14 DAY TRIAL // We were just telling you not so long ago that Intel announced the first machines to take advantage of its low-power Intel Core M Broadwell platform, but Chipzilla might have left out a few models.
It appears Panasonic will be joining the ranks of the first wave of Core M laptops and tablets which are going to fly out into the world, with its own offering. The company is preparing the Let’s Note RZ4 notebook which is a ultraportable 10-inch lappy (as seen at PC Watch).
Panasonic Let's Note RZ4 goes on sale in Japan in mid-October
However, for the time being the machine will be made available only in Japan and will sell for quite a chunky price tag. Given the fact that electronics are quite expensive in the country, we shouldn’t be surprised Panasonic is retailing the device for $1,500 / €1,185.
Most likely, Panasonic won’t try to market the device out of the country, but it’s still interesting to note that Intel Core M Broadwell is spreading at a fast pace.
So let’s see what the Panasonic Let’s Note RZ4 features. It comes equipped with a 10.1-inch IPS display that delivers FHD resolution (1920 x 1200 pixels). The RZ4 also offers the option of pushing back the display with 360 degrees so you can transform the original notebook into a tablet.
Under the hood, an Intel Core M-5Y10 processor pumps life into the system with the help of 4GB of RAM and 128GB of solid state storage (variants with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage also exist). The system takes advantage of Windows 8.1 64-bit out of the box.
Furthermore, customers will find onboard 802.11ac Wi-Fi, HDMI, USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet and a webcam.
Panasonic has slipped a 4860mAh battery under the bonnet, which apparently is solid enough to provide up to 14 hours of life juice to your machine.
The notebook is among the lightest convertibles on the market
We mentioned before that the machine was of the ultraportable variety, but maybe you’re curious to see the number. The Let’s Note RZ4 is 0.8-inch in profile and weighs 1.65 lbs / 0.72 kg, which makes it one of the lightest notebooks out there coming with a rotatable screen.
To compare, the ASUS Zenbook UX305, which is another machine taking advantage of Broadwell, weighs 2.64 lbs / 1.2 kg and is 12.3 mm / 0.48 inches, but bear in mind that this Ultrabook has a larger 13.3-inch display.
The small, convertible laptops will be offered in Silver, Blue and Copper coloring options. The new notebooks PCs will be available starting October 17.
