NEW YORK — Panasonic Computer Solutions Co. this week introduced a new member of its Toughbook computer family, a full-function Microsoft Windows-based device designed for what the company called the “extreme rugged” segment of the mobility market.
The 2.3-pound U1, which can operate as a handheld or mounted device, runs Microsoft Windows XP and Vista operating systems and is the first “ultra mobile” PC that uses Intel’s new Atom microprocessor. Panasonic said the U1 is designed for use by field workers and other workers who are on the go.
At a press conference here on Wednesday to unveil the computer, Rance M. Poehler, president of Panasonic Computer Solutions, demonstrated the ruggedness of the U1 by dropping it onto a carpet from about six feet in the air, after which the U1 continued to work. The computer is designed to survive a four-foot drop on concrete 26 times in a row, Poehler said.
Although at 7.2" wide by 5.9" deep by 2.2" high, the U1 is larger than most PDAs, it can be strapped to a worker’s hand for mobility or docked to keep it in place, making it usable on forklifts and other equipment. The touchscreen U1 comes with a 16 GB solid-state hard drive and 1 GB of SDRAM, as well as options for a bar code scanner or RFID reader and a 2-megapixel camera. With the option of twin, hot-swappable batteries and a sunlight viewable screen, users can operate the computer in challenging weather conditions, Panasonic said. Other capabilities include standard WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as the option to add GPS capability, a fingerprint scanner, and 3G mobile broadband Internet connectivity. The unit also features low-power LED backlighting and a fan-less, sealed all-weather design.
Panasonic spent the past several years conducting market research with its customers and business partners to see what it would take to bring more mobility to the Toughbook line, officials said. The key message to Panasonic was that “highly mobile users [were] demanding reliability,” and they wanted a full-function operating system, Poehler said. So instead of using a system such as Windows CE, Panasonic equipped the U1 with XP and Vista running on Intel’s Atom processor. The 1.33 GHz Atom, with 47 million transistors, is the smallest and lowest power consuming processor yet from Intel.
Gary Willihnganz, marketing director for Intel, said the Internet is driving the demand for mobile PCs. “Being connected is paramount to what people want,” he said. “The next big thing is Internet-enabled computing on the go.”
Market research firm VDC expects the small form factor rugged mobile computer market to grow at a 9% rate to $3.8 billion by 2011, from about $2.5 billion in 2007.
The U1, with a battery life of about nine hours, can be used in construction sites, mining, oil and gas refineries, manufacturing facilities, plants, and warehouses. LEDCO, the maker of the docks that secure the computers, has made it possible for the U1 to be secured in a vehicle, desk, or on moving equipment.
John Baumgartner, chief of staff of the office of the chief technology officer at energy giant BP, who spoke at this week’s press conference, said the big oil company was interested in the U1 because BP wants to increase the productivity of its field force, much like it has done with its white-collar workers. “We needed to take away the paper and pencil and start automating,” he said. “We needed to eliminate trips back and forth in the fields. [Traditional] Toughbooks are too big and PDAs are too small.”
Baumgartner said that BP is conducting field trials with the U1 on a “scientific basis” in its refinery, lubricant, pipeline, and warehousing operations. “We have a lot of high expectations for this,” he said. “This is a tool for competitive advantage.” He noted that the availability of the full-function operating systems on the U1 was a key selling point for BP.
The U1 will be generally available worldwide in August 2008 at a base price of $2,499.
Lauren Brousell is a junior at the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College and an editorial intern at Managing Automation.