Panasonic’s ultra-tough Windows 8 tablet.
Panasonic might not be a major leader in the mobile sector globally, but that isn’t stopping them from showing off some pretty cool stuff act CES this year.
We’ve already covered their 4K Windows 8 20-inch tablet, but that’s not all. The company also took the time to show off their indestructible new Toughpad FZ-G1 Windows 8 tablet.
Like the Surface RT, the device is made of vapor magnesium to help it resist damage, but Panasonic takes things even further. The device can not only easily handle four foot drops, it also can deal with the rain and tons of dust, too.
As for the hardware side of things, it is a 10.1-inch device with a 1920×1080 resolution powered by a 1.9GHz Intel Core i5-3437U processor with 4GB of RAM. Other specs include an 128 or 256GB SSD, USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0, wi-Fi and optional 3G or 4G LTE connectivity.
Since the device is made for field work, military efforts, construction and more– true mobility is important and so that means battery life is key. The device is able to hold 8 hours on a full charge. While that by itself is pretty decent, 8 hours isn’t enough for everyone.
The solution? The Toughpad has interchangeable batteries so you can easily swap out the dead battery and keep chugging along.
These kinds of super-powerful tablets aren’t for everyone. I used to have a Toughbook back in the days of Windows 98 and will attest to their strength, as well as their premium price tag. In the case of the FZ-G1, the price will start at $2,899 and will go up from there depending on optional features.
At nearly $3,000 some might argue it would be better to have several cheaper tablets that you could replace when they die/break that simply sync to the cloud with a service like DropBox. While that is certainly a possibility, it could also prove to be a bit of a hassle.
Anyone out there with a need for a super-tough device interested in the FZ-G1 or do you feel that the price tag is just too much?
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All Comments
This looks ridiculous. Does it even have edge-to-edge glass for swiping in from the edges?
Its not ridiculous, I worked for a Utility company that exclusively used the tough book brand. These devices are widely used in those sectors as well as Fire and Police department. They are used by the US military as well and have been documented to take a bullet from an AK 47.
Good point about the edge to edge glass though, I wonder how this particular devices would handle that, as I know the CF-30 series did not have edge to edge glass.