Panasonic Ultraportables Get Powerful Upgrades

Not all Panasonic Toughbooks are big briefcases, made to withstand the worst that nature has to throw at them. The company also manufactures a series of business-rugged Toughbooks—some of the lightest in the world and just as tough—to meet the demands of corporate and consumer folks who take their computing on the road. Today, Panasonic announced three additions to its ultraportable line, the W7, the Y7 and the T7 tablet, with some necessary internal upgrades.

The W7 brings the latest Intel Santa Rosa components to the table. Granted, its still an ultra-low voltage processor, but at least the Intel Core 2 Duo U7500 (1.06GHz) is a dual-core rather than a single-core processor, like the 2.9-pound Panasonic CF-W5. The W7 comes standard with only 1GB of RAM, and there is the option of getting it with Windows XP or Windows Vista Business.

Similarly, the Y7, arguably the lightest 14-inch laptop in the market, also moves to the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and chipset, with support for the 800MHz Front Side Bus and 801.11n wireless. The sub-4-pound laptop features a built-in optical drive and over 5 hours of battery life, according to Panasonic.

The T7 is a non-rotating tablet that comes with a digitized stylus and screen, where professionals can use it as a digital notepad. It, too, will house the latest Intel parts.

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