Panasonic is one of the leading manufacturers of consumer electronics but its presence on the computing market is rather small. The company's product lineup includes portable computers, printers and networking products while the Thoughbook series currently includes three separate models, known for providing a rugged portable computer solution.

The number of users that need such devices is rather small, but their line of work demands them to pack a highly protected computer ready to cope with extreme working environments. If currently these notebooks come in only three models, as of Wednesday, this week, things are expected to change. Panasonic will add a new member to its Toughbook lineup, one that is meant to provide better portability with the same protection level as the rest of the company's rugged devices.

The new product will come in the form of a rugged mini tablet PC and will be built on Intel's Centrino Atom platform, which is currently mostly used for low-cost, ultraportable sub-notebooks. It is said to sport a 5.6-inch screen shielding a compact split in half QWERTY keyboard whose design allows users to easily type and introduce data, while holding the tablet PC with both hands. Also, there's a number pad in the center of the keyboard.

As with the company's semi-rugged and fully-rugged Toughbooks, the new tablet PC is going to sport a series of connectivity sockets, which are covered with a rubber hood for higher protection. These sockets will ensure the connectivity options of the device, while keeping the tablet PC safe from possible infiltration of water and dust.

Panasonic has already displayed its product several times this year at computer shows such as Cebit in Germany or Intel's Developer Forum in Shanghai. At this last event, Intel unveiled its Atom platform, while making use of Panasonic's rugged PC.