Elegant semi-rugged ultra-light
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

The "semi-rugged" Toughbook T2 is a compact, ultra-light notebook computer that weighs just 2.7 pounds. That's significantly lighter than even Tablet PC slates. Handsomely designed, the T2 has the look and feel of Panasonic's full-size Toughbooks, only downsized. It originally came with a 1.1GHz Intel Pentium M processor that's since been replaced with a Pentium 1.2GHz ULV 753, and its bright 12.1-inch display make it a tool for real work. Despite its light weight, the Toughbook T2 feels sturdy and very well made, and it should as Panasonic uses the same materials and design principles as in its big, rugged notebooks. We liked the T2's full-size keyboard, very responsive touchpad, and almost total lack of annoying heat build-up, but missed a touchscreen option. Even the original power pack provided excellent battery life. We got up to four hours in a test. Panasonic then upgraded the battery to a massive 73 watt-hour monster that should easily get six hours. And the SD Card lets you store lots of data on a tiny card.