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by Jerry Liao, Philippines


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Another UMPC--Panasonic's Atom-based ToughBook

Apr 13, 2008 09:26

ASUS showcased the potential of low-cost laptops with its Eee PC. Hewlett-Packard has also showcased its Mini-Note model which will soon be available for sale. Now, Panasonic is developing an Ultra-Mobile PC in its ToughBook line based on Intel's new Atom platform. The handheld will be designed for outdoor travelers and others who need an extremely shock- and weather-resistant device, but who need something smaller than today's ToughBook portables.

With a 5.6-inch touchscreen, the system will weigh less than 2.2 pounds even with the added protection, the company says. Besides the touch input, the handheld will also have a full QWERTY keyboard and shortcut buttons along the sides for launching favorite programs or scrolling through menus.

This ToughBook will run on Windows Vista and should have both a very long battery life as well as hot-swappable battery packs that extend the system's useful runtime by hours.

 



4 comments   |   Share


 

    Talkback
Hillary says...
Ooh, I like that it's shock and weather proof. Not so good looking though.

Apr 13, 2008 23:52
 
 
ferdiei says...
but then again, price price price. who's going to afford it?

Apr 14, 2008 20:57
 
 
techguy says...
Hillary / Ferdiei - It's always going to be a toss up between appearance, design, functionality, usability and price. More companies are joining the UMPC bandwagon.

Gigabyte and ECS are just two of the new ones who has announced their UMPC offerings. More to come I am sure.

Apr 15, 2008 04:46
 
 
elvino says...
I was in Shanghai when the Toshiba executive dropped the Toughbook from chest high, picked it up and showed it was still working and running Windows Vista.

Design wise, the Toughbook is for more ruggered usage - be it in construction, exploration etc. In the same breath, it might also appeal to some of users who need Internet in rought and tough environments. Jerry is right. We'll see more designs come up that in terms of pricing and design would appeal to the mass consumers.

Apr 15, 2008 10:04
 
 
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About Jerry Liao

Jerry Liao is an IT consultant in the Philippines who conducts seminars on various tech topics. He is a regular columnist of Manila Bulletin, a member of the academe, a system developer and a system analyst. He is a frequent fixture in press conferences and tech launchings, most of which are posted at infochat.com.ph. He loves to tinker with the latest gadgets and gizmos, but his most cherish possession are his children.

 
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