Panasonic Toughbook Atom Based Windows Vista Compatible UMPC

Panasonic has developed a new entrée in its ToughBook industrial notebook PC series, which has durability as its biggest selling point. The latest petite CF-U1 ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) incorporates Intel’s latest Intel Atom processor that boasts ultra-low power consumption.

The new Toughbook’s rear and side surfaces are covered with resin just like the initial TouchBook series products. In an attempt to increase its shock resistance, the new computer apparently uses an SSD (solid state drive) as a storage device.

Coming to the CF-U1’s battery, it has one which can work for more than 10 hours and users can replace battery packs without switching it off.

CF-U1 comes along with a 5.6-inch touch screen LCD and weighs less than 1kg. Panasonic’s latest “Windows Vista-compatible” ToughBook will be able to pack in things like a camera, barcode reader, fingerprint verification and GPS capabilities, in accordance with its purposes. Interestingly its QWERTY layout is split in the middle by a centrally located numeric keypad.

The Toughbook CF-U1 will hit stores in Japan in Autumn 2008, and will be gradually launched in other markets subsequently. No news on its price yet.

But as of now if you want to have a look at Panasonic’s ToughBook CF-U1 UMPC, visit CeBIT 2008 (Pavilion U33), at Hannover, Germany, where the UMPC is being showcased until March 9, 2008.