If choosing the rough and tumble road is your preference, Panasonic's Toughbook range are the only notebooks that will be able to keep up. TechSmart checks out the CF-31 and CF-19.


CF-31	CF-19
Display
The Panasonic CF-31 is equipped with a 13.1" XGA touch-screen display with Panasonic CiruLumin technology. LED backlighting ensures a clear and bright display. It is rated at a bright 1100 nit.	The Panasonic CF-19 features a 10.4" sunlight-viewable XGA Active Matrix (TFT) colour LCD display, fully viewable even in direct sunlight. The display is dual touch, meaning it supports a touch-screen and digitizer, plus the screen can be adjusted to turn the device into a tablet PC.
Processor
The Toughbook 31 makes use of the powerful Intel Core i5-540M vPro processor rated at 2.53 GHz, with Turbo Boost functionality taking it up to 3.07 GHz.	The Toughbook 19 comes equipped with an Intel Core i5-520UM vPro processor with a clockspeed of 1.2 GHz and Turbo Boost taking it up to 2.0 GHz.
Storage
Being sturdy is paramount in a device such as this, so Panasonic has armed the CF-31 with a shock-mounted 250 GB hard drive with a quick-release option for easy drive swapping.	The Toughbook 19 faces bumpy terrain and accordingly is equipped with a sturdy 160 GB super fast SATA hard drive which is shock resistant and can withstand drops of up to an amazing 1.8 m.
Memory
The Toughbook 31 as standard sports 2 GB of DDR3 SDRAM which is expandable to up to a powerful 6 GB.	The CF-19 supports 2 GB worth of DDR3 SDRAM as standard and this can be upgraded to a maximum 4 GB.
Dimensions and weight
Measuring in at 292 x 302 x 73 mm, and weighing a solid 3.6 kg, the CF-31 isn't the smallest notebook around. But rugged is the name of the game and we're sure you can handle that extra strain.	At 271 x 216 x 49 mm, the CF-19 is a bit smaller than its counterpart and also weighs less, coming in at only 2.3 kg.
Durability
Of course, the most important aspect on a Toughbook is its durability. The CF-31 is certified by military standards for drop shock protection with MIL-STD-810G and IP65 certification, while this fully-rugged notebook also has a magnesium alloy handle and reinforced locking port covers for extra protection.	The rugged CF-19 passed the IEC529 water resistance test and features a double waterproof structure for tight water and dust-proofing. It can be dropped from 180 cm and passed the military MIL-STD 810G vibration resistance test and IP65 certification.

Military Specifications and Standards as set by the U.S. Department of Defense

Free fall test:
PC falls onto plywood from 90 cm onto each face, edge and corner for a total of 26 drops.
Typing Test:
Each key was typed two to five million times.
Dust resistance test:
Tinyparticles continually sprayed onto PC when operating.
Water resistance test:
Precipitation of the PC for 10 minutes at a rate of 10 mm of water per minute.
Vibration test:
PC was subjected to vibration for 1 hour at each of its axes.
Aging:
Tested at -20 °C and 60 °C.

Panasonic Toughbook challenge

If choosing the rough and tumble road is your preference, Panasonic's Toughbook range are the only notebooks that will be able to keep up. TechSmart checks out the CF-31 and CF-19.

CF-31

CF-19

Display

Processor

Storage

Memory

Dimensions and weight

Durability

Military Specifications and Standards as set by the U.S. Department of Defense

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