By John Chan
25/09/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050495,62046512,00.htm

TOKYO, JAPAN--Today, Panasonic announced its new lineup of ToughBook notebooks with three new products. These include updates to the ultraportable W-series and touchscreen-enabled T-series. Most notably, a new 14.1-inch F-series has been introduced starting with the CF-F8.

Like the last CF-Y7 notebook, the CF-F8 comes in a widescreen 14.1-inch form factor. It uses the SP9300 Intel Core 2 Duo processor clocked at 2.26GHz and tips the scale at a lightweight 1.66kg. Its main differentiating factor from the Y-series is the inclusion of a handle in the design. This makes it easier for the user to carry the portable around even without the use of a notebook bag. It is also the first ToughBook with a WXGA widescreen display. The F8 is available in black and will cost S$3,899. The Y-series will continue to exist with a new CF-Y8 model but this will be available only in Japan.

Improvements made to the W-series and T-series are less dramatic, with just standard tweaks to include the latest Intel processors and wireless LAN cards. The CF-W8 maintains its 12.1-inch XGA display but now comes with the new SU9300 ultra-low voltage (ULV) processor. The same processor is found in the CF-T8, Panasonic's touchscreen 12.1-inch model targeted for use in the healthcare, service and financial industries. The W8 comes in only silver and will retail for S$3,299 at launch. The T8 is intended to be sold through corporate tenders, so contact Panasonic directly if you wish to purchase them for your company.

Features available throughout the new ToughBook notebooks include up to 7 hours of claimed battery life, magnesium-alloy casings and wireless LAN modules compatible with the latest Draft-N wireless network. As its name suggests, these notebooks are built to withstand some abuse from incidents like falls and liquid spills. A top-loading DVD writer is also found in the W8 and F8 models, though not in the T8.

Panasonic ToughBooks have traditionally not been marketed directly to end-users in every Asia-Pacific country. For this iteration though, the company has decided to expand its reach to more countries in the region, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Pre-orders for these new notebooks will start in November and ship in December.

Click on the next page for more images and detailed specifications.

Panasonic's new ToughBooks

Model name	In a nutshell
Panasonic ToughBook CF-F8	Notable features: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SP9300 2.26GHz, 6MB L2 cache, 1,066MHz FSB Mobile Intel GS45 Express chipset 1GB DDR2 SDRAM (up to 3GB) 160GB Serial ATA HDD Windows Vista Business Service Pack 1 14.1-inch QXGA TFT 1,280 x 800 display Maximum 100kg case load-bearing capacity Maximum 76cm tested drop height Water spillage protection on keyboard and touchpad 6-hour battery life on single charge 802.11a/b/g, 802.11n draft 2.0-compliant Bluetooth 2.0 EDR Class 1 One Type II PC Card slot; one SD card slot Multi-drive (DVD-R/W, CD-R/W) TPM security chip 1.66kg weight Availability: December 2008
Panasonic ToughBook CF-W8	Notable features: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SU9300 1.20GHz, 3MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB Mobile Intel GS45 Express chipset 1GB DDR2 SDRAM (up to 3GB) 120GB Serial ATA HDD Windows Vista Business Service Pack 1 12.1-inch, XGA TFT, 1,024 x 768 display Maximum 100kg case load-bearing capacity Maximum 76cm tested drop height Water spillage protection on keyboard and touchpad 7-hour battery life on single charge 802.11a/b/g/n 2.0-compliant Bluetooth 2.0 EDR One Type II PC Card slot; one SD card slot Multi-drive (DVD-RW, CD-RW) TPM security chip 1.29kg weight Availability: December 2008
Panasonic ToughBook CF-T8	Notable features: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SU9300 1.20GHz, 3MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB Mobile Intel GS45 Express chipset 1GB DDR2 SDRAM (up to 3GB) 120GB Serial ATA HDD Windows Vista Business Service Pack 1 12.1-inch, XGA TFT, 1,024 x 768 display Maximum 100kg case load-bearing capacity Maximum 76cm tested drop height Water spillage protection on keyboard and touchpad 7-hour battery life on single charge 802.11a/b/g/n 2.0-compliant Bluetooth 2.0 EDR One Type II PC Card slot; one SD card slot TPM security chip 1.48kg weight Availability: December 2008