Toughbook U1

Panasonic CF-U1

The 5.6-inch LED backlit LCD touch screen is designed for viewing in direct sunlight, and below it is a backlit thumb keyboard divided by a number pad and arrow keys in its middle.

The CF-U1 has been engineered to survive a four-foot drop and to resist rain, spills, dust, and vibration. It ships with two batteries, which, according to Panasonic, adds up to 9 hours of running time. The unit measures 7.2 inches wide by 5.9 inches deep by 2.2 inches high. It weighs a trim 2.3 pounds, which includes lugging around both batteries. It’s completely fanless and uses a solid-state hard drive and an Intel Atom CPU, all of which should aid battery life.

In addition to a 2-megapixel Webcam and fingerprint scanner, it also features barcode and RFID readers and GPS. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G-mobile-broadband are also onboard. Many of these features are listed as options, so they most likely will add to the $2,499 price.

Added	06/2008
Type	Rugged UMPC
OS	Windows Vista (with XP downgrade option)
Processor	Intel Atom Z520, 512KB L2 cache, 533MHz FSB
CPU Speed	1.33g GHz
Chipset	Intel GMA 500
Standard/Max RAM	1024MB DDR2
Disk/drive	16 or 32GB Solid State HD
Optical drive	Optional external
Card slots	1 SD Card, SmardCard Reader (with expansion module)
Display type	Sunlight-readable TFT with anti-reflective treatment (470/550 Nit)
Display size/res	5.6″ WSVGA (1024 x 600 pixel)
Digitizer/pens	touchscreen
Keyboard/scale	integrated 61-key
Housing	Magnesium alloy
Operating Temp	unknown
Sealing	IP54
Shock	4-foot drop
Size (WxHxD)	7.2 x 5.9 x 2.2
Weight	2.3 pounds (with strap and both batteries)
Power	Twin 21 Watt-Hour Li-Ion (7.2V, 2,900Ah each), “9 hours”
Interface	Audio in/out, expansion module, USB 2.0; RS232 and RJ45 with expansion module; optional: 1D, 2D barcode or RFID reader, GPS, 2MP camera with LED flash, fingerprint scanner
Wireless	Intel WiFiLink 5100 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR, optional integrated 3G modules (EV-DO Rev. A, HSDPA)
List price	US$2,499 (base model)
Contact	www.panasonic.com