Innovative Design

The engineers behind Toughbook are constantly researching ways to make the business-rugged series tougher, lighter and easier to use. New features like a compact shell drive, an easy-to-use circular scrolling touchpad, up to 30 inch drop-resistant design and available with built-in Gobi mobile broadband make this line of Toughbook business-rugged mobile computers the ultimate innovation for mobile professionals.

Multi Touch and Digitizer Screen

This available display provides two input methods. One is the capacitive multi touch sensor that supports touch and gestures, and the other is a capacitive digitizer (electronic stylus pen).

LCD touchscreen structure of the Toughbook C1    

The capacitive multi touch sensor responds quickly and can be operated with your fingers, not requiring you to use other input methods (stylus pen or keyboard). Because the screen can detect the movement of two fingers, enlarging and shrinking images can be performed intuitively.

For more precise operations, the electronic stylus pen is ideal. The pen can be detected by the sensor when it is brought near the screen. Therefore, hovering (where the cursor moves with a floating pen that does not even contact the screen) is possible. This means fine and accurate operations are now possible because you can place the cursor over small icons or specific cells in dense tables as you would with a mouse.

hovering    

The available multi touch + digitizer screen allows for either the intuitive finger movement or precise electronic stylus pen movements to be conveniently selected according to usage.

Another useful application of the electronic stylus pen is for signature capture. Usually, for regular capacitive multi touch sensors, if another part of the hand or fingers touches the screen, the cursor will erratically jump to the point of contact. If you try to sign your signature without having your hand touch the screen, you will have to hold your hand awkwardly above the screen, which affects the ease and clarity of your writing.

However, this is not a problem in the Toughbook C1. When the screen detects the electronic stylus (active digitizer pen), the screen disables touch capability temporarily, so you can sign your signature even if part of your hand touches the screen.

Triple Hinge Design

The typical convertible PC employs a 2-axis hinge system that allows two types of movement: display rotation, and opening and closing. Weak hinges are a problem with these types of designs found on other convertible personal computers; in fact, the typical convertible PC complaint involves hinge failures. Engineered to avoid this problem, the Toughbook C1 uses a triple hinge design, which disperses the stress of rotation and opening/closing using two different sets of hinges, as opposed to just one. Thanks to its triple hinge structure, the Toughbook C1 is just as rugged as other Panasonic business-rugged PCs, with the added convenience of a convertible display.

Hot-swappable Twin Battery Design

Some convertible PC users sacrifice operating time for lighter weight, others are willing to accept extra weight if it means they can use the computer for longer periods. The Toughbook C1 achieves the best of both worlds by using a hot-swappable twin battery design. The Toughbook C1 comes standard with one battery and one weightsaver, but is available with two batteries. This design allows the user to choose between one or two batteries, for the ultimate in flexibility of weight vs. operation time. In addition, the ability to change a battery without having to turn the power off, means no downtime. Further, the Toughbook C1 is capable of rapidly charging both batteries at the same time after one hour of charging, a single battery can power the unit for about 4.5 hours.

Dual Array Microphones

A microphone array is an arrangement of multiple microphones. The signals from an array can be electronically optimized to improve sensitivity and directionality. An array of two microphones is installed in the lower LCD frame of the Toughbook C1.

The circles show the location of the microphones. 

Using beam-forming technology, it is possible to isolate ambient noise so that only the voice speaking directly in front of the computer is captured. The two mics built into the Toughbook C1 actively monitor the speakers voice and any surrounding noise. The sounds are then analyzed in real time and the ambient noise is filtered out. This allows for improved audio clarity and greater accuracy of the voice recognition used in speech dictation or voice input for medical records.

Backlight Tablet Buttons

When a convertible PC is in tablet mode, users do not have access to the function (Fn) keys which provide convenient access to LCD brightness and speaker volume. To make the Toughbook C1 even easier to use in tablet mode, tablet buttons for these operations are located on the LCD frame itself. You can use these buttons to adjust screen brightness and call up the touchscreen keyboard, as well as change the screen from landscape to portrait mode so it is much easier to view vertical images.

The backlit tablet buttons also can be turned on & off, which is useful in clinical settings when making rounds at night so you can still easily operate the Toughbook C1 in tablet mode without needing to turn on the room lights and disturbing the patient or your night vision.

The "User" button represents the dashboard which provides access to commonly used features such as battery status, volume, brightness, locking the screen, and programming the user-definable buttons. Assign frequently used functions to these buttons, for faster access to commonly used operations.

Ergonomic Strap and Dome Hand Support

The Toughbook C1 was also designed to be used while standing during presentations and checking inventory in stores, etc. That is why it features an ergonomic strap and dome hand support.

This strap is wider in the middle and uses a urethane material, which provides elasticity, as well as a comfortable fit that is not too tight. In addition, the bottom of the PC is designed with a contoured dome that envelops your palm to provide the support you need for comfortable long-term use. The dome on the bottom of the PC was designed with the hand in mind as the hand forms a cup shape naturally when it is relaxed. These innovative designs enable the PC to be held for long periods without fatigue.

The wrist and arms are positioned at a natural angle for holding the PC, and the palm fits snugly against the bottom of the PC naturally.

Lightweight Rugged Design

Inside and out, Toughbook business-rugged mobile computers are engineered for mobility and durability. The magnesium alloy casing is light but strong, protects against electromagnetic waves and provides good heat dispersion. The contoured lid makes it dramatically stronger than a flat lid design. In addition, an annular pipe around the outer edges of the top plate braces against pressure and prevents twisting, thus protecting the LCD from pressure. Inside, the LCD panel is supported by a floating design, which means that even if the lid were to be twisted, the LCD would not break easily. In this way, a number of combined design elements make the Toughbook business-rugged series one of the lightest and toughest on the market.

Drop Test

According to studies, drops while carrying a laptop are the most common reason for laptop failure and drops during operation are the third most common reason. The word "drop" however, may refer to significantly different things: depending on the drop height and conditions of impact, the force of impact on the PC will be different. That is why Panasonic carries out free fall tests from three heights: 4 to 6 inches (to simulate the action of a careless drop onto a desk), 12 inches (to simulate the force of impact of a computer inside a bag being chucked onto a desk), 30 inches (to simulate the fall of a computer that is knocked off a desk or dropped during carriage). All Toughbook business-rugged models must pass all of these tests as part of their rugged design.

Spill-resistant Keyboard

Because liquid spills are the second most common cause of laptop trouble, a spill-resistant keyboard has been added as a standard feature of the entire Toughbook business-rugged line. In the event of a spill, a waterproof keyboard, combined with a unique drain-through design, allows liquids to pass through and exit from the bottom of these mobile computers. Moreover, a drain-away design on the optical drive enclosure (optical drive available on select models) further protects them from liquid penetration. This reduces the risk of water damage and extends the life of these tough mobile computers.

Easy-to-use Circular Scrolling Touchpad

In a mobile environment, it is often hard to use an external mouse. For pointer operation, all Toughbook business-rugged mobile computers feature a circular touchpad. Unlike square touchpads, the circular touchpad is extremely efficient and ergonomic, taking up only as much space as the users fingers require. Furthermore, it features an easy-to-use vertical scrolling capability by moving your fingers on the edge of the touchpad clockwise or counterclockwise. It can also be customized to suit individual preferences.

Gobi Mobile Broadband

With optional Gobi mobile broadband from Qualcomm, Panasonic Toughbook mobile computer users can connect globally using Panasonics next-generation wireless computers. Using high-speed 3G mobile internet networks can increase productivity and reduce downtime, as a reliable connection can be secured virtually anywhere a cell phone can be used. In addition, the Panasonic Carrier Selection Application (CSA) software platform, allows users to select or change to the best carrier for any geographic area.