Panasonic get Tough with semi-rugged laptop

Electronics manufacturer Panasonic is known for its rugged and durable Tourghbook laptops for the most extreme use cases, and it’s not making a play for the semi-rugged market with its new Toughbook 51.

According to Panasonic, the Toughbook 54 is the thinnest and lightest semi-rugged laptop in its class. Depending on the mode, the weight is between 4.2 and 4.6 lbs., and it measures 1.2” thin. Featuring a 14” display with a choice between HD (768p) and FHD (1080p) and running Windows 8.1 Pro or Windows 7 Professional, the Toughbook 54 is powered by a 5th Generation Intel Core i5 vPro processor.

The vendor promises 11 hours of battery life – expanded to 18 with an optional hot-swappable second battery, and a range of hard drive, optical drive and expansion drive options, as well as up to 16GM memory. According to Panasonic, it’s a good fit for mobile workers in demanding markets such as video production, insurance, utilities, construction, field service, public safety and government.

Four model options are available — Lite, Prime, Gloved Multi Touch and Performance – depending on the customer need and use case.

“A significant portion of the workforce spends more time on the road than they do behind a desk, and they need technology tools purpose-built for them,” said Anthony Mungiello, Toughbook product manager, Panasonic System Communications Company of North America, in a statement. “With the Toughbook 54, we incorporated the latest technological advances to design a tool for these workers that was most portable and advanced of its kind, without sacrificing on the reliability Panasonic is known for.”

The Toughbook 54 features an MIL-STD-810G and IP5x magnesium alloy design with built-in handle and claims to withstand 3 foot drops on 26 faces. It also features port covers and a spill-resistant keyboard, touchpad, hinges and display. Graphics options include the Intel HD Graphics 5500 and, on the Performance model, AMD FirePro M5100 graphics. A touchscreen option is also available, as is a 1080p HD webcam.

Pricing starts at US$1499 with availability later this month.

anasonic Toughbook 54
Panasonic Toughbook 54

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

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Jeff Jedras
Jeff Jedras
A veteran technology and business journalist, Jeff Jedras began his career in technology journalism in the late 1990s, covering the booming (and later busting) Ottawa technology sector for Silicon Valley North and the Ottawa Business Journal, as well as everything from municipal politics to real estate. He later covered the technology scene in Vancouver before joining IT World Canada in Toronto in 2005, covering enterprise IT for ComputerWorld Canada. He would go on to cover the channel as an assistant editor with CDN. His writing has appeared in the Vancouver Sun, the Ottawa Citizen and a wide range of industry trade publications.

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