Panasonic Toughbook S9 claims lightest 12in notebook title
updated 11:55 am EDT, Tue September 28, 2010
Panasonic intros 3-pound Toughbook S9
Panasonic on Tuesday brought out what's billed as the lightest ever full-spec 12-inch notebook. The Toughbook S9 has a full-speed, 2.4GHz Core i5 and a built-in DVD burner but weighs just three pounds. Even with the specifications, it can still run for up to 11 hours on a stock battery and is rugged enough to survive a 2.5-foot drop to its base or a one-foot drop from any angle.
The rugged build continues with a crush-resistant shell and a splash-resistant keyboard. Wireless is limited to 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in base trim, but an optional Qualcomm Gobi chipset gives it both EVDO and HSPA for 3G.
A $2,499 primary model has 2GB of RAM and a 320GB, shock-mounted hard drive as well as an anti-glare layer on the display to help it work outdoors. Panasonic promises availability today.
