Panasonic has followed up its Toughbook H1 pro tablet from last year with its successor, the Toughbook H2. The new computer retains the same MIL-STD-810G standard for resistance to shock, dust, water and temperature extremes but adds higher-end specs and some more convenience features. Instead of a low-power 1.86GHz Atom processor, for example, the sequel gets a 1.7GHz Core i5 ULV CPU with Intel’s vPro tech.
At the same time, there is a USB 2.0 and serial port, with users getting the option of adding a second USB 2.0 or Ethernet jack. The 10.1-inch dual-touch display has a 1024×768 resolution and has 6,000 nits of brightness for viewing in sunlight. There is now 4GB of RAM rather than 2, and a removable 320GB, 7,200RPM, shock-mounted hard drive is standard. The optional SSD is 128GB in capacity, or twice as big as the last one. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 are standard, while twin hot-swappable batteries are good for as much as 6.5 hours of cable-free operation.
Other options include 8GB of memory, Gobi 3G or 4G radios (the 4G radio is due in the fall), a GPS receiver, a barcode or RFID reader, a two-megapixel camera, one of two types of SmartCard readers and a fingerprint sensor.
Pricing for the H2, which ships in July, starts at $3,449.
