Panasonic is developing an ultra-mobile PC in its Toughbook line based on Intel's new Atom platform, the company revealed today. The handheld will be designed for outdoor travelers and others who need an extremely shock- and weather-resistant device but who need something smaller than today's Toughbook portables. With a 5.6-inch touchscreen, the system will weigh less than 2.2 pounds even with the added protection, the company says. Besides the touch input, the handheld will also have a full QWERTY keyboard and shortcut buttons along the side for launching favorite programs or scrolling through menus.

The Japanese company notes that it remains too early to provide full details of performance, but adds that the miniature Toughbook will run Windows Vista and that it should have both very long battery life as well as hot-swappable battery packs that extend the system's useful runtime by hours. Business customers will be the first to see the Atom-powered system in autumn. [via Impress]