Buyers Guide to the Panasonic Toughbook

By now, most of us have heard at least a little about high quality, ruggedly built Toughbook computers from Panasonic. These laptops are said to be able to cope with any environment and any rough treatment you can give them. But are they really worth their high price?

Wondering if a Toughbook can live up to its reputation isn’t a bad idea. We all want to make sure we spend as little as necessary for our businesses, and keep the expenditures we do make to necessary ones. Fortunately, Toughbooks seem to offer everything that’s promised.

These computers are made to deal with harsh environments and nasty conditions better than any of the other computers on the market. There are several different degrees of ruggedness, each one made for a particular set of harsh conditions. The toughest of all are the fully rugged laptops – made to take anything.

Machines like this can fall from significant heights, deal with immersion in water and liquids, get covered in mud and deal with dust clouds, and they won’t stop going. Vibrating machinery that might destroy the hard drive in other computers won’t faze the shock mounted drives in a Toughbook. The US military uses these computers on a regular basis, in situations where failure is not an option.

Of course, a Toughbook might be built like a tank, but that doesn’t mean it looks or weighs like one. These notebooks are small and light for their ruggedness – just two and a quarter kilograms, or about five pounds. That makes them a lot easier to carry around.

The newest models include touch screen and stylus interactivity, and are great in situations where keyboard use isn’t all that feasible. Solid metal latches ensure that they stay safe, and truly bright screens can be read in just about any lighting conditions – plus they resist cracks, scratches and other damage. Newer Toughbooks have rotating displays for easier use.

Toughbooks also make great data logging devices for people working in the field, and can be custom built for the hardware and software features you need most. There are models that can easily be typed on using gloves and models that make it easier to type in dark conditions. Connectors and ports are sealed against particulates and moisture, making it easier to use a Toughbook wherever you go.

Don’t be worried about dropping a Toughbook, either – it has a case made from magnesium alloy that’ll keep the exterior safe, and shock mounts on the drives inside to keep data from being lost. The overall performance is a little lower than the top of the line conventional laptops out there, but you’ll never have to replace or repair your Toughbook.

Add in the latest wireless capabilities, set up for multiple different bandwidths, and a long battery life, and you’ll be able to send data from anywhere. It doesn’t matter if you can’t get to an outlet – many Toughbooks will run all day without running out of juice. Durable, reliable, and built to last, a Toughbook is well worth the investment you need to make.

Related Reads About the Panasonic Toughbook

• Panasonic Toughbook S9 is world’s lightest 12.1-inch lappy with DVD drive (slashgear.com)
• Panasonic Toughbook S9: An Armored Beast That Just Weighs 3 Lbs. [Toughbook] (gizmodo.com)

Tags: computer, laptop, Laptops, panasonic, panasonic toughbook computer, pc, rugged computer, technology

Category: Laptops