Panasonic Toughbooks

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pianowizard · #1 Post by **pianowizard** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:27 am

A potentially perfect solution for those who need a mobile laptop with a big, high resolution screen: the Panasonic Toughbook Y4, which has a 14.1" SXGA+ screen and an internal optical drive, and is only 3.4 lbs! The standard battery is supposed to last 7 hours. I have never seen this laptop in person, but since it's a Toughbook, it should be pretty tough. Think about it, this thing is lighter some X60 and X20-X23 models, and of course all X24 and X3x models.

Edit: I just looked at the Y4 on the Panasonic site. They are offering free memory upgrade to 1GB plus a free digital camera.

dorin · #2 Post by **dorin** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 1:24 am

the Toughbooks are very very nice laptops. i got to use one for about 2weeks, about a year ago, it felt really nice.

they even have 12" models with built in dvd-rom (unfortuntely only combo drive- for a year i watch them but never upgrade to dvd-rw) and the size is not different to x40-60

pianowizard · #3 Post by **pianowizard** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 1:45 am

dorin wrote:the Toughbooks are very very nice laptops. i got to use one for about 2weeks, about a year ago, it felt really nice.

Good to know that. I have made up my mind to replace my T23 and Toshiba Portege R100 with the Toughbook Y4, which, being both mobile and powerful, is sort of a hybrid of the two. (I am keeping the heavier X40 and selling the lighter Toshiba just because the former still has >2 years of warranty. When the X40's warranty expires, I will probably replace it with the 1.75-lb Sony X505, which should be under $1,000 by then.)

dorin wrote:they even have 12" models with built in dvd-rom (unfortuntely only combo drive- for a year i watch them but never upgrade to dvd-rw) and the size is not different to x40-60

For 12" models with built-in optical drive, HP's nc2400 is probably even more appealing than the Panasonic W4. They are both only 2.8 lbs, but the HP nc2400 has a wide screen with WXGA resolution. The Panasonic W4 has a regular 4:3 aspect ratio.

#4 Post by **tomh009** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 6:29 am

pianowizard wrote:A potentially perfect solution for those who need a mobile laptop with a big, high resolution screen: the Panasonic Toughbook Y4, which has a 14.1" SXGA+ screen and an internal optical drive, and is only 3.4 lbs! The standard battery is supposed to last 7 hours. I have never seen this laptop in person, but since it's a Toughbook, it should be pretty tough. Think about it, this thing is lighter some X60 and X20-X23 models, and of course all X24 and X3x models.

Edit: I just looked at the Y4 on the Panasonic site. They are offering free memory upgrade to 1GB plus a free digital camera.

I have no personal experience, but ... no TrackPoint!

The bigger screen is nice, but for me personally at least, I really don't care about the optical drive.

And it's expensive! $2300 for a 1.6 GHz Pentium M with 1 GB and 60 GB, as compared to $1500 for an X60 with Core Duo. Admittedly the X60 has no optical drive, but then the Y4 doesn't have a modular hard disk, either.

P.S. In Japan, these are now called "Let's Note" -- not quite as tough as the ToughBooks of old, I suspect.

pianowizard · #5 Post by **pianowizard** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 2:32 pm

tomh009 wrote:The bigger screen is nice, but for me personally at least, I really don't care about the optical drive.

P.S. In Japan, these are now called "Let's Note" -- not quite as tough as the ToughBooks of old, I suspect.

Many people don't care about optical drives, but even if you remove the optical drive from a T series and replace it with a weight saver, it still weighs at least 4.9 lbs. What I'm saying is, even if one never needs an internal optical drive, the Panasonic Y4 is still worth getting because it's so [censored] light! I don't think you can find another 14.1" laptop with an SXGA+ display that's lighter than 3.4 lbs, with or without an internal optical drive. The lack of a trackpoint doesn't bother me at all, because I am equally comfortable using either type.

I agree that $2,400 is prohibitive for most of us, but with the (heavier) Y5 model coming out in January, Windows Vista being available in early 2007, and the Y4 having too little graphics memory (64MB, I think) for Vista's Aero, Panasonic might want to get rid of the Y4's currently in stock by the end of the year and so the price might drop substantially in the next few weeks. I am definitely checking their site on a daily basis and when the price drops below $1,800, I will grab one!

Regarding the name change. The Y4 is still very tough -- I just read an article about how it can withstand 110 pounds of pressure. I suspect the name has been changed to "Let's Note" mainly because "Toughbook" reminds people of those ugly rugged books that Panasonic used to sell. Many of the more recent Toughbooks, including the Y4 and the W4, look very stylish.

dorin · #6 Post by **dorin** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 4:08 pm

the only other brand i will ever concider (of course except ibm) for a 12' laptop is the panasonic. as i said a friend of mine has one, 12' with built in combo drive and as thick as my x40. and it bloody good built as well.
sony they have as well 12' with dvd...but too plasty?!the dell...have no idea.

the only thing i dont get it about panasonic 12': what's so difficult in replacing the built-in combo drive with an dvd drive?!!?!?!...as for the price....why do you buy a thinkpad when you could get 2 dell's same configuration with that money?!?!

pianowizard · #7 Post by **pianowizard** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 4:19 pm

dorin wrote:the only other brand i will ever concider (of course except ibm) for a 12' laptop is the panasonic. as i said a friend of mine has one, 12' with built in combo drive and as thick as my x40. and it bloody good built as well.
sony they have as well 12' with dvd...but too plasty?!the dell...have no idea.

I haven't checked Sony's inventory in a while but what I remember is, their lightest laptop with internal optical drive has an 11.1" widescreen display and is around 3.1 lbs, heavier than the HP nc2400 and the Panasonic Y4. As far as Dell, I think the lightest one they have ever made was the Inspiron 700m, which I owned for two years and liked very much, but it's much heavier, around 4.1 lbs. But they discontinued the 700m line after releasing the almost-identical 710m, and right now all of their laptops with internal optical drives are at least 4.4 lbs, which is really not that bad because that's still lighter than anything that Lenovo has.

#8 Post by **tomh009** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 6:17 pm

pianowizard wrote:Many people don't care about optical drives, but even if you remove the optical drive from a T series and replace it with a weight saver, it still weighs at least 4.9 lbs. What I'm saying is, even if one never needs an internal optical drive, the Panasonic Y4 is still worth getting because it's so [censored] light! I don't think you can find another 14.1" laptop with an SXGA+ display that's lighter than 3.4 lbs, with or without an internal optical drive. The lack of a trackpoint doesn't bother me at all, because I am equally comfortable using either type.

Quite possibly you can't. But for maximum road warrior usability, a 12" display (or 13" wide-aspect one) is the way to go, as a lot of airlines do not have sufficient room in coach class to open and work with a 14" notebook.

So, yes, if you must have a three-pound, 14" notebook, the Y4 is the way to go. But if you don't need that combination, it's a lot of money to pay for a Pentium M system -- and, for many of us, the lack of a TrackPoint is a big issue.

pianowizard · #9 Post by **pianowizard** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 6:47 pm

tomh009 wrote:But for maximum road warrior usability, a 12" display (or 13" wide-aspect one) is the way to go, as a lot of airlines do not have sufficient room in coach class to open and work with a 14" notebook.

This thread actually originated in another thread in which one or more people were saying that the X60 is good for mobile users but the screen is too small. So I suggested getting the Panasonic Y4 instead.

For me, whenever I fly, I try to sleep as much as possible on the plane and so I never worry about whether there is enough room on the tray table for my laptop. What's much more important for me is the weight of the laptop, because when I am on a business trip, it's usually for a 5-to-8-day conference in which I need to walk around 10 hours a day carrying my laptop. Also, ever since I got my SXGA+ T43 two months ago (followed by an SXGA+ T23 and then a UXGA A31p), I have gotten used to using high resolution displays and now find the XGA screen on my X40 and Toshiba R100 too limited. For these two reasons, I think the lightest laptop with an SXGA+ screen would be ideal for me, and the Panasonic Y4 seems to be such a machine.

#10 Post by **tomh009** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:23 pm

pianowizard wrote:For me, whenever I fly, I try to sleep as much as possible on the plane and so I never worry about whether there is enough room on the tray table for my laptop. What's much more important for me is the weight of the laptop, because when I am on a business trip, it's usually for a 5-to-8-day conference in which I need to walk around 10 hours a day carrying my laptop. Also, ever since I got my SXGA+ T43 two months ago (followed by an SXGA+ T23 and then a UXGA A31p), I have gotten used to using high resolution displays and now find the XGA screen on my X40 and Toshiba R100 too limited. For these two reasons, I think the lightest laptop with an SXGA+ screen would be ideal for me, and the Panasonic Y4 seems to be such a machine.

I definitely sleep on planes. But when it's a five-hour transcontinental flight, a seven-hour trans-Atlantic or twelve-hour trans-Pacific flight, I am certainly working as well. And while I use a 1600x1200 display (whatever *XGA that is) with the X31 on my desktop, I have no trouble working on the built-in LCD when I'm out of the office -- I just end up maximizing the windows.

But the great thing about the free market is that it's all about consumer choice: you can a light SXGA+ (?) laptop with an optical drive, and I can get a more compact one with a TrackPoint and Core 2 Duo (and the lovely black finish!). And we can both be happy ...

#11 Post by **Kyocera** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:54 pm

I was reading some mags today at my doctors office, there was a 2004 Popular Mechanics issue that happened to have an article on toughbooks, which apparently are very tough. A soldier in Iraq was carrying one inside his HMMV, a 7.62 round entered the vehicle probably from an AK and from an unknown distance(no armor protection

) and lodged in the toughbook and never entered the soldier. They have some sort of titanium skeleton and this was credited with the robust toughness overall.

Great story.

#12 Post by **tomh009** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:13 pm

Kyocera wrote:I was reading some mags today at my doctors office, there was a 2004 Popular Mechanics issue that happened to have an article on toughbooks, which apparently are very tough. A soldier in Iraq was carrying one inside his HMMV, a 7.62 round entered the vehicle probably from an AK and from an unknown distance(no armor protection ) and lodged in the toughbook and never entered the soldier. They have some sort of titanium skeleton and this was credited with the robust toughness overall.

Great story.

The "real" Toughbooks are indeed very tough -- MIL-spec is no mean feat. But the construction on the Y4/W4 thin-and-light notebooks is essentially the same kind of magnesium alloy as ThinkPads -- I wouldn't use one of those as a bulletproof shield! ; )

#13 Post by **tomh009** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:18 pm

pianowizard wrote:I agree that $2,400 is prohibitive for most of us, but with the (heavier) Y5 model coming out in January, Windows Vista being available in early 2007, and the Y4 having too little graphics memory (64MB, I think) for Vista's Aero, Panasonic might want to get rid of the Y4's currently in stock by the end of the year and so the price might drop substantially in the next few weeks. I am definitely checking their site on a daily basis and when the price drops below $1,800, I will grab one.

A second follow-up -- the Panasonic web site indeed now has a Y5 listed, with a Core Duo CPU rather than the Pentium M. Didn't look for any other changes, though.

And the rumour mill now claims that the new X60 tablet (maybe also the regular X60?) will be available with a 12.1" 1400x1050 (SXGA+?) display. Whether SXGA+ is better in a 12.1" or 14.1" size is left as an exercise for the reader ...

pianowizard · #14 Post by **pianowizard** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:24 pm

tomh009 wrote:A second follow-up -- the Panasonic web site indeed now has a Y5 listed, with a Core Duo CPU rather than the Pentium M. Didn't look for any other changes, though.

The Y5 will be 3.7 lbs instead of 3.4, and I think the battery will last slightly shorter than the Y4's battery.

tomh009 wrote:And the rumour mill now claims that the new X60 tablet (maybe also the regular X60?) will be available with a 12.1" 1400x1050 (SXGA+?) display. Whether SXGA+ is better in a 12.1" or 14.1" size is left as an exercise for the reader ...

This is the second time I have heard this rumor. Many people can't tolerate 14.1" SXGA+, and the 12.1" SXGA+ would be much worse for them! Hopefully such a screen (which is usually heavier than XGA screens) won't make the tablet too heavy.

(I am surfing the net on my UXGA A31p using four browsers: Yahoo Mail, my university's webmail, eBay, and of course Thinkpads.com. It's good to have so many pixels! And surprisingly, 256MB of PC2100 RAM is sufficient.)

NS · #15 Post by NS » Wed Nov 01, 2006 5:49 am

Hey guys, i am curious to know whether the panasonic toughbook is another rugged laptop or semi rugged laptop?

silly me...

#16 Post by **tomh009** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 6:00 am

NS wrote:Hey guys, i am curious to know whether the panasonic toughbook is another rugged laptop or semi rugged laptop?

silly me...

The Panasonic web site has "rugged" and "semi-rugged" models -- but the Y4 and Y5 are classified as "business-rugged".

k2jsv · #17 Post by **k2jsv** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:18 pm

Uh.. well. I know people who've had CF-28's and run them over with trucks only to have the cases get scuffed up a bunch. They are pretty well bomb proof.

#18 Post by **tomh009** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:41 pm

k2jsv wrote:Uh.. well. I know people who've had CF-28's and run them over with trucks only to have the cases get scuffed up a bunch. They are pretty well bomb proof.

They classify the 28 and 29 as "rugged", not "semi-rugged" or "business-rugged". And I think that does really mean "built like a tank!"

dsigma6 · #19 Post by **dsigma6** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:18 pm

The business-rugged models are very attractive. I need to a) make more money, and b) get a job that justifies one!

NS · #20 Post by NS » Wed Nov 01, 2006 11:35 pm

Just curious to know:

How heavy is a \"rugged\" , \"semi-rugged\" and \"business-rugged\" laptop?

Rugged laptops should be heavier than normal laptops, right?

thanks.

#21 Post by **JaneL** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:07 am

NS wrote:How heavy is a "rugged" , "semi-rugged" and "business-rugged" laptop?

I expect you would find that information on Panasonic's site.

#22 Post by **tomh009** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 6:38 am

NS wrote:Just curious to know:

How heavy is a "rugged" , "semi-rugged" and "business-rugged" laptop?

Rugged laptops should be heavier than normal laptops, right?

Business-rugged: The Y4 (14" LCD with combo drive) weighs only 3.4 lbs

Fully rugged: The Toughbook-30 (13.3", with no optical drive) weighs 8.2 lbs

http://www.panasonic.com/business/tough ... oducts.asp

redskin · #23 Post by **redskin** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:46 pm

This is a catch is that now the hp nc2400 has ULV Duo Core CPU plus DVD burner. This seems to me is going to be a big improvement over Core Solo. With 3 , 6, and 9 cell battery which lasts 3, 6, and 9 hours respectively. Seems to me hp has everything that Sony and Panasonic lacked of (Duo Core), and Lenovo lacked of (built in DVD burner), and for the price of $1650. That is fantastic price. To me hp is like a bridge between sony, panasonic, and lenovo.

pianowizard · #24 Post by **pianowizard** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:13 pm

redskin wrote:This is a catch is that now the hp nc2400 has ULV Duo Core CPU plus DVD burner. This seems to me is going to be a big improvement over Core Solo. With 3 , 6, and 9 cell battery which lasts 3, 6, and 9 hours respectively. Seems to me hp has everything that Sony and Panasonic lacked of (Duo Core)

The 3.4-lb 14.1" Panasonic Y5 has Core Duo, whereas the 2.7-lb 12.1" W5 has Core Solo. Perhaps that's because the Core Solo runs cooler and enables them to do away with fans, to minimize the weight of the W5?

Panasonic Toughbooks

now the hp nc2400 has ULV Duo Core CPU plus DVD burner

Re: now the hp nc2400 has ULV Duo Core CPU plus DVD burner

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