Panasonic unveils new ruggedized Windows 8/Android Toughpads

If you want a tablet that can take anything you can throw at it -- or just throw it -- then the new Panasonic Toughpads are for you. Best of all, you get a choice of Windows 8 or Android.

The Toughpad FZ-G1 is a 10-inch Windows 8 Pro system packing a 1,920 x 1,200 display, 1.9GHz Ivy Bridge Intel Core i5-3437U processor, a 128GB SSD (upgradable to 2654GB), and up to 8GB of RAM. The system is powered by a battery listed as offering 8-hours of life.

The JT-B1 is a 7-inch tablet running Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich.' It features a 1,024 x 600 display, and comes equipped with a 1.5GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4660 processor, 16GB storage and 1GB RAM.

Both Toughpad have been put through -- and passed -- the rigorous MIL-STD-810G test for drops, fluid ingress and temperature, in order to ensure they can deliver reliable performance under conditions that would destroy normal tablets.

"For nearly 20 years, Panasonic has engineered the most reliable mobile computing devices on the market," said Rance M. Poehler, president, Panasonic System Communications Company of North America. "Because our customers know they can count on our products to deliver performance and return on investment, Panasonic – through its Toughbook brand – holds nearly 80 percent market share in the rugged mobile device space. We believe our engineering acumen, vertical market expertise and reputation for reliability, backed by our world-class service, will result in the Toughpad family being the leading B2B tablet solution in the coming years."

Panasonic hopes that the Toughpad will allow the company to grab 50 percent of the ruggedized tablet space by 2015.

The Windows 8 Toughpad will set you back $2,900 and will be available in March, while the smaller Android version has a $1,300 price tag and should hit shelves in February.

Full specs are as follows.

Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1:

Operating System: Windows 8 Pro
Processor: 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-3437U vPro™ 1.9GHz up to 2.9GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
Memory: 128-256GB SSD, 4-8GB RAM, optional micro SDXC
Rugged: MIL-STD-810G, 4' drop, IP65, 14° to 122°F (operational temp range)
Display: 10.1", sunlight viewable, touch screen and active digitizer, 800nit, WUXGA (1920x1200)
Battery: 8.0 hours (user-replaceable)
Dimensions: 10.6" x 7.4" x 0.75"
Weight: 2.43lbs
Wireless: Bluetooth V4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, optional embedded 4G LTE or 3G
I/O: Full size USB 3.0, HDMI, optional micro SDXC, Full size USB 2.0, wired LAN, true serial port or dedicated GPS.