New toughbook runs tiny Atom chip
Panasonic has taken the wraps
off its Toughbook CF-U1, the
first ultramobile PC to integrate
the new Intel Atom processor in
a rugged handheld computer.
The Atom is the world's smallest
processor, with 47 million
transistors on a single chip
measuring less than 25 mm.
Company officials said the
CF-U1 was designed with a
solid-state hard drive for those
they called walking workers.
Potential users include people
who work in the construction
and mining industries, oil and
gas refineries, manufacturing
facilities and railroad yards.
The CF-U1 also offers an LCD
touch screen that's readable in
sunlight, optional fingerprint
scanner for user authentication,
data capture through bar
code and radio frequency identification
readers, and a 2
megapixel digital camera in
addition to connectivity with
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G-mobile
broadband Internet, said Kyp
Walls, director of production
management at Panasonic
Computer Solutions.
The handheld runs on
Windows XP and Windows
Vista platforms.