Panasonic adds Atom-based UMPC to Toughbook lineup

Panasonic today updated its popular Toughbook line with the introduction of the first rugged system to integrate the new Intel Atom processor in a UMPC form factor. Dubbed Toughbook CF-U1, the device weighs in at about 2.3 pounds and was designed for those the company calls walking workers (think military, public safety, health care, and government inspection).


The fan-less device comes complete with an Intel Atom Z520 CPU running at 1.33 GHz, 1GB of DDR2 memory, either a 16GB or 32GB SSD, a 5.6-inch LED backlit LCD touch screen display, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth integrated as well as wireless broadband and GPS as options. It will ship with two batteries, which, according to Panasonic, add up to 9 hours of running time and are hot-swappable so you can pop-in a fresh one without powering down the system.

Other features include optional bar-code scanners, a 2.0-megapixel camera, fingerprint scanner, and RFID reader. Panasonic expects the Toughbook CF-U1 to ship in August with prices starting at a hefty $2,499.