Panasonic Announces Toughbook W7, T7, Y7 in the U.S.

Panasonic has announced the availability of the new Thoughbook W7, T7, and Y7 notebook series in the United States.

The three business-rugged Panasonic ThoughBook laptops - the ultraportable W7, the tablet alternative T7, and the thin-and-light Y7 - feature Intel Core 2 Duo processors, a weight from 3.0 to 3.7 pounds, and a “long battery life”. These notebooks are drop- and spill-resistant, and have strong magnesium alloy cases and chassis, shock-mounted hard drives and LCDs, and internal flexible connectors for additional protection. The new Thougbooks also offer a range of embedded wireless options, including 802.11, Bluetooth 2.0 and optional built-in 3G mobile broadband solutions from AT&T (HSDPA), Sprint or Verizon Wireless (EV-DO Rev. A). Security features include the Trusted Platform Module (TPM v. 1.2) security chip, the Computrace theft protection agent in the BIOS, a cable lock slot, password security and an optional fingerprint scanner.

The ultraportable Panasonic Toughbook W7 notebook, with its integrated DVD MULTI drive, 12.1 inch anti-glare LCD, and weight of 3 pounds, is ideal for mobile professionals. Equipped with an ultra-low voltage Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1 GB SDRAM (expandable), 80 GB hard disk, and battery life of approximately 7 hours, the W7 is as useful on an airline tray table as it is in the board room.

Designed with input from “walking workers” such as nurses and home care professionals, the Toughbook T7 notebook is a tablet-alternative notebook with a touch screen, stylus and screen rotating software. The system features a 12.1 inch touch-screen LCD and convenient hand strap. Equipped with an ultra-low voltage Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, the 3.3 pound T7 provides an 80GB hard drive and 1 GB SDRAM (expandable) and delivers up to 9 hours of battery life, depending on operating environment.

The world’s lightest laptop with a 14.1 inch display, the Panasonic Toughbook Y7 thin-and-light notebook weighs only 3.7 pounds and delivers five hours of battery life. The Toughbook Y7 notebook includes a built-in DVD MULTI drive, Intel® Core™ 2 Duo low voltage processor, 1 GB SDRAM (expandable) and 80 GB hard drive. The Y7’s larger screen makes it suitable for presenting to small groups while still being portable enough for professional road warriors.

The Panasonic Toughbook Y7 is available now at an estimated street price of $2,449.00. The mobile broadband-ready Panasonic Toughbook W7 and Toughbook T7 will be available in December, 2007 at an estimated street price of $2,099.