Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., known for its rugged Toughbook offerings, today unveiled the newest member of that portfolio, the H1 Field tablet, a handheld computer designed for use by mobile workers.
The H1 Field features a 1.86 GHz Intel Atom processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 64-gig solid-state hard drive, and a 10.4" screen calibrated to reduce glare in outdoor work environments. The tablet comes with Microsoft Windows 7 installed, but can be downgraded to Windows XP.
Functionally, the newest Toughbook is a “marriage of the U1 and the H1 Health,” said Kyp Walls, Panasonic’s director of product management, in a recent interview with Managing Automation. The Toughbook U1 has a smaller screen than the H1 Field, he said, while the H1 Health is calibrated specifically for indoor work in the healthcare field. The H1 Field weighs in at 3.4 pounds, can be strapped to a worker’s hand, and features two hot-swappable batteries that deliver six hours of power. “As long as you have fresh batteries, you never have to turn it off,” he said.
For workers who need to remain connected while in the field or on the production line, the newest Toughbook also features embedded WiFi and BlueTooth capabilities, and can be upgraded for cellular-based WWAN access via Qualcomm’s Gobi2000 mobile broadband modem, which works on EV-DO and HSPA networks.