Panasonic Solutions Co. has introduced a new version of its Toughbook rugged laptop. The F9 is a 14-inch laptop weighing 3.6 pounds. It features an Intel Core i5 processor, 320 GB drive, high-resolution widescreen display, and optional Qualcomm Gobi2000 mobile broadband capability. It includes a standard voltage 2.46GHz Intel Core i5-520M vPro processor with Turbo Boost Technology, along with Intel anti-theft and vPro technologies to improve security and manageability. Panasonic claims a battery life for the F9 of up to seven hours. The device runs on the Windows 7 operating system, with an XP downgrade option. It has successfully survived drops of 30 inches to the base of the unit while operating, as well as 26 drops from 12 inches to a non-yielding surface. The Toughbook F9 will be available in the U.S. beginning July 1, 2010, at an estimated street price of $2,899, from authorized Panasonic resellers. Read Full Article