Panasonic’s new Toughpad is specially designed to resist fire, water and heavy impact. In addition to its durability, the Toughpad, which launched Monday, will feature many new hi-tech features. (Courtesy of Panasonic )
When James Taylor wrote the lyrics for “Fire and Rain,” little did he know he would be describing a few of the elements that the newest tablet on the market can withstand.
Panasonic launched its new rugged tablet, Toughpad, Monday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Android-based tablet, which is available in a 10-inch and 7-inch model, is designed for those who work in harsh conditions while having to be incredibly mobile.
According to a press release from Panasonic, the Toughpad is “ideal for highly mobile outdoor workers in markets like aviation, construction, field sales and the public sector where the environment is a constant challenge and the consequence of failure is significant.”
This would be an ideal device for firefighters when entering a burning building, needing to know the layout of the building to rescue trapped victims.
An alternative, for which the device is already being used, is for soldiers in the military.
“There are lots of Toughbooks in Iraq and Afghanistan today,” President of Panasonic Solutions Company Rance Poehler said.
Since this tablet’s unique quality is its durability, Poehler demonstrated its resilience by tossing it across the stage, letting it skid to a halt in front of the audience.
To demonstrate its durability even further, Poehler inserted the Toughbook into a foam soccer ball that he would kick in attempt to score on FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
Though Poehler didn’t score a goal, the new Panasonic tablet sure did.
It still worked after withstanding the impact.
“This device will be up and running over 98 percent of the time,” Poehler said.
The Toughpad is more than just a durable device.
It comes equipped with the latest advances in technology to ensure that those working in harsh conditions are able to accomplish their necessary goals.
This tablet has a 5.0 megapixel high-resolution front camera complete with LED flash, as well as a 2.0 megapixel high-resolution camera that faces the tablet screen.
This addition allows for the latest in video conferencing, as well as obtaining high quality photos.
Toughpad also has a solution for when sunlight makes it hard to view the screen.
The tablet has anti-glare and anti-reflective sensors.
Companies that are interested in becoming more mobile with a tablet that is durable and reliable are the target market for the new Toughpad.
Though the price point is slightly higher than an iPad, Panasonic intends to counter with better support for technical issues (with a customer support wait time of less than 30 seconds) and a product that should have a longer life of approximately three years.
