Toughbook

Toughbook is the trademarked brand name owned by Matsushita Electric Industrial and marketed by their international brand name Panasonic. Toughbook refers to its line of semi-rugged and rugged laptop computers. In 2005, Panasonic added the Toughbook Arbitrator mobile digital camera and mobile digital video recorder (DVR) system to their line. Toughbooks are commonly used by public safety (police, fire and emergency medical services), utilities, field service, construction, and military personnel.

Overview

The Panasonic Toughbook is a laptop computer created for extreme environments. The system is designed to withstand vibration, drops, spills, extreme temperature, and other rough handling. While originally targeted at military, law enforcement, and heavy industrial users, Panasonic has expanded marketing towards a wider audience in recent years.

The Toughbooks have an average annual repair rate of around 3.2%. Panasonic's fully-rugged Toughbooks have an average annualized failure of about 1.5%.

Panasonic Computer Solutions Company market the Toughbook product family into North, Central and South American and European markets exclusively through their network of dealers. These units are not usually sold through retail channels, and most sales are to organizations, rather than individuals.

Many law enforcement agencies use fully rugged Toughbooks in their patrol cars to run computer-assisted dispatch software. Utility companies similarly dispatch field workers, print work orders, and conduct inspections and repairs using these devices. They are often connected by WiFi Wireless LAN, embedded (internal) cellular wide area network (WAN), or via satellite to a dispatch center for real-time records checks and report taking. Virtually all Toughbook models can have CDMA 1X-EVDO, EDGE, or HSDPA country-wide Wireless WAN capabilities built into the laptop. Panasonic has been one of the earliest adopters of WWAN technology and was the first to incorporate it into laptops. They have extensive test facilities that allow them to finely tune integrated radio modems to deliver superior connectivity. GPS is also offered internally in the Toughbook 19, 28, 29 and 30.

Panasonic markets the Toughbook series in several configurations ranging from business and semi-rugged to fully rugged in both laptop and Tablet PC configurations, as well as several specialty designs (see product list and spec sheets below in "Wireless Capable Models"). Some models, such as the lightweight W5, are US versions of thin and light consumer laptops sold in Japan under the Let's Note name. The Toughbook 08 is a 10.4 inch fully sealed and ruggedized touchscreen designed to connect to another computer or server. These models communicate with a server via WLAN and a secured thin client. Used in campus area environments that require light, durable, touchscreen equipment such as hospitals (no resident data and fluid resistant), restaurants (card swipe option, rugged), and EMS (lightweight, rugged, vehicle area computing). The Toughbook PDRC or Permanent Display Removable Computer is an extraordinarily bright 1250 nits, 12.1" Touchscreen. This unit typically permanently mounts to a vehicle’s dashboard and connects to a removable computer mounted elsewhere in the vehicle.

All models have a full magnesium alloy case which is 20 times stronger than the ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic commonly used in laptop construction. Many models have LCD panels designed specifically for visibility during daylight use. Other design elements include a shock-mounted hard drive and, on many models, a moisture and dust-resistant LCD, keyboard and touchpad. Available options include touchscreens, digitizers and backlit keyboards.

Panasonic markets itself as one of the only remaining core manufacturers of laptop computers, meaning that Panasonic manufactures most of the major parts used in the laptop and assembles the laptop itself. This is opposed to the practice of outsourcing the parts and assembly to a third party manufacturer.

Use in EMS and fire services

Many Emergency Medical Services providers also use these books for patient-care reporting and computer aided dispatch. The use of third-party software by HealthWare Solutions, ImageTrend Field Bridge, ZOLL Data Systems, Skyscape, and other medical software providers increases efficiency of EMTs and paramedics in the field, as well as allows rapid entry of patient data which may be passed on quickly to definitive care providers. Some programs also allow EMTs and paramedics to look up information on patients by name or Social Security number if their service has treated them before, eliminating the need to re-enter much information such as medication lists, a patient's medical history, and other personal information such as date of birth, address, phone number, and insurance information. These notebooks are preferred to other companies' for their survivability in rugged conditions, and the ease with which their metallic shells can be decontaminated in the event of contact with blood or other body fluids.

Use in-vehicle

Many field forces deploy the Toughbook line with their fleet of vehicles. This requires the unit to be anchored to the vehicle for driver safety, device security, and user ergonomics. The Toughbook lines are rated for severe vibration associated with large service vehicles and off-road driving, and harsh environmental conditions of constant professional use such as in EMS, fire and public safety.

Other elements that enables the unit to function in vehicle:

Operating Temperature: The Toughbooks ability to operate in temperature extremes from -20°F to +140°F (-29°C to +60°C) fully rugged models 18 and 29—based on independent study by SRI Group and by Panasonic R&D).
Daylight, or sunlight readability: The Toughbook have screen glare shield integrated into their screens and run at unusually high brightness that sets the brightness based on the ambient light. The Toughbook 30, for example, runs at 1000 nits LCD brightness, and the Toughbook 19 tablet convertible at 500 nits (see specification sheets listed below).
Touchscreens: These enable users to easily interact with the units in the field without removing gloves, or being concerned about wet conditions.

In popular media

Recently on the Five TV program "The Gadget Show", the Toughbook was tested on numerous levels, while being compared to a Toshiba of a similar specification, kept in a secure laptop bag. These tests included the laptops being used as tennis rackets, dunked in a water tank and being blown up by "the equivalent to two sticks of dynamite" and "20 litres of fuel". After the latter experiment the Toshiba was destroyed, but the Toughbook continued to work [1].

In entertainment

A Toughbook is featured on the TV show "Jericho" as belonging to a main character. It is described as being "ruggedized" against EMPs, and is shown as working after one occurs. The MIL-STD-810F standard does not mention EMP resistance, nor do the standard Toughbook specs.

Wireless capable models

Fully rugged tablet: Comply with MIL-STD-810F ruggedness standard.

Panasonic Toughbook 19: 10.4" convertible tablet (Core Duo)
Panasonic Toughbook 18: 10.4" convertible tablet (Pentium M)
Panasonic Toughbook 08: 10.4" portable wireless display (PXA270 ARM)
Panasonic Toughbook PDRC: 12.1" 1250 nit permanent vehicle touchscreen display

Fully rugged laptop : Comply with MIL-STD-810F ruggedness standard.

Panasonic Toughbook 29: 13.3" fully sealed rugged laptop (Pentium M)
Panasonic Toughbook 30: 13.3" 1000 nit fully sealed rugged laptop (Core Duo)

Business Rugged Toughbook laptops : Less than 4 lb (1.8 kg) laptops. Comply with MIL-STD-810 for 1 ft (300 mm) drop.

Panasonic Toughbook Y5: 14" laptop, 3.7 lb (1.7 kg), combo drive, spill resistant, 6 h Battery

Panasonic Toughbook T5: 12" 3.5 lb (1.6 kg), touchscreen, 9 hour battery

Panasonic Toughbook W5: 12" 2.9 lb (1.3 kg), combo drive, 6.5 h battery

Semi-rugged Toughbook Laptops. Comply with MIL-STD-810 for 1 ft (300 mm) drop.

Panasonic Toughbook 74: Semi-rugged, high performance wireless laptop
Panasonic Toughbook 51: 15" desktop replacement laptop
Panasonic Toughbook 52: 15.4" widescreen, reliable, desktop alternative laptop

Mobile digital video system

Panasonic Toughbook Arbitrator Rugged, Fully Integrated Mobile Digital Video System

Distribution

As with most industrial products, Panasonic Toughbook products are sold through authorized providers.[2]

References

"Gadget Show" review

External links