Panasonic Toughbook Line Welcomes New 12.1-Inch Rugged Laptop

Since performance is just part of what makes a PC suitable for a certain market segment, Panasonic prepared a new member for its Toughbook series of rugged laptops, one that sports a magnesium alloy enclosure.

Rugged laptops are designed to be sturdy enough, and shielded from such things as spills and dust, so as to withstand less than friendly work environments.

The new Toughbook s9 has a magnesium alloy enclosure that definitely places it in this category, but also has the advantage of being very light.

At its heart lies an Intel Core i5 520M central processing unit whose clock frequency is of 2.4 GHz.

This CPU is backed up by 2 GB of RAM (random access memory) and a hard disk drive with an internal storage capacity of 320 GB.

What's more, the laptop boasts a LED-backlit display whose native resolution is of 1,280 x 800 pixels and which has an anti-glare treatment, for higher visibility.

Other specifications include a DVD super multi drive unit, a spill-resistant keyboard and a battery that can keep the entire machine operational for up to 11 hours.

All of these components are crammed inside a package that weighs a total of three pounds and can withstand drops of up to 30 inches.

In addition to the casing, the other element that enables this sturdiness is the shock-mounted flex-connect hard drive.

Other specifications include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and optional Gobi2000 mobile broadband, as well as a HDMI output, three USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet and a card reader.

As for software, the product is pre-loaded with Windows 7 or Windows XP if end-users are so inclined.

The product page of the Toughbook s9 has already been added to its maker's official website and the device itself can be purchased for $2,499. Details can be found here.