Message #27 From:
Stock News Bot Date: November 8, 2006 04:35:00 AM
MC News Panasonic Updates Its Lightweight, Durable eLite Notebook PC Line and Introduces Two New Fashionable Pantone Colors
SECAUCUS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Panasonic Computer Solutions Company, the leading provider of durable,
reliable, wireless mobile PCs, today announced an update to its Toughbook®
eLite notebook PC line, providing consumers a choice of fresh new colors
to fit their personal style.
The ultraportable Toughbook eLite W5 is now available for purchase in
seven color options: Steel Gray, Merlot, Galaxy Black, Glacier White,
Blueprint, Rosehip and the new “Crown Blue,”
which, according to Pantone, connotes independence and creativity. The
eLite W5 has a 12.1inch anti-glare display, an integrated multi-drive,
an 8-hour battery life, and weighs just 2.7 pounds.
The thin-and-light Toughbook eLite Y5 will be available next month in
six colors, including Steel Gray, Galaxy Black, Skylight Blue, Firehouse
Red, Deepsea, and the new “Bronze Brown,”
a rustic earthy color Pantone created to embody comfort and sensibility.
The Y5 has a larger display at 14.1 inches, weighs only 3.4 pounds and
offers up to 6-hours of battery life, depending on use conditions.
In addition to their lightweight design, both computers offer enhanced
durability with magnesium alloy cases and shock mounted hard drives. The
Y5 also includes a water resistant, "spill through" keyboard.
“Based on our heritage of delivering rugged,
reliable notebook PCs for extreme mobile users, we developed features
and designs for our eLite line that satisfy consumers’
needs for both style and substance,” said
Marca Armstrong, director of marketing, Panasonic Computer Solutions
Company. “In addition to more color
choices developed by market leader and color expert Pantone, our new
lightweight eLites are packed with features for the on-the-go consumer,
including incredibly long battery life, a magnesium alloy case and
shock-mounted hard drive, a DVD-burner and integrated WLAN to handle
life at home or on the road.”
"Color is an intrinsic ingredient to the success of all products being
developed today," said Tod Schulman, vice president, Pantone Fashion and
Home Division. "Companies should always stay a little ahead of their
customers and anticipate the newness that will grab their attention."
According to a recent poll, consumers have little confidence in the
durability of their portable PCs and they have been let down by poor
battery performance. In the “Panasonic
Toughbook 2006 Laptop Survey” of more than
1,000 consumers conducted with online research firm Russell Research,
consumers were asked what they consider to be the most important laptop
features.
The survey revealed that 75 percent of online consumers cite laptop
durability and long battery life as “critically
important.” Yet, more than 60 percent of
those surveyed say the longest battery life they’ve
actually experienced is less than three hours. In addition, more than 70
percent feel their laptop is not durable enough to be stored in checked
baggage.
“We believe these survey findings reflect the
changing needs of consumers who want to be able to work anywhere on
their PC,” added Armstrong. “Our
new Toughbook® eLite W5 and Y5 offer quality,
reliability and durability in a fashionable lightweight design to fit
customers’ personal style.”
In addition to their impressive battery performance, the eLite W5 and Y5
are factory-tested to withstand a drop of 1’
and the shock-mounted hard drives are tested to withstand a drop of 2.5
feet. In addition, both models are tested to withstand more than
220 pounds of compression on the lid and base.
Product Information
Model: Panasonic Toughbook eLite W5
Color Options: Steel Gray, Merlot, Galaxy Black, Glacier White,
Blueprint, Rosehip, Crown Blue
Availability: November, 2006
MSRP: $2,339
The ultraportable Panasonic Toughbook eLite W5, with its integrated
multi-drive, 12.1 inch anti-glare LCD, and weight of just 2.7 pounds, is
ideal for mobile consumers who demand the standard features found in
larger notebooks at a decreased size and weight. Equipped with the Intel
Centrino™ chipset for wireless LAN
connections, the W5 is equipped with an ultra-low voltage Intel Core
Solo processor and battery life of more than eight hours.
Model: Panasonic Toughbook eLite Y5
Color Options: Steel Gray, Galaxy Black, Deepsea, Skylight Blue,
Firehouse Red, and Bronze Brown
Availability: December, 2006
MSRP: $2,569.00
With a 14.1 inch display, the Toughbook eLite Y5 weighs only 3.4 pounds
and boasts six hours of battery life, depending on use conditions. The
Y5 includes a built-in multi-drive, high-speed Intel Core Duo low
voltage processor, and the Intel Centrino™
chipset for wireless LAN connections. In addition to the magnesium alloy
case and shock-mounted hard drive, the eLite Y5 includes Panasonic’s
unique “spill-through”
keyboard, designed to reduce the risks of liquid damage.
These products are available exclusively online from the Panasonic
Direct store. Please visit www.panasonic.com/elite
for more product and purchase information. To receive more findings from
the “Panasonic Toughbook 2006 Laptop Survey”
simply email: TOUGHBOOK-PRTEAM@cohnwolfe.com.
About “Panasonic Toughbook 2006 Laptop
Survey”
The consumer study sponsored by Panasonic was conducted online by
Russell Research from August 19 – 22, 2005
among 1,101 computer users ages 18 or older. Figures for gender, age and
geography were weighted where necessary to match their actual
proportions in the population.
About Panasonic Computer Solutions Company
Panasonic Computer Solutions Company empowers the mobile workforce. The
company is a unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America, which is
the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric
Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC). Panasonic has delivered reliable,
durable mobile solutions through its Toughbook®
line of notebook computers for thirteen years and has expanded the
boundaries of wireless technology through a broad portfolio of products,
ranging from fully rugged, industrial strength notebook computers and
tablet PCs to thin and light semi-rugged notebooks. A core manufacturer,
Matsushita and its subsidiaries control the entire process of design,
manufacture, quality assurance, service and support. As a result,
Panasonic Toughbooks are known for having the lowest failure rates in
the industry. Government, industrial, and commercial users—from
Fortune 1,000 companies to small businesses—rely
on solutions from Panasonic, wherever their work takes them.
All brand and company/product names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of the respective companies. PANTONE®
and other Pantone, Inc. trademarks are the property of Pantone, Inc. All
specifications are subject to change without notice. Information on
Panasonic’s full line of notebook PCs for the
mobile professional can be obtained by calling 800-662-3537 or at http://www.panasonic.com/toughbook.
