Panasonic Toughpad Looks to Expand Tablet Market

The yearly Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is, as its name implies, focused on the consumer market. However, every year there are a few products demo'ed at CES that seem designed specifically for businesses. This year, one of those products is the new Panasonic Toughpad, a rugged tablet device that could change the relationship between business and tablets.

Panasonic Toughpad

Panasonic, which has a popular line of rugged notebooks called Toughbooks, announced the Toughpad in the second half of 2011, but 2012's CES was the first chance for many tech journalists to get their hands on the device. According to this Digital Versus article, the Toughpad has a 10-inch capacitive anti-glare touchscreen, a 1.2-GHz processor, front and rear cameras, an integrated 4G module (WiMax/LTE) and 1 GB of RAM. The Toughpad will run on Android Honeycomb, according to this Engadget article.

Those specs are impressive, but what sets this tablet apart is its durability. While it may look a little clunky, the Toughpad passed the U.S. military standard MIL-STD-810 series of tests. It also has an ingress protection rating of 65 (IP65), which means it is totally protected from dust ingress and was able to withstand low-pressure water jets from all directions. With all this coupled with the scratch- and crack-resistant screen, Panasonic hopes that these durability standards will set the tablet apart.

It's a Tough World Out There

There are already some high-end rugged tablets on the market, as both DRS and Trimble offer some remarkably sturdy tablets. However, these tablets are really just non-flip laptops that run Windows and come with a fairly hefty price tag. Part of the allure of tablet devices is their touch-friendly, simplified interface and wide variety of apps--things these devices lack.

There are also some low-end rugged tablets, like the XO 3.0, which also debuted at CES, but these are designed for getting computing into third-world countries, and they shouldn't be a factor in the U.S. tablet market.

The current tablet market leaves businesses looking for an all-purpose tablet in a bit of a bind. Many professions would greatly benefit from the use of tablet computers, but they work in environments that would destroy your average tablet. Industries like utilities, public safety, insurance, construction, or any one where employees spend significant time in the field could benefit from a rugged solution.

The Future of Tablets?

No one is expecting the Toughpad to eat into the high-end market share currently dominated by the iPad, but it may be able to find a nice niche in the business world. Many midsize businesses have positions that require a rugged tablet, and many IT managers may currently be refusing to authorize the purchase of the available tablets for fear of how quickly they will be destroyed. The Toughpad, if priced correctly, will be able to fill this need.

Of course, little will be certain until the Toughpad comes out this spring. If the device isn't priced competitively or if it doesn't perform well, the tablet could be a flop. However, the idea of a rugged, high-end tablet is one whose time has come. Even if the Toughpad doesn't make a splash, expect to see other major players try and fill this niche demand in the coming year. Eventually, a rugged device will help make tablets a part of everyday life for a wide variety of businesses.