The Panasonic Toughbook 31 is a great rugged laptop when you don’t need all the customization options but still want the flexibility of choosing your configuration. This device falls short of the Amrel ROCKY RT rugged notebook, which specializes in individual application situations, and the Getac B300, which has even more ports and a longer average battery life, this rugged notebook. However, this is a great product to buy online. It’s no more difficult than trying to purchase a desktop computer, but you get all the durability features with this TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award winner.
This rugged laptop has all of the certifications you would hope to find in this type of device. With the MIL-STD 810 and MIL-STD 461 certifications, and an IP65 rating, this durable laptop will withstand even the most rugged of environments. It is also an UL1604-certified model for use in hazardous locations. As a water resistant laptop, this one has locking port covers to keep the water from leaking into the internal workings of the device.
The website provides a section that is dedicated to explaining the testing that this rugged computer is subjected to. This area also provides videos that show Panasonic products, though not always the Toughbook water resistant laptop, undergoing the tests. We enjoyed this section because it clearly explains the durability of the laptop we are trusting to keep our data safe. They also tested the rugged laptop in real world experiences, such as being knocked off a desk, used in a vehicle or stored in a dusty shed. They also tested its performance after being splashed with moisture from drinks.
This rugged laptop comes in one color scheme, silver and black enclosed in a magnesium case. The configurations for this device are numerous. With three processors options available, this rugged laptop definitely takes the lead. The ports of this product include a HDMI port, a VGA output, serial port, and four USB ports. You can add an IEEE port. It comes with Windows 7 Professional and there is an XP downgrade option available. Some of the key hardware features for this rugged computer include:
- Intel Core i5-2540M CPU 2.6GHz with vPro
- 4GB RAM
- 320GB hard drive
The battery life of this rugged laptop is highly dependent on the processor and graphic card. When using the i5 model, it’s possible to get up to 13.5 hours of operating time. However, when you change the graphics card or the processer to the i3, the battery life can be reduce to eight hours. One of the great features of this rugged laptop is that it comes standard with a touchscreen LCD display and stylus. This is very useful when you are in the field and don’t want to remove you gloves in order to navigate through the application you are using. The keyboard also comes with backlighting, and there is the option to add a backlit numeric keypad.
As with all of the rugged laptops, you can choose the connectivity of your device. Options for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Gobi 3G, GPS, fingerprint reader, and even a webcam mean you can remain connected even when you’re out in the field. While there are a lot of configurations available for connectivity, Panasonic does little customization for individuals. If you are looking to purchase a rugged computer that is not listed in their catalog, you’ll probably have better luck elsewhere. There website does list several applications and software to use, but the software can’t be purchased from their site. They have a list of their partners and how to get to the appropriate websites.
While this site provides a long list of industry applications ranging from field services to utilities, there are no military applications for this rugged laptop. This is partly because Panasonic is more of a consumer-based company, and these durable laptops are designed for more industrial fields. We were pleased to see that while they may not have military products, they do have a category for Federal Government. Some of these solutions include aviation, in-vehicle, intelligence and tactical communications.
The Panasonic website provides some good information on who to contact, but it is lacking when it comes to FAQs. There are no product-specific FAQs for this waterproof laptop. The warranty for this product lasts three years, but is only a limited warranty. As we read through the terms and conditions, we were surprised to see that damage caused during shipping would not be covered. Though it is highly unlikely a rugged notebook would be damaged during shipping, if something did happen, we feel it would indicate a problem with the rugged product, and they should cover it.
The Panasonic Toughbook 31 is a great off-the-shelf product to look into when you need a rugged notebook, especially if you don't necessarily need all of the individual customization options a smaller manufacturer may specialize in. However, it is definitely a rugged laptop to investigate if you need one quickly.
