This is more of a UMPC than a Netbook, but still interesting: Panasonic today announced the latest addition to their ruggedized Toughbook line. According to the company, the Panasonic Toughbook U1 exceeds military specifications- as one example, it’s rated for 4-foot drops as opposed to the military spec which only calls for a 3-foot drop rating. Other specs:
- 16GB or 32GB SSD Drive- No hard drive option
- 2.3 lbs
- 5.6″ screen
- 1.33 MHz Atom CPU (slower than most Netbooks, but chosen for maximum battery life)
- Options for Bluetooth, barcode scanner, fingerprint reader, 2-megapixel webcam, GPS, and EVDO/HSPDA
One neat touch- instead of a single 3- or 6- cell battery, the U1 has two 2-cell batteries (each rated for 3-4 hours) that are hot-swappable. So you could keep swapping in extra batteries without having to turn it off.
All this durability and flexibility doesn’t come cheap, however. At a list price of $2199, it wil probably be the most expensive UMPC out there.