Panasonic Introduces World's Most Connected Convertible Tablet PCs; Concurrent WAN, LAN, GPS Service Highlights Rugged Touchscreen & XP TabletPC Models

Business Wire, Feb 24, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

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SECAUCUS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 24, 2003

Panasonic Computer Solutions Company

Editor's Summary:

-- Toughbook(R) CF-18, world's first fully ruggedized notebook/pen tablet with integrated, concurrent access to WAN, LAN and GPS systems, is available in a Touchscreen PC Windows 2000 Professional or XP Professional version and a Windows(R) XP TabletPC Edition version with magnetically digitized screen.

-- World's only fully ruggedized, swivel-screen, 4.4-pound convertible notebook/pen tablet.

-- Shock-mounted 10.4-inch TFT daylight-readable, anti-reflective, active-matrix color LCD display with 1024 x 768 pixel internal resolution at 16 million colors and 1280 x 1024 pixel external resolution at 16 million colors. Optional transflective LCD in Touchscreen PC model automatically balances sunlight and backlight for brightness levels in excess of 850 cd/m2.

-- Display panel swivels and tilts to virtually any angle for maximum visibility in notebook configuration and flips for use as standalone ruggedized pen-tablet.

-- Shock-and-vibration isolated 40GB low-voltage UDMA hard drive

-- Full support for Microsoft (R) Windows(R) 2000 Professional, Windows(R) XP Professional or Windows(R) XP TabletPC Edition

-- Fully sealed and MIL STD 810F tested against drop shock, vibration, water, dust, heat and cold.

-- 7.5 hour runtime from compact lithium-ion battery pack

-- 10.7 x 8.5 x 1.9-inches (WDH), 4.2 lbs

Panasonic Computer Solutions Company, the leading provider of ruggedized portable computers, today elevated the bar of both notebook and tablet computing with the introduction of two convertible Toughbook(R) CF-18 notebook/pen tablet PC models.

Utilizing an advanced mobility platform and technology for maximum performance with minimal battery drain, the CF-18 features a tilting-and-swiveling 10.4-inch high-visibility XGA display panel that flips and closes over the unit's keyboard to become a fully functional, rugged Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 2000 Professional or Windows(R) XP Professional Touchscreen PC tablet, or--in the digitized-screen variant--a state-of-the-art Windows(R) XP TabletPC.

"The Toughbook 18 is quite simply in a class by itself," said Rance Poehler, president of Panasonic Computer Solutions Company. "It will redefine the tablet PC category while setting new standards for versatility in notebook computing. Panasonic has leveraged its years of experience and engineering to design a tablet PC which provides the durability demands for both white and blue collar applications. The 'convertible' nature of the Toughbook 18 makes it ideal for use from claims adjusters to hospital nurses while also being able to withstand the pounding from Panasonic's Military and Public Safety customers. The Toughbook 18 can be carried up a latter, hung on a wall as a tablet, or mounted in a vehicle like a standard notebook," notes Poehler.

"It also offers our customers--some of whom regularly find themselves in situations where reliable communication is literally a life and death matter--more simultaneous connectivity options than any other computer in its class, notebook or tablet PC. No longer does a Department head or IT manager have to decide between wireless LAN, Bluetooth, CDMA, or GPS access. Now a company can have many options working simultaneously, in an under-four-pound computer that they can depend on to keep them connected in even the most unforgiving operating environments.

As a provider of portable computing systems to some of the most demanding industrial, public service and military organizations in the world, we have always defined ourselves by our ability to deliver high-performance, rugged computers for use anywhere, anytime, under any conditions," comments Poehler. "Typical retail notebook computers have failure rates as high as 20 percent, according to Gartner. In my opinion, retail plastic tablet computers with no ruggedization, will experience even higher failure rates than notebook PCs. Carrying into the field a plastic tablet PC with an unprotected glass LCD display is an accident waiting to happen and will present its user with a costly learning experience," further notes Poehler.

Resetting the Baseline of Portable Performance & Power Management

The Toughbook(R) CF-18's advanced system micro-architecture incorporates numerous specialized circuits designed to streamline operations, increase real-word computing efficiency and prolong battery life. Predictive analysis is used to pre-load instructions based on past program behavior for smoother, faster transitions between operations; a "merge" circuit combines diverse operations into a single executable instruction; power-optimization enhancements minimize voltage swing and eliminate battery drain by idle components; and internal tracking technology allows the processor to execute program instructions without interruption.