Different individuals have different preferences and different styles of work. Different departments have different requirements. In enterprise and business, one size rarely fits all. Design optimization can only go so far without affecting durability and features, and so Panasonic applied a new approach based on modularization. Size and weight are more difficult to address. Panasonic addressed the former with the usual upgrades to the latest technology via newer, faster and more efficient processors, memory, storage and components. High on the list with the original Toughbook 55 were more battery life, as little bulk and weight as possible, as much performance as possible, and - since even "semi-rugged" laptops are costlier than standard-issue notebooks - as much future-proofing as possible. Panasonic has always been good at listening to customer feedback and make changes accordingly. Things changed over the years, and the table to the right shows how the upgraded Toughbook 55 Mk2 differs from its original Toughbook 55 predecessor.
What's also interesting is that Panasonic's original Toughbook actually wasn't called Toughbook (it initially was called the CF-25), and that the ensuing CF27/28/29 and even 30 were considered "semi-rugged." To this day there isn't a definite description of what constitutes "rugged" versus "semi-rugged" and the various other degrees of toughness that separate durable, well-built machinery from mass market products.Įven lacking such a definite definition, Panasonic knew early on that not everyone needed a heavily fortified (and thus heavy) laptop, and therefore created a lighter and more business-oriented version of its original Toughbook. Panasonic didn't pioneer the use of descriptive brand names for special purpose product lines, but the term "Toughbook" certainly stands out as a prime example of successful, appropriate branding. It's fair to say that Panasonic almost singlehandedly created the market for notebooks that were not only built tougher, but also looked tougher. The picture below shows how Panasonic subtly played with ever-changing styling of the attractive magnesium exterior.
#Panasonic toughbook model numbers explained series#
Over the years, the Toughbook 5x Series has gone this way and that, responding to consumer demand for higher resolution and other display options, early conversion to wide-format displays, focus on high performance, etc. The Toughbook 55 Mk2 is the successor to a whole series of prior semi-rugged Toughbooks - starting with the venerable Toughbook 51 at the beginning of the millennium, then the Toughbook 52, 53 and 54 - all designed to provide lighter and more affordable alternatives to Panasonic's big and heavy fully rugged models, while still offering robust construction and durability. While initially there was just one Toughbook, the rugged laptop, over time Panasonic added additional models and form factors: a semi-rugged Toughbook, a convertible Toughbook, business-oriented Toughbooks, as well as Toughbook tablets and handheld (initially called Toughpads). There is a long line of Panasonic Toughbooks going back to the last millennium, each compatible with the ones that came before, each better than the one before.
Few computers have the history and pedigree of the rugged Toughbooks that hold a special place as perhaps the most popular rugged notebook computers ever made. Panasonic Toughbooks hardly needs an introduction. Having found much success with its slim profile, light weight and exemplary configurability, the newly updated Toughbook 55 Mk2 adds Thunderbolt 4 functionality and even better performance thanks to a switch to 11th generation "Tiger Lake" Intel Core processors, while still providing very good battery life and the backward compatible modular design that offers great versatility and customization potential. In August 2021, Panasonic introduced the second generation of its semi-rugged business notebook for the enterprise and mobile professionals.
Blickenstorfer photography by Carol Cotton) Modular design, exceptional battery life, high performance, Thunderbolt 4, and great attention to detail make Panasonic's updated semi-rugged laptop a winner