- [Michael] If you know the name Toughbook,
you probably think of it as the beefy PC
for construction sites, cop cars, forward operating bases.
I expected more of the same when I was invited
to preview the latest Toughbook
at a Panasonic Press event here in Boston.
What I didn't expect was a computer
that could become almost any PC I wanted
all with the click of a mod.
(upbeat music)
Some context for you folks,
the computer I work on every day is a 2018 MacBook Pro.
If you've been a subscriber for a while,
you know the many ways it lets me down,
most of which are a byproduct of Apple's design philosophy,
which prioritizes thinness over utility.
As a result, it's sometimes the computer I want,
but it's always the computer I need.
The moment I fell in love with the Toughbook 55
is the moment I realized that it's kind of the anti-MacBook.
Instead of a flat keyboard that doesn't work well
even when it's dry, there's a springy, comfy one
that even works in the rain.
In place of a 720p webcam I need to tape over
with a Post-it note when I want some privacy,
a 1080p camera with a proper privacy shade.
And instead of a sealed chassis I can't get inside,
a modular one with expansion base.
So rather than forcing me into one kind of port
and a nightmare life of dongles that I still hate,
the Toughbook lets me choose what kind of ports
and peripherals I need, and I can change those out
on the fly depending on the job.
Let me show you what I mean.
The laptop's battery can go into either one
of these front bays below the keyboard,
and it's a big one to begin with, about 70 watt hours.
If you need more, you can slap another battery
into the bay across the way.
40 hours is the estimate when both batteries are locked in.
It's crazy!
If you don't need that much power,
you can pop in something you do need,
like a fingerprint sensor or a smart card reader
with one of these mods that Panasonic calls xPAKs.
If you need to swap the hard drive,
the SSD slides out on a quick release.
This is handy for those federal government
or corporate workers who aren't allowed to use USB drives.
Need a VGA or serial or LAN port?
You've got them.
Or, say you need more graphics power
than the integrated graphics on the i5 or i7 can give you,
just click in the GPU xPAK.
And finally, if you need to review some archive media
or just wanna relive the very best
of your college acting days, you can watch them
on Blu-ray or DVD.
Nice!
There's always let downs, right?
So let's touch on it before we wrap up
with my favorite feature.
First, the xPAKs are, of course, proprietary
'cause they need to be specific shapes and sizes.
So if you don't like the low-end GPU Panasonic
gives you, for example, too bad.
Also, despite the Toughbook name,
this isn't the hardest core machine Panasonic offers.
The water resistance rating in particular
is not as high as you might expect.
The trackpad is bigger than last model but still tiny.
The speakers are louder but still tinny.
The casing is heavy, bulky, and it has
the cosmetic characteristics of an armored truck.
But the biggest letdown for me
is that the Toughbook won't be marketed to consumers.
Of course it won't.
I mean, what Best Buy shopper wants
a 4 1/2-pound laptop in 2019?
I get it.
I guess what I'm saying is it's a shame this idea
can't make it to the mainstream.
While Motorola's modular phones never took off
despite excellent execution,
you don't use laptops in the same way you use phones.
Like, you already need to bring your bag
if you're bringing your computer out,
so you really could keep a stockpile of xPAKs at home
and bring only the ones you need for a day or for a trip.
It's a fantastic idea, and I badly want it to catch on.
Oh, that favorite feature I teased a second ago?
Duh, it's the handle.
Hauling this thing through the airport gets you looks.
You feel like you're a Secret Service agent
carrying the nuclear football.
I am into it.
The only thing missing is a shoulder strap,
and apparently, you can even buy those.
Couple bonus factoids for you wonderful folks
who watch all the way through,
this machine has four microphones,
an optional touchscreen, and a built-in stylus.
There's also a variable color keyboard
and software themes meant to preserve night vision
in environments like a police car at night, for example.
Oh, and on that subject, the machine is backward compatible
with existing accessories like this car mount,
so owners of the previous generation,
shouldn't need to go out and buy all new infrastructure.
That's a nice bit of courtesy for prior customers there.
When you're not riding around in the dark,
the display can crank all the way up to 1,000 nits
for outdoor use, and you can stay connected
thanks to an optional 4G LTE modem and GPS.
The Toughbook 55 starts at about $2,100,
and the xPAKs range from 125 up to $700 a piece.
Again, you won't find these at your local Staples
but from places like Rugged Depot
and CDS Office Technologies.
This is a business laptop for business folks.
It's rare that I end up lusting any of that stuff.
And I think the reason I'm doing so here
is because of this, the Toughbook 55
brings back something the laptop world
has lost more of with each passing year,
versatility and a sense of choice.
And I don't think I'm speaking only for myself
when I say, I'd like to see more of that.
For benchmarks and a deeper dive
into the technical side of this machine,
be sure to check out Daniel Rubino's review
coming up soon at Windows Central.
This review made possible by review device
and xPAK samples provided by Panasonic.
Mr. Mobile does not produce paid reviews, though,
and Panasonic was not granted copy approval
ahead of publication.
That means, they're seeing this at the same time you are.
Please subscribe to theMrMobile on YouTube
if that's the kind of review, you'd like to see more of.
Until next time, thanks for watching,
and stay mobile my friends!