There are many great Windows 8 tablets geared towards general business and enterprise use out there, with the HP ElitePad being one of the leaders in this space. It’s worth noting that not all businesses have the same needs though.
For those involved in businesses that require constant travel and circumstances like surveying construction sites and other situations– a standard business tablet probably isn’t going to cut it. Having a device that can handle your roaming lifestyle and the bumps and bruises that come with it is important. That’s where Panasonic steps in with their ToughPad FZ-G1.
Let’s get one thing straight here: this isn’t a beautiful looking device. The bezel is huge and the design is bulky. It is also considerably heavier than many standard business and consumer devices. Putting that aside: this thing is virtually indestructible, well within reason.
Panasonic works hard to make sure that even if your tablet was destroyed, the data inside would likely survive, even from a massive drop. Speaking of drops, the device is certified to easily handle a four foot drop and still turn on without any adverse effects. The real magic here isn’t just its vapor magnesium shell, it is also able to be fully emerged in water or thrown into dusty environments and end up just fine. Sure, it might get a few paint scraps and stratches, but from a functionality standpoint, it will keep kicking.
So what kind of hardware is under the hood? This is a 10.1-inch tablet with a resolution of 1920×1080. Other specs include a 1.9GHz Intel Core i5-3437U processor with 4GB of RAM. There is also 128 or 256GB of SSD storage, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, Wi-Fi and the option of adding 3G or 4G LTE connectivity.
Most tablets out there have one big limitation for travelers that don’t have a constant source of electricity: battery life. With the Panasonice ToughPad FZ-G1 you get 8 hours of life and can keep as many spares as you want since it is one of the only tablets on the market with interchangeable batteries.
So what’s the downside? Besides being less than gorgeous, it is also extremely expensive to buy the FZ-G1. The Starting price is $2,899 and it can certainly end up costing you as much as $3500-$5000 when you choose a device with a faster processor or you buy optional accessories like spare batteries.
This isn’t your average business/work tablet, but for those with needs for such a sturdy device, it could certainly come in handy if you don’t mind paying the premium to get it. What do you think, is the extreme durability of this device worth the high price tag or not?
