More rugged than Chuck Norris in a suit of armour, Panasonic’s latest addition to their Toughbook notebook series is set to be introduced at the CTIA Wireless IT & Entertainment 2006 event next week.
Billed as the “ultimate road warrior PC,” the semi-rugged Panasonic Toughbook 74 Notebook is an upgraded version of the company’s Toughbook-73 13.3-inch XGA model and comes stuffed with connectivity options.
Powered by a beefy Intel Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz Dual Core Processor, the mean, mo’fo’ Toughbook-74 comes with a 13.3″ XGA TFT Touchscreen HighBrite (Outdoor Readable) display, backed up by 512MB of RAM.
The built-in Mobile Intel 945GM Express Chipset, DVMT (Dynamic Video Memory Technology) provides external video support for screens up to 2048 x 1536 at 16 million colours.
In line with its rugged ambitions, the lappie is packaged in a full magnesium case with carrying handle and sports a water/spill resistant keyboard and a shock-mounted 80 GB hard drive.
Running on Windows XP, the Panasonic comes with a combo DVD/CD-RW drive, Intel Tri-band 802.11a+b/g (Wireless LAN), optional built in EV-DO WAN and Bluetooth.
Battery life has been ramped up to a claimed Mobile Mark-tested 7 to 8 hours – enough for a full day stomping around in the Great Outdoors.
Not surprisingly, all this portability, power and durability doesn’t come cheap, with a basic configuration costing around $3,000.
Specifications:
SOFTWARE
Microsoft WindowsÆ Windows XP Professional SP2 Setup, DMI Viewer, AdobeÆ Acrobat Reader, On-Line Reference Manual, Hard Disk Data Erase Utility
CPU Intel Core Duo Processor T2400: 2MB L2 cache; Processor speed 1.83GHz (Dual Core); 667MHz FSB
STORAGE & MEMORY
512MB SDRAM (DDR2) standard, expandable to 4096MB, 80GB HDD Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-R/RW) standard
DISPLAY
13.3″ 1024 x 768 XGA transmissive, daylight-readable TFT Active Matrix Color LCD with Touchscreen
External video support up to 2048 x 1536 at 16,770,000 colors
Mobile IntelÆ 945GM Express Chipset, DVMT (Dynamic Video Memory Technology) up to 128MB
460 Nit LCD Brightness
AUDIO
SigmaTel STAC9200 AC-97 v.2.3 Compliant Audio Codec
Integrated stereo speakers
Convenient keyboard volume and mute controls
EXPANSION SLOTS
PC Card Type I or II
Secure Digital (SD) Card
Express Card
MULTIMEDIA POCKET
Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-R/RW) standard
Accepts optional DVD Multi Drive (DVD-RAM/DVD-ROM/DVD-RW/CD-R/CD-ROM/CD-R/RW)
KEYBOARD & INPUT
87-key with dedicated Windows key
Electrostatic touchpad with scrolling support
Touchscreen LCD
Stylus with integrated holder
INTERFACE
External Video: Mini-D-sub 15 pin Headphones/Speaker: Mini-jack Stereo
Microphone/Line In: Mini-jack Stereo
Mini Port Replicator: Dedicated 84 pin
Serial: D-sub 9 pin (UART 16550 compatible)
USB2.0(x2): 4 pin
10/100/1000 Ethernet: RJ-45
56K bps Modem: RJ-11
WIRELESS LAN
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Network Connection with respective drivers
Slide on/off switch
Security + Authentication: LEAP, WPA, 802.1x, EAP-TLS, EAP-FAST, PEAP
+ Encryption: CKIP,TKIP,128-bit and 64-bit WEP, Hardware AES
POWER SUPPLY
Lithium lon battery pack (11.1V,7.8Ah)
Battery operation: 8 hours
Battery charging time : approximately 4.5 hours
AC Adapter: AC 100V-240V 50/60HZ, Auto Sensing/Switching worldwide power supply
Intelligent power measurement for precise battery status reporting
Pop-up on-screen battery status reporting
POWER MANAGEMENT
Hibernation, Standby, ACPI BIOS
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
1.7″-2.4″(H) x 12″(W) x 10.3″(D) 5.9 lbs