Toughbook CF-52 Semi-rugged Desktop Alternative, 15.4" Widescreen Display, Shock-mounted, Removable Hard Drive. Wireless ready for Verizon, AT&T & Sprint Wireless networks.

This powerful desktop alternative gives you the flexibility to work wherever you need to, whether in the office or in the field. The shock-mounted hard drive, full magnesium alloy casing, and spill-resistant keyboard and touchpad defends your data against the bumps of mobility, while the wide area wireless-ready design allows you to stay connected anywhere you go. The 15.4 inch widescreen display is perfect for increased productivity and better group presentations.

If you're ready to get rough and tumble with a Santa Rosa-based Toughbook, you're almost there: Panasonic's announcing the new CF-52's availability in the US, as well as new specs and features.

• Core 2 Duo CPUs (2.0 and 1.8GHz)
• 1GB RAM (expandable to 4GB)
• 15.4-inch WUXGA or WXGA display (1920 x 1200 or 1366 x 768), enhanced 512MB grahics for Aero
  
• 80 or 120GB drives (shock mounted), DVD burner
• 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (optional)
• Verizon Rev.A, Sprint Rev. A and AT&T HSDPA 3.6 support
• (4) USB 2.0, PCMCIA slot, ExpressCard slot, SD reader, 1394, VGA, gigabit Ethernet, modem, serial
• TPM chip, and optional SmartCard and biometric scanner
• Spill-resistant keyboard and integrated handle

Panasonic is one of Intel’s largest customers for Low Voltage and Ultra Low Voltage processors. The new Intel mobile technology platform is centred on an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with an 800 MHz front-side bus, mobile Intel 965 Express chipset, Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN wireless module, and Intel Turbo Memory. Users benefit from greater computing power, improved graphics and video performance, several times the speed in wireless connectivity, and lower energy consumption in individual components – whichgives even better convenience when on the move.

An option on the Panasonic Toughbook CF-52, the Intel Centrino Pro can also offer improved security for business users. This can also make company laptop maintenance, servicing, repairs and protection easier for IT departments operating Intel Active Management technology.

"The CF-52 is the first widescreen notebook in the Toughbook line," said Kyp Walls, Panasonic's director of product management, in an e-mail. "In addition to being built on the new Intel Santa Rosa chip set, the new widescreen semi-rugged Toughbook CF-52 is equipped with the Trusted Platform Module security chip, the Computrace software agent in BIOS and an optional fingerprint scanner and SmartCard reader."

Panasonic will sell the CF-52 with two different configurations. One will feature Intel's Core 2 Duo T7300 processor, with a clock speed of 2.0GHz, the PM965 Express chip set, 1GB of DDR2 (double data rate) RAM and a 120GB SATA (Serial ATA) hard drive. The other will feature Intel's T7100 processor, with a clock speed of 1.8GHz, the GM965 Express chip set, 1GB of DDR2 RAM and an 80GB SATA hard drive.

The Toughbook 52 is built to withstand wear and tear, due to its magnesium alloy construction and a shock-mounted screen. It's certified to the MIL-STD-810F military standard, tested to withstand drops of up to 2.5 feet on all six sides. The hard drive, easily removable, can survive a drop of 3 feet. Even more, the Toughbook 52 includes a spill-resistant keyboard.

The notebook's wireless-ready design lets customers initially purchase, or later upgrade to, embedded access to next-generation data networks including UMTS/HSDPA-based solutions from Cingular Wireless and the EV-DO Rev. A networks from Sprint or Verizon. Users can also take advantage of its integrated 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth connectivity.

New security features include the Trusted Platform Module (TPM v1.2), the Computrace software agent in BIOS, and an optional fingerprint scanner and SmartCard reader. It comes with a standard three-year limited warrant,y which includes around-the-clock U.S.-based phone support for the life of the product. In the event of a hardware-related failure, Panasonic covers the cost of overnight shipping to and from its national service center.

The Toughbook 52 is available NOW in two configurations, standard or optimized for improved video and Vista-performance, 512MB dedicated VRAM, and a larger 120GB hard drive. Both versions come loaded with 1GB of SDRAM and run Core 2 Duo processors.