14 DAY TRIAL // There is time for finesse, and then there is time for PCs and consumer electronics products that barge into the lives of everyone on the planet without any regards for subtlety.
Panasonic's Toughbook C2 isn't being quite so dramatic, since it isn't going to force its presence upon anyone, not when Panasonic expects to get paid.
The product is rather bereft of grace though, but that is understandable. Rugged notebooks, even the convertible sort, are focused on something else: durability.
Measuring 12.5-inches in screen diagonal, the Tougbook C2 is a convertible notebook, or convertible tablet, whatever buyers want to call it.
It can withstand 30-inch drops (0.72 meters, 2.5 feet) and shrugs off coffee spills (or any other fluid, not counting hazardous substances), thanks to the magnesium case.
The hardware inside isn't really all that amazing, nor is it weak. It is precisely what workers in tough conditions will need to keep track of their activities, and that of whoever else works there.
An Intel Core i5-3427U vPro CPU is the so-called “heart” of the matter, the LCD is a bright IPS panel (500 nits) and storage/memory is customizable.
As for connectivity, Panasonic chose the regular things (LAN, Bluetooth, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi) and some not so regular things (LTE or Gobi global 3G).
Panasonic will ship the Toughbook C2 from December onwards (2012). The price is of $2,949, or 2,284-2,949 Euro.
In addition to industrial applications, the product could be appealing to police officers. In fact, since the screen has a multi-touch panel that can track up to five fingers at once, it could be as convenient as it is useful.
Needless to say, Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system is installed on the rugged convertible laptop. Other Windows versions can be installed of course, but they would make the touch panel useless, as they lack proper touch support.