Panasonic's first Android-based computer tablet
designed for tough environments such as battlefields was unveiled
Tuesday at a major regional telecom fair in Singapore.
It was the first time the "Panasonic Toughpad
A1" was showcased in Asia, where company officials said there is a huge
demand for such a rugged device.
It has already previewed in the United States and production will start later this year, company executives said.
Satoshi Mizobata, a director at Panasonic's
Toughbook Asia Pacific Group, said the device is the firm's first rugged
tablet computer using the Android operating system.
Previous Panasonic "toughpads" use Windows.
"It's military-type," Mizobata told AFP at
the Panasonic booth at the CommunicAsia telecom trade expo that opened
Tuesday. "It is water-proof, dust-proof and shock-proof."
The device weighs 0.97 kilogrammes and its
10.1-inch LCD display allows the user to read even under the sun while
it is tough enough to withstand being dropped from a height of four feet
(1.21 metres). It also has a nine-hour battery life.
Amos Tio, Southeast Asia general manager for
Toughbook Asia Pacific Group, said the gadget will launch in the region
in September and in the United States in August.
The rugged tablets are popular in industries
such as defence, utilities and construction, as well as by workers in
Asia's vast palm oil plantations, company executives said.
© 2012 AFP
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© 2012 AFP
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