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Title: Panasonic ToughBook T1
Reviewer: Ernest Lilley
Date: 04/07/03 Rating:
MSRP $2,355

Summary: I can't help myself. I keep dropping it. Not that its textured and scuff resistant case is hard to hang onto, because it's not.

I just love the look on people's faces when they see the sleek, svelte, 2.2lb sub-notebook tumble from my hand. Their horror is mirrored by my amusement, because I know about the shock-dampened 10.4-inch XGA TFT active-matrix, anti-glare coated, thin-glass low-power, high-output LCD, the polymer shock damper and flexible printed circuit interface for the 40 GB hard drive and the lightweight impact-resistant, dimpled-magnesium-alloy clamshell encasement. I worry more about the floor.

The unit I got has Windows 2000 on it, but production models will ship with XP. Mine runs fine though, and the Ultra Low Voltage Mobile Intel® Pentium® III Processor-M 866MHz 512KB on-die L2 cache processor zips through MS office applications. The battery life is more than adequate for those coast to coast flights and even though it probably wasn't their first priority, the sound quality is pretty good from the single speaker (or via the stereo jack). The keyboard isn't full sized, but even my big-guy-fingers adjusted to it quickly. As an executive or consultant, I'd be more than happy to take this along...and as an IS manager, I'd sleep easier knowing they had it.

Panasonic did tell me not to run this one over. "We've done that with the CF-28, and it did fine when we ran a Humvee over it" they said when they showed me the T1. This one is pretty tough, but it's not designed for those loads. It doesn't say Toughbook on the outside, and I guess that's just as well, since the environment it's meant for is more the airline tray table and board room than tanks, but under its sexy skin...it's still a Toughbook, heck, I bet it would take a bullet for the president, even if he only ran a Fortune 500, not a country.

Features:

CF-T1R64ZZKM - Intel® SpeedstepTM 866MHz ultra-low Mobile Pentium® III, 2.1” XGA TFT Active-Matrix Display, 40GB HDD, 256MB RAM, 56K Internal 56K-100BASE-TX/10 BASE-T combo modem. Suggested Retail Price: $ 2,355  "This PC proves that small computers can come in solid packages. In addition to its shock-dampened hard drive and display panel, the CF-T1 features a dimpled-magnesium alloy case with reinforced metal screen-case edges, a convex rear-upper case for increased display-mount rigidity, stainless steel hinges and a bonded scuff-and-scratch-resistant outer coating."

• 2.2lb. sub-notebook mates legendary Toughbook durability and performance with executive-boardroom styling and cross-country-flight runtime.
• Intel® Speedstep^TM 800MHz ultra-low voltage Mobile Pentium® III (battery-optimized mode 400MHz.), 512K L2 cache, 128mb RAM (256 max.)
• Shock-dampened 10.4-inch XGA TFT active-matrix, anti-glare coated, thin-glass low-power, high-output LCD
• 40GB low-power UDMA (100MB-transfer rate) HDD with polymer shock damper and flexible printed circuit interface.
• Integrated 56K -100BASE-TX/10 BASE-T combo
• Lightweight impact-resistant, dimpled-magnesium-alloy clamshell encasement
• Up to six hours runtime from lightweight four-cell lithium-ion power pack

Specs:

• CPU
  Ultra Low Voltage Mobile Intel® Pentium® III Processor-M 866MHz
  512KB on-die L2 cache
   
• STORAGE & MEMORY
  256MB SDRAM standard, expandable to 512MB
  40GB HDD
   
• DISPLAY
  12.1" 1024 x 768 XGA anti-glare TFT Active Matrix Color LCD
  External video support up to 1280 x 1024 at 16 million colors
  Intel® FW82830MG integrated video controller max. 48MB (UMA) VRAM
   
• AUDIO
  SigmaTelTM STAC9757 AC-97 v.2.1 Compliant
  Integrated speaker
  Convenient keyboard volume controls (Fn+F5/F6 keys)
   
• EXPANSION
  PC Card Type I or II
  Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card
   
• KEYBOARD & INPUT
  85-key with dedicated Windows® key
  Electrostatic touchpad with vertical scrolling support
   
• INTERFACE
  Network Interface Card
  -Integrated 10/100 ethernet
  Modem - Integrated 56Kbps
  External Video- D-sub 15 pin
  USB 2.0 (x2) - 4 pin
  Headphones/Speaker - Mini-jack Stereo
  Microphone/Line In - Mini-jack Mono
  SD Card - 9 pin
   
• POWER SUPPLY
  Lithium Ion battery pack (7.4V, 4400mAh)
  Battery operation: up to 4 hours*
  Battery charging time: approximately 3 hours*
  AC Adapter: AC 100V-240V 50/60Hz, Auto-sensing/switching for worldwide power supply
  Pop-up on-screen battery status reporting
• POWER MANAGEMENT
  Suspend/Resume Function, Hibernation, Standby, ACPI BIOS
   
• SOFTWARE
  Preloaded Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
  Setup, Diagnostics, On-line Reference Manual, Adobe® Acrobat® Reader
   
• SECURITY FEATURES
  Password Security: Supervisor, User, Coffee Break
   
• WARRANTY
  3 year limited warranty, parts & labor
   
• DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
  1"/1.5"(H) x 8.3"(D) x 10.6" (W)
  2.4 lbs., including battery
   
• INTEGRATED OPTION**
  Integrated 802.11b Wireless LAN ***
   
• ACCESSORIES
  Lithium Ion Battery Pack CF-VZSU24U
  AC Adapter CF-AA1623A
  128MB Memory Card CF-BAP0128U
  256MB Memory Card CF-BAP0256U
  Battery Charger CF-VCBRT1U
  CD-RW/DVD Drive (USB 2.0) CF-VDRRT1M
  External FDD CF-VFDU03W
   

* Battery performance features such as charge time and life span can vary according to the conditions under which the computer and battery are used. Battery operation and recharge times will vary based on many factors including screen brightness, applications, features, power management, battery conditioning and other customer preferences.

** Integrated options may vary depending on your notebook configuration. Please consult your reseller or Panasonic representative before purchasing.

*** Available February 2003.