the Toughbook line with their fleet of vehicles. This requires the unit to be anchored to the vehicle for driver safety, device security, and user ergonomics. The Toughbook lines are rated for severe vibration associated with large service vehicles and off-road driving, and harsh environmental conditions of constant professional use such as in EMS, fire and public safety. ^[8]

Other elements that enables the unit to function in vehicle:

• Operating temperature: The Toughbooks ability to operate in temperature extremes from -20°F to +140°F (-29°C to +60°C) fully rugged models 18 and 29—based on independent study by SRI Group and by Panasonic R&D).^[9]
• Daylight, or sunlight readability: Many Toughbook computers have anti-glare and anti-reflective coatings applied to their screens and run at unusually high brightness levels. The Toughbook 30 notebook and Toughbook 19 tablet convertible , for example, run at 1,000 nits LCD brightness, and include a circular polarized layer for superior sunlight viewability.^[10]
• Touchscreens: These enable users to easily interact with the units in the field without removing gloves, or being concerned about wet conditions.^[11]

[edit] Testing

During product development, Panasonic performs numerous tests.^[12] The fully rugged Toughbooks display hinge are tested to 50,000 cycles and the keyboard are tested for 25 million keystrokes. Other important R&D tests include liquid, dust and drop resistance.

According to Panasonic, over 500 tests and quality checks are performed during production and all units are subjected to a factory burn-in period.^[13]

On the Five TV program The Gadget Show, the Toughbook was tested on numerous levels, while being compared to a Toshiba of a similar specification, kept in a secure laptop bag. These tests included the laptops being used as tennis rackets, dunked in a water tank and being blown up by "the equivalent to two sticks of dynamite" and "20 litres of fuel". After the latter experiment the Toshiba was destroyed, but the Toughbook continued to work.^[14]

In another test, conducted by Forbes Magazine, the Panasonic Toughbook CF-30 was subjected to 'normal' tough tests, such as being kicked, thrown around, and even used as a dartboard. The laptop still managed to turn on with no issues. During a visit to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, the Toughbook was subjected to the teeth and claws of a tiger, and even being stepped on by an elephant, after which the laptop still had no issues booting up. Forbes then fired several .22 rounds at the laptop at close range, which still did not kill the laptop. However, after a couple of .45 rounds, the laptop finally gave up.^[15]

A Panasonic Toughbook laptop saved a life when it took a bullet for a U.S. soldier in Iraq. The U.S. soldier whose life was saved by a Panasonic Toughbook had a habit of carrying the laptop around with him wherever he went. The CF-M34 Toughbook is used by the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division. ^[16]

[edit] Design

All Toughbook models have a magnesium alloy case which is advertised as 20 times stronger than the ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic commonly used in laptop construction. Many current models have LCD panels designed specifically for visibility during daylight use. Other design elements include a shock-mounted hard drive and, on many models, a moisture and dust-resistant LCD, keyboard and touchpad.

Panasonic markets the Toughbook series in several configurations ranging from business and "semi-rugged" to "fully rugged" in both laptop and Tablet PC configurations, as well as in several specialty designs with numerous customizable add-on features.

Panasonic's fully rugged and some semi-rugged laptops have no cooling fan and instead dissipate the heat "evenly" through the chassis. The main advantage of no fan include better seal against dust and moisture. Additionally, no cooling fan lead to longer battery life, quieter operation, and fewer moving components that can clog up and wear out. ^[17] However, this means Panasonic must design additional proprietary solutions at additional costs. To reduce heat and power consumption, many laptops come with lower voltage Intel processors and have numerous automatic power management functions.

Some models, such as the lightweight W8, are US versions of thin and light consumer laptops sold in Japan under the Let's Note name. The Toughbook PDRC or Permanent Display Removable Computer is an extraordinarily bright 1250 nits, 12.1" Touchscreen. This unit permanently mounts, usually to a vehicle’s dashboard, and connects to a removable computer mounted elsewhere in the vehicle.

[edit] In The Movies

Panasonic Toughbook Computers have been used in a number of movies as the choice of the main characters. According to MoviePlacement.com, the computers have been used in movies such as Mr and Mrs Smith, The Pacifier, Bad Boys 2,Be Cool, Sahara,Body of Lies, and Twilight: New Moon.

[edit] Models

[edit] Ultra Mobile rugged UMPC

This model complies with MIL-STD-810G ruggedness standards.

• Panasonic Toughbook U1: 5.6" UMPC with keyboard and Intel Atom processor.

[edit] Fully rugged tablet

These models comply with MIL-STD-810G ruggedness standards.

• Panasonic Toughbook H1 Health: 10.4" MCA slate tablet with an Intel Atom processor.
• Panasonic Toughbook H1 Field: 10.4" rugged slate tablet for outdoor use with an Intel Atom processor.
• Panasonic Toughbook 19: 10.4" convertible tablet with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor
• Panasonic Toughbook Permanent Display, Removable Computer (PDRC): 12.1" 1250 nit permanent vehicle touchscreen display with keyboard

[edit] Fully rugged laptop

This model complies with MIL-STD-810G ruggedness standards.

• Panasonic Toughbook 30: 13.3" 1,000 nit display and fully sealed rugged laptop with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor

[edit] Business Rugged

These are less than 4 lb (1.8 kg) laptops that comply with the MIL-STD-810 standards for 1 ft (300 mm) drop.

• Panasonic Toughbook F8: 14.1" 3.6 lb (1.6 kg), combo drive, 10 hour battery^[18]

• Panasonic Toughbook R8: 10.4" 2.1 lb (0.95 kg), 8 hour battery^[19]

• Panasonic Toughbook T8: 12" 2.5 lb (1.1 kg), touchscreen, 11 hour battery^[20]

• Panasonic Toughbook W8: 12" 2.75 lb (1.25 kg), combo drive, 11 hour battery^[21]

[edit] Semi-rugged

These models comply with the MIL-STD-810 standards for 1 ft (300 mm) drop.

• Panasonic Toughbook 74: high performance laptop
• Panasonic Toughbook 52: 15.4" widescreen, desktop replacement laptop

[edit] Mobile digital video system

• Panasonic Toughbook Arbitrator: Rugged fully integrated mobile digital video system

[edit] Discontinued Products

Here are some recently discontinued products, most of which have been replaced by newer, more advanced models.

• Panasonic Toughbook 18: 10.4" convertible tablet with an Intel Pentium M processor
• Panasonic Toughbook 08: 10.4" portable wireless display with a PXA270 ARM processor
• Panasonic Toughbook 29: 13.3" fully sealed rugged laptop with an Intel Pentium M processor
• Panasonic Toughbook 51: 15" desktop replacement laptop

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/toughbook/laptop-computers.asp
2. ^ http://www.panasonic.net/
3. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/wireless-computers.asp
4. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/fully-rugged-laptop-toughbook-30.asp
5. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/public-sector-computers.asp
6. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/field-service-computers.asp
7. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/healthcare-computers.asp
8. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/healthcare-computers.asp
9. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/why-rugged-and-reliable-computers.asp
10. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/why-rugged-and-reliable-computers.asp
11. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/why-rugged-and-reliable-computers.asp
12. ^ http://www.toughbookuniverse.com/?page_id=260
13. ^ http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/why-rugged-and-reliable-computers.asp
14. ^ http://gadgetshow.five.tv/jsp/5gsmain.jsp?lnk=401&featureid=233&show=s5e7&section=Consumer
15. ^ http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/23/toughbook-tiger-elephant-technology-personal-test.html
16. ^ http://www.toughbookuniverse.com/?p=16
17. ^ http://www.panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?objectID=3708
18. ^ http://panasonic.jp/pc/products/f8g/index.html
19. ^ http://panasonic.jp/pc/products/r8g/index.html
20. ^ http://panasonic.jp/pc/products/t8g/index.html
21. ^ http://panasonic.jp/pc/products/w8g/index.html

[edit] External links

• Official European site
• Official US site
• Toughbook Support
• Toughbook Drivers
• Enthusiast site