Panasonic announced a lightweight and durable 2-in-1 Toughbook convertible that promises to handle all the bumps and scrapes thrown at it.
The Toughbook CF-MX4 is powered by a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-6300U vPro Broadwell with 2.9GHz Turbo Boost. It ships with Windows 8.1 Pro, and will be upgradeable to Windows 10. Business users can choose between 4GB or 8GB of RAM and a SSD capacity of 128GB or 256GB.
Design
The 12.5-inch IPS full-HD capacitive touchscreen display fits inside a case that is just 21mm (0.83 inches) thick and weighs 1.14kg (2.53 pounds). Despite the added durability of the Toughbook's design, the light weight and slim form factor qualifies it as an Ultrabook.
Panasonic is able to offer a light machine because the upper chassis of the keyboard is made from a new UHD alloy constructed of carbon and magnesium, thus creating a lightweight material that is also incredibly tough.
As an added bonus there is a built-in stylus that makes it easy to create handwritten notes. As a convertible, the flip-over design allows the laptop to transform into tablet and presentation modes.
Hot-swappable battery
Panasonic states that the battery can last up to 13 hours. For more power, once the battery is depleted, users can swap the battery for a fresh one.
The Toughbook includes two USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, an SD card reader and optional smart card reader. Users who need mobile broadband can upgrade to a device that has a built-in 4G LTE modem.
The Toughbook CF-MX4 will be available at the end of April, with prices starting at £1,504 excluding VAT (around $2,264, or AU$2,910). Business customers will appreciate that a three-year warranty comes included as standard.
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