Panasonic introduced the new Toughbook CF-33 and it lives up to its name. The 2-in-1 tablet looks rugged and is built for ruggedness. That said, the Toughbook is not for everyone.
The Panasonic Toughbook CF-33 is clunky but for good reason. The main draw of the Toughbook is that it can survive any kind of stress. The sturdy 2-in-1 can withstand drops, bending tests, spills, and dust.
The Windows 10 hybrid tablet is powered by the 7t-generation Intel Core vPro i5-7300U processor. It also comes with up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 412GB SSD built-in storage. The Toughbook CF-33 sports a 12-inch LCD display with 10-point multitouch function and a 2160 x 1440 pixel resolution. It can be used under direct sunlight because of its 1,200nits which are responsible for the display's luminance or brightness.
As Windows Central pointed out, the similarities of the Toughbook with other tablets end with the said features. The difference starts off with the design. As mentioned, the Toughbook CF-33 is clunky and its bezels sport thick rubber for easier handling. As expected, the rugged hybrid is heavy at 3.37 pounds (6.09 pounds with the keyboard) but its bulkiness is necessary to contain features specific to the business market. Such features include the Ethernet, VGA, and a stylus. The Toughbook also allows users to add a smart card reader or any other input options.
One distinct feature of the Panasonic Toughbook CF-33 is the presence of a couple of cameras. It has a front-facing camera with 2 megapixels and a rear one with 8 megapixels. It also has a dual hot-swappable removable battery.
Panasonic unveiled the latest version of the 2-in-1 tablet, which has been around since 1996, at the Mobile World Congress in late February. According to CNET, the Toughbook CF-33 will be available in the United States this month.
