Panasonic Toughbook S9, Rugged Tablet Go On Display
by Nicholas Kolakowski
Toughbook S9
Panasonic had the recently released Toughbook S9 on display at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2010. The 3-pound device features a 12.1-inch LED screen and is rated for a 30-inch drop.
Magnesium Alloy
The S9’s toughness comes courtesy of a magnesium alloy case, a shock-mounted flex-connect hard drive and a spill-resistant keyboard.
Battery
Panasonic claims the Toughbook S9 has a battery life of 11 hours.
Windows 7
The Toughbook S9 comes standard with Windows 7. It also supports Linux.
Touchpad
The Toughbook S9 boasts a circular, spill-resistant keypad.
DVD Drive
The Toughbook S9’s DVD drive. The device also supports analog (VGA) and HDMI video outputs.
Ecosystem
Panasonic envisions the Toughbook as supporting a broader tech ecosystem for both government and enterprise—particularly those institutions (such as police) involved in rugged fieldwork.
Rugged Tablet
At the Gartner show, Panasonic also displayed its “rugged tablet,” the U1 Essential. The 2.3-pound device runs a touch-screen version of Windows XP (it also supports Vista) and a slot for a bar-code reader.
U1 Essential
The U1 essential also features a 2-megapixel camera, along with integrated options such as GPS.