If your work demands tablet computing tasks in inclement weather and rugged outdoor environments exposed to extreme temperatures then one of the new line of Tougpad enterprise-grade tablets from Panasonic Corp. may just be the device for you.
The Japan-based electronics firm introduced at the International Consumer Electronics Show on Friday the Toughpad FZ-G1, a 10-inch tablet that runs of Microsoft’s Windows 8 Pro and the Toughpad JT-B1, a seven-inch tablet powered by the Android 4.0 operating system.
The FZ-G1 will be available late Spring while the JT-B1 will ship in March.
The Panasonic FZ-G1
Canadian prices for the devices will be released in the next few weeks according to Panasonic Canada, but a check with its United States counterpart said that south of the border the FZ-G1 starts at US$2899 and the JT-B1 starts at $1199.
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The 10-inch device comes with a third generation Intel Core i5 processor, is available with 4 GB to 8 GB of RAM and can be had with 128 GB to 256 GB of SSD storage plus an optional micro SDXC card slot. Its non-glare screen can be viewed in sunlight and the 2.43-lb device can survive drops of up to four feet. The tablet can operate in temperatures of -10 degree Celsius up to 50 degrees Celsius. Its user-replaceable battery is good for up to eight hours of use.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability, optional 4G, LTE or 3G capability, dedicated GPS and USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports complete the package.
The Panasonic JT-B1
The smaller JT-B1 is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual core processor and has 16 GB of storage and 1 GB of RAM and a micro SDHC card. It also has a 1.3 megapixel fixed focus front camera and a rear facing camera. The seven-inch screen can be viewed in daylight and battery lasts up to eight hours.This lighter 1.21-lb unit can survive drops of up to five feet high as well as temperatures between -10 degrees Celsius and 50 degrees Celsius. It has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability and optional 4G, LTE or 3G capability.