I had a chance to experience the new Panasonic Toughbook 2-in-1 today and wanted to share my take on this device from a less prominent segment of the market.
Specs:
Intel Core i5-7300U vPro
12.0” QHD (2160 x 1440) multi-touch screen with optional active stylus
8GB RAM
256GB SSD
3x USB 3.0, USB Type CTM, LAN, HDMI, VGA and SD card slot
Wireless LAN a/b/g/n/ac (up to 866.7 Mbps), Bluetooth® v4.1 and optional 4G LTE
8MP rear camera and 2MP webcam with IR for Windows Hello
What I liked about it:
It is actually lighter than it might appear @ 2.6lb for base and tablet
Anti-reflective coating on display
The hinge seems secure and easy to operate
Anti-slip finish on the tablet part makes it easier to handle
Lots of ports - 3x USB 3.0, USB Type C, LAN, HDMI, VGA, SD card reader
Swappable battery in the base
Speedy performance, on par with other similar devices
Shock and drop resistance (damage resistance is not guaranteed though)
What I did NOT like about it:
The design is not consistent - keyboard (silver) and tablet (black) have different finishes
Trackpad while different, is junk compared to pretty much to any recent Win Precision trackpad
Large bezels
No TB3 port
It is rather thick, like a laptops from 5-6 years ago
Keyboard is silver and lacks backlighting
The promised 14h battery life - turns to 7-8h of mixed real use from combined batteries
Expensive for the specs
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a more rugged 2-in-1 device, this makes a solid choice until you get to the price point and how it compares to other devices in the same class. For example I was told that one could buy almost 3x Vs vs one of these… Given that, I would personally choose perhaps a more fragile but much more modern and compelling competing device and hedge the risk of damage by buying a replacement if/when needed.
P.S.
While it might look like a Surface Book competitor, it is not. The specs of this device are much more closely matched to Surface Pro and V
The CF-XZ6, like all ToughBook/ToughPad models is a ruggedized, industrial-grade PC which means it plays by far different rules from those of the consumer products like the Surface series or the V.
If you consider this a high-priced system for what it is, then it’s not meant for you.
You can’t compare the two classes of product on design, specs, size/weight or price. It’s not meant for the same usage scenario at all. It’s not even comparable with the HP ZBook x2 which again is designed for an entirely different application.
Here are more of the ToughBook family to give an idea of what is available and what they are meant for.
Panasonic has been making these systems very well for years, they have always been reliable and very reasonably priced for their class.
This is a five year old video but one of the shortest on youtube to illustrate my point.
Actually that trackpad looks awesome. Because it has buttons
I also love the bezel size, there’s something to grip on
And I like they didn’t add backlight because it’s just annoying.
See, I’m different from this community. This looks like the perfect tablet for me, I don’t really know how to make it better except making the trackpad rectangular (that circle is just stupid). But I don’t really know if the tablet part is decent. I mean how many ports it has, how big is the battery etc.
Here is the thing though - what you said is very true for pretty much any other Panasonic Toughbook but not the CF-XZ6. For this device Panasonic says that it will LIKELY survive a 2 foot drop, but they are not guaranteeing that. So before the review I came with an expectation of an expensive but very durable 2-in-1, but came away with the conclusion that it is not any better that say Surface Pro and one of those tougher cases that you can get for it.
Put it into a bulky case the size of the XZ6 and your durability increases to new heights. Nvm that you can bust 2.5 of them before you make it into same expense.
P.S.
I am in no way trying to bash the CF-XZ6 as a product, but rather trying to understand its target market and see if there are better options and if I am missing anything from their use cases and eco systems.
That is for the regular Toughbook offerings that are built like tanks, and we see them all the time
CF-XZ6 is a bit of a different animal, as it is not nearly as durable as other toughbooks yet it is not as compact nor as sleek as other devices with similar specs. It’s like it got stuck somewhere in the middle.
Gotcha So here is a tricky question - would you rather take CF-XZ6 or get a Surface Pro with a suitable (per your exact needs) rugged case from someone like https://www.ruggedtabletpc.com
I would disagree on this one, as the touchpad is absolute junk compared to Surface Pro. Even knowing how you want them buttons, I think if you tried it in real life you would be really disappointed
Love them or hate them, but at least they track your fingers more or less accurately and give you room to work. This one is like a throwback a decade ago where it does neither well. Well, except it does look …different
