Panasonic has developed a new entrée in its ToughBook industrial notebook PC series, which has
durability as its biggest selling point. The latest petite CF-U1 ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) incorporates
Intel’s latest Intel Atom processor that boasts ultra-low power consumption.
The new Toughbook’s rear and side surfaces are covered with resin just like the initial TouchBook
series products. In an attempt to increase its shock resistance, the new computer apparently uses an
SSD (solid state drive) as a storage device.
Coming to the CF-U1’s battery, it has one which can work for more than 10 hours and users can replace
battery packs without switching it off.
CF-U1 comes along with a 5.6-inch touch screen LCD and weighs less than 1kg. Panasonic’s latest
“Windows Vista-compatible” ToughBook will be able to pack in things like a camera, barcode reader,
fingerprint verification and GPS capabilities, in accordance with its purposes. Interestingly its QWERTY
layout is split in the middle by a centrally located numeric keypad.
The Toughbook CF-U1 will hit stores in Japan in Autumn 2008, and will be gradually launched in other
markets subsequently. No news on its price yet.
But as of now if you want to have a look at Panasonic’s ToughBook CF-U1 UMPC, visit CeBIT 2008
(Pavilion U33), at Hannover, Germany, where the UMPC is being showcased until March 9, 2008.