Tough and handy fanless Windows 10 tablet with a 7-inch procap multi-touch screen for folks working out there in the field where it can get bumpy and wet
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Panasonic initially introduced the Windows-based Toughpad FZ-M1 early 2014. RuggedPCReview performed a comprehensive test of the Toughpad FZ-M1 in July 2014 and it earned very high marks (see here). In 2016, the FZ-M1 was given a tech upgrade, followed by another one in July 2018, now under the Toughbook brand. Unlike the sleek new Toughbook T1 and L1, the M1 goes back to the days when Panasonic made its tablets look like its laptops, with plenty of powder-coated magnesium and black rubber bumpers and protection.

With a footprint of 8 x 5.2 inches, the M1 practically fits into pockets. It's also less than three quarters of an inch thick and weighs just 1.2 pounds. The fanless small Panasonic tablet offers 1280 x 800 pixel resolution on a 7-inch 10-point capacitive touch screen, and it does all that in a fanless package that is both tough and rugged. Small though it is, the M1 packed a punch even when it was introduced in 2014, and it's been updated and upgraded ever since.

The M1 also pioneered an excellent narrow-tip capacitive stylus. In our full review we said it was "VERY accurate and works FAR better on a capacitive display than any other capacitive pen we've used." The M1 also included a Touch Screen Mode Setting Utility with five different modes, virtually eliminating the inherent weaknesses of capacitive touch in wetness or with gloves on.

Continuously updated

Much to its credit, Panasonic has been keeping the well-received M1 tablet technologically and functionally up-to-date. The July 2018 upgrades include a switch to an Intel Core i5-7Y57 processor for a boost in speed and efficiency.

Compared to earlier versions, the already bright screen is now even brighter (up to 700 nits), wireless communication has been upgraded, the user-facing camera has higher resolution, and all models come with capacitive touch (initially some still used resistive touch).

The latest ruggedness specs now list a 6-foot drop spec and also a wide -20 to 140°F operating temperature range. A comprehensive list of all the tests the FZ-M1 passed is here.

Some of the basics remain mostly unchanged. On the storage side, customers get a 128GB (256GB optional) solid state SATA disk, there's the MicroSDXC slot to augment the onboard 4 or 8GB of LPDDR3 SDRAM with up to 64GB of card memory. The M1 includes dual cameras, the frontal webcam is now updated to 2mp, the rear-facing MIPI documentation camera with LED illuminator stays at 8mp.

And there is now Panasonic's Panasonic P.180 for seamless global connectivity in over 180 countries via eSIM technology for Tier 1 LTE access.

Exceptional configurability

As is usually the case with Panasonic, customers have their choice of various options. The tablet can be equipped with integrated 4G LTE mobile broadband with GPS and there's a choice of packages that include various, and to a degree mutually exclusive, combinations of SmartCard reader, 1D/2D barcode reader, RFID, bridge battery, NFC (Near Field Communication) and either a LAN jack or a serial port. It can get complicated there.

It is this configurability that makes the Toughbook M1 not just suitable but exactly right for an unusually wide range of industry applications. The FZ-M1 owes much of its configurability to a design that allows bolt-on I/O expansion modules.

These modules can provide far more than just the usual extra port. They can add special functionality or even multiple functions.

Six different models

The summer 2018 upgrade made the FZ-M1 available in six models, each with specific features designed for mobile professionals based on industry application:

Intel RealSense Model

• Includes an Intel RealSense D400 Series Depth Camera that lets field workers to take and process accurate 3D measurement on the spot. This allows precise remote measurement without having to climb ladders, fast and accurate freight and cargo measurement to optimize storage space and vehicle loading, and numerous other spatial data collection in warehousing, utilities, manufacturing and public safety applications.

Thermal Imaging Model

• Includes a FLIR Lepton 3 Thermal Camera that allows the recording, analysis and documentation of surface temperatures surfaces out on the job. This is deal for quickly detecting heat sources or heat anomalies in various systems and situations.

Real-time Kinematic Model

• Provides location accuracy within 10-50 centimeters, making it ideal for professionals in road construction, building construction sites and precision farming and agriculture

MRZ Model

• Offers a passport reader with smartcard capacity and MSR functionality

Black Cabinet Model

• Same design and functionality (we think), but all black instead of the Panasonic powder-coat finish, making the tablet look more at home in retail and other store environments.

A rugged tablet for evolving needs

With the 7-inch Toughbook FZ-M1, Panasonic remains in a position to offer customers a small, tough and very customizable tablet suitable for an unusually broad range of applications. Starting at US$2,749, the Toughbook FZ-M1 is costly (a lower-priced Intel Celeron-based "Value" version may still be available), but this is a true tool for the job, so the total cost of ownership may well justify the investment.

In a world of sleek consumer tech, the Panasonic Toughbook FZ-M1 reminds that there will always be a need for tools, tools for jobs where form follows function rather than the latest fashion trends, tools that get the job done no matter what and where that job may be. — Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, August 2018

Also see RuggedPCReview's full review of the original Panasonic FZ-M1.