Panasonic Upgrades Ultra-Rugged Convertible Tablet PC

Panasonic Solutions Co. has upgraded its Toughbook 19 rugged convertible Tablet PC with the new Core i5-540UM, a 1.2GHz Intel CPU with Turbo Boost speed up to 2.0GHz plus Hyper-Threading Technology and Intel Virtualization Technology. The Windows 7 Professional system is also available with optional Gobi2000 3G or WiMax 4G mobile broadband.

Going beyond the MIL-STD-810G certification with the ability to withstand a six-foot drop, the Toughbook 19's magnesium alloy case and shock-mounted 160GB hard drive thrive in hazardous, mission-critical environments. Its IP65 certification provides improved water and dust resistance, letting field workers maintain their productivity even in sand storms or heavy rain, while CircuLumin Technology lets users adjust screen brightness according to their environment -- from very dark places (2 nits) to direct sunlight (up to 1,000 nits).

Standard features of the 5.1-pound convertible include a 10.4-inch LED-backlit touchscreen display, 2GB of DDR3 memory expandable to 8GB, and 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi. Prices start at $3,399.