Panasonic Toughbook CF-20 hands-on review: For companies Book-style tablet

Panasonic ToughBook CF-20

Panasonic ToughBook CF-20 may not appear to be a flagship model, but it feels and performs like one when put to the test. Panasonic's ability to make the gadget relatively light while using such durable materials is amazing.

When you throw in a plethora of connectors, a tiny but sharp and brilliant display, and good battery life (which can be extended with a second battery), you have a gadget that leaves no stone unturned for outdoor professionals. It isn't ideal, though, due to its narrow keyboard and squeaky trackpad, which are two small blemishes on an otherwise great product.

The Panasonic toughbook cf  20 display is a 10.1-inch High Definition display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. With a pixel-per-inch count of 224, such a high resolution on such a little panel results in a highly crisp and clear image.

The Panasonic Toughbook CF 20 isn't a half-hearted Surface clone with a hefty chassis; it's a full-fledged business laptop with bells and whistles all over the place. The pricing reflects this, with a starting price of £2,661 (about US$3,508 or AUS$4,609). So, what does this mean for your company?

Let's start with the design of the CF-20. Although it would be a stretch to describe the ToughBook's black-and-silver color scheme as appealing, it does have an industrial appeal. It looks like a netbook on steroids, with its 10.1-inch display, thick bezels, and small chiclet-spaced keyboard keys. It feels like lugging around a heavy aluminum lunchbox when you hold it by its extended handle. The CF-20 has a reassuringly sturdy feel thanks to its weight and the magnesium alloy chassis. It would take a lot of force to do serious damage here, given how tough it is, and how difficult it is to detect any flex no matter where you prod or poke it. The tablet complies with the MIL-STD810G standard, which means it can survive drops, vibrations, shocks, temperature, explosive environments, sand, and rain.

When the ports aren't in use, there are even protective plastic covers to keep them from becoming damaged. RJ-45, USB 3.0, HDMI, audio-out, a MicroSD card slot, VGA, and a Serial port round out the connectivity options, providing just about every necessity for field workers. The Panasonic Toughbook CF 20 is best for such applications in a rugged work environment.

The Panasonic Toughbook CF 20 also introduces 10-point touch to the corporate world, allowing you to use your finger to navigate Windows 10's menus and toolbars. It's a good thing, too, because the CF-20's tiny touchpad was a real pain to use. The CF-20 absolutely shines when it comes to presentation. The 400 nits display on the Surface Pro 4 wowed us, and now it's blasted out of the park with the Surface Pro 5. The Panasonic's 1,920 x 1,200 pixel-resolution (224ppi) display has a maximum brightness of 800cd/m2, making it easy to see even in strong sunshine. We found that swiping a finger across it too gently resulted in it failing to detect anything on the screen, forcing us to resort to probing and poking.

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