Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 Atom-Based UMPC Announced

As expected, Panasonic today announced the availability of the Toughbook CF-U1, “the first ultra mobile PC (UMPC) to integrate the new low power Intel Atom processor in a rugged handheld computer for use in the field”.

Along with the Atom Z520 CPU at 1.33GHz, the 2.3-pound Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 features a 5.6-inch sunlight viewable touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024-by-600 pixels and LED backlight, 1GB of system memory, and a 16GB or 32GB solid state drive.

The Windows Vista-powered CF-U1 UMPC also has the Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100 Series (802.11a/g/draft-n), Bluetooth, one USB, and one SD card slot. Additional options include 3G mobile broadband, integrated camera, fingerprint scanner, GPS receiver, and barcode or RFID readers.

The device meeets MIL-STD-810F standards. It is rain-, spill-, dust- and vibration-resistant and is protected from bumps and drops of up to 4 feet.

According to Panasonic’s press release the Toughbook CF-U1 has an approximate battery life of 9 hours.

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 UMPC will be available worldwide in August, 2008. In the United States, the base CF-U1 model is expected to be available at an estimated street price of $2,499 from authorized Panasonic resellers and distributors, Panasonic says.

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