By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
14/01/2009
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050488,44071110p,00.htm

Built-in handles are normally seen on fully rugged machines which may weigh a ton, but are also built like tanks. The Panasonic ToughBook CF-F8 may just be the first semi-rugged laptop to sport this feature. Like the rest of its ilk, the CF-F8 combines a tough exterior with a lightweight chassis and a built-in optical drive. Another standout feature is that this may be the first widescreen ToughBook in the market.

Design

One of the most impressive feature of the ToughBook series is that they are exceptionally light. For a 14.1-inch laptop, the ToughBook CF-F8 is only 1.66kg and can easily compete with ultraportables sporting smaller screens. Moreover, the optical drive was not compromised to lighten the load and this machine comes with a top-loading DVD writer installed.

Though its footprint is reasonable, the Panasonic ToughBook is thicker than most laptops in its category due to a raised portion in the center. According to the Japanese maker, this design is integral in protecting the LCD from damage and allows the notebook to tolerate up to 100kg of pressure. It has also been tested to withstand drops of up to 76cm. Hence, the ToughBook is able to survive being crushed on crowded public transport and users who have a tendency to rest their arms on their laptop bags.

The magnesium-alloy body has an integrated carry handle in the front. This part is spring-loaded and can be folded in when not in use, though this results in the lid catch button being blocked. Depending on your usage pattern, this handle may prove more of a hindrance than a help. Unless you frequently have to move your notebook short distances, users will usually carry this machine in a laptop bag and the handle just adds more bulk.

Features

Unlike other ToughBooks, the CF-F8 steps away from the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio screen, and instead comes with a 14.1-inch 1,280 x 800-pixel widescreen. The advantage of a widescreen is that it makes side-by-side document comparisons easier, though 4:3 displays are preferred by some for reading long articles and Web pages. So while it is debatable if this change is an improvement, what most can agree on is that the anti-glare treatment is a good thing and allows for easy reading outdoors. The graphics engine is powered by the integrated Intel GMA 4500HD processor which is more than competent for productivity tasks and even movies, though the audio quality through the onboard stereo speakers is nothing to shout about.

When it comes to features, we feel that Panasonic has dropped the ball especially considering the high S$3,899 price tag. Sure, the usual suspects like USB 2.0 (three ports), VGA-out and Type II PC Card slot are available, but the memory card reader can only handle SD/SDHC/MMC formats and omits Memory Stick and xD-PictureCard. Moreover, newer standards like HDMI, eSATA and ExpressCard ports are nowhere to be seen. To top it off, the only hardware security feature is a Trusted Platform Module chip but no biometric fingerprint sensor to pair with.

Fortunately, the machine is still decked out with Draft-N Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, modem and Gigabit Ethernet. The unit comes with an integrated DVD writer which is not removable. As such, you will not be able to upgrade to a Blu-ray drive or swap it with accessories like a second battery or harddisk. Pressing the "Eco" button will shut down the optical drive as well as reduce screen brightness and processor speed in order to save power.

A spill-resistant keyboard and shock-mounted harddisk drive are part of what makes this ToughBook hardy. But there are some small issues which need to be brought up. In order to make space for the cursor buttons, the "?" and "Shift" keys on the right have been shrunk. As commonly used buttons, this may result in a few typos until the user gets a hang of the layout. The circular touchpad may also be a turnoff to some, though this can be easily remedied by attaching a mouse.

Performance And Battery Life

For S$3,899, you won't get much out of your money as the machine comes with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB memory and 160GB harddisk. However, this setup is more than competent when it comes to productivity tools and even the occasional movie viewing, though try to avoid computing-intensive tasks such as editing RAW images and high-definition video encoding.

Battery life is an area in which ToughBooks blow away the competition, and the CF-F8 doesn't disappoint. Using the MobileMark07 productivity test, this ToughBook managed to last an impressive 6 hours 46 minutes before shutting down with 2 percent battery remaining. Granted the screen brightness was set at medium and the wireless radios were turned off, but unless you intend to run the processor and display at full load all the time the ToughBook should be able to last a work day without requiring a recharge.

Service And Support

Panasonic ToughBooks come with a three-year local warranty with hotline telephone support for basic troubleshooting. In the event that extensive diagnostics or repairs are required, the unit has to be brought to the local service center. The Japanese company's Web site archives drivers and user manuals for download, while an FAQ section answers most common queries. Overall, this level of support is average for consumer portables, but for business notebooks some other brands offer more comprehensive coverage like international warranty and online diagnostic tools.