Panasonic ToughBook rated Laptop of the Year 2005

Panasonic ToughBook rated Laptop of the Year 2005

New Delhi, January 16, 2006: Panasonic Systems Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. today announced that its legendary ToughBook mobile computer has been rated as the “Laptop of the Year 2005” amidst its category by CNBC-TV 18 news channel. The premier news channel conducted four exhaustive tests on the Panasonic ToughBook laptop which included tests for dust resistance, water resistance, heat resistance and drop resistance. Panasonic ToughBook continued to boot and operate following each test. ‘The Tech Show’ program on CNBC news channel which covers the latest in technology, gizmos and gadgets, termed Panasonic ToughBook laptop as one that redefines the very definition of road warrior symbolizing survival of the toughest. During the trying tests at the show, Panasonic ToughBook earned the prestigious “The Tech Show—Tough Enough” stamp for itself.

According to Mr. Kelvin Yeo, Assistant Manager, IT Products, Panasonic Systems Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., "It is the indestructible engineering that goes in to make a technology marvel like that. We are elated that CNBC TV-18 has recognized a true winner in Panasonic ToughBook and rated it as numero uno in the laptop category. Team ToughBook is indeed proud that it has been declared as one of the Top Gadgets of the Year 2005 and bestowed with the coveted ‘Laptop of the Year’ title.”

ToughBooks are subjected to 26 sequential drops onto each face, edge and corner from a height of 3 ft on a two inch-thick plywood over a steel plate over concrete; one hour of vibration per axis simulating 1000 miles of transportation; 15 minutes of water drip with the LCD open and unit operating; 95 per cent humidity for ten days; exposure to silica dust, temperature extremes ranging from 60°C -28°C; thermal shocks ranging from 96°C to -51°C; atmospheric pressure of a military aircraft at 15,000 ft above the sea level; and the spark test for high fuel-air mix atmospheres. So, what makes the ToughBook tough? It begins with the product philosophy itself. All ToughBooks are designed ground up to handle extremes, unlike commercial laptops, which can only be tweaked to incorporate some rugged features.

Made as per the US military wartime specifications (MIL-certified), ToughBooks have earned a major share of the market worldwide—74 per cent in the rugged PC category as per VDC Research. Bucking the trend of outsourcing, ToughBooks are the only laptop brand where all models are conceived, designed, manufactured and tested in-house. In fact, 84% of all the components that go into a ToughBook are manufactured by the parent company Matsushita itself. The net result is a thoroughbred that can handle the severest vagaries of nature and those man-made.

The rugged design begins from the proprietary magnesium alloy casing which is 20 times stronger than ABS plastic and 5 times stronger than Titanium. It extends to the hard drive which is shock mounted in a metal casing with sponge and polymer compounds that insulate the disk from any shock even when the head is writing onto the drive. It further goes on to the LCD screen which is fitted with internal dampeners. Even the connectors are made flexible to absorb shock. Another unusual feature is the fan-less design and lack of an air vent. All covers are sealed by specially developed synthetic resin to protect against water and dust. There is no fan since it would become a mechanical point of failure in case of drops or vibrations. Instead ToughBooks are cooled through the body itself, by creating a casing that breathes.

“According to Gartner Group, the annualized failure rate for other brands of mobile computers used outside is as high as 35 per cent while that for rugged ToughBooks is only 3 per cent. Therefore, even though the initial acquisition costs for ruggedized ToughBooks is high, the total cost of ownership (TCO) is lower,” said Mr. Vijay Sheth, Chief Executive Officer, Third Wave Exim, the sole national distributor for Panasonic ToughBook laptops in India.

But, to call this laptop just tough would be simplifying the product. ToughBooks are also amazingly light, almost 50% lighter than equivalent models from other brands. Inspite of their light weight, they boast of battery life of up to 8.5 hours on a single battery. ToughBooks also feature outdoor readable LCD screens making them suitable for outdoor use. This is done using a technology which captures ambient light and uses it to increase the screen brightness. Even the paint on a ToughBook is scratch resistant. Lastly, ToughBooks can support up to 4 integrated wireless WAN technologies simultaneously. So, one can have CDMA/EVDO, GPRS/EDGE, GPS and Bluetooth all working inside the laptop. The laptop has a number of built in antennas for all kinds of wireless communication on the go.

Although the natural constituencies of the ToughBook range are highly demanding applications such as defense, law enforcement, mining, oil exploration and drilling, telecom and field service etc, they are also be available to highly discerning individual customers through a very select channel partner program. Panasonic’s ToughBook mobile computers including the rugged range—ToughBook 18, and ToughBook 29; the semi-rugged—ToughBook 51 and ToughBook 73; and the ultra-portables—ToughBook W2 and ToughBook Y2 are available in India through their sole national distributor Third Wave Exim at a starting price of Rs 1,75,000 onwards.

About Panasonic

Panasonic is a brand of Matsushita Electric Industrial (MEI). It is the leading manufacturer of electronic and electrical products for consumer, business and industrial use. MEI is ranked 4th in Fortune 500 index for ‘Electronics and Electrical Equipments’ and ranked as a ‘World Super 50’ in Forbes. It is the world’s largest producer of consumer electronics and 34th largest company in the world with an annual spend of US$ 5 billion on research and development. Panasonic Systems Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., has been delivering superior products and services in India since 1994. It has eight manufacturing establishments in the country with four sales outfits. It currently provides Consumer Products, Household & Home Appliances, Office Automation Products and Electronic Products. The focus of the Company is on making everyday office tasks simpler, convenient and more energy efficient. The corporate philosophy is to bring complete office automation solution to Indian customers ranging from blue-chips to start-ups.

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