Panasonic ToughBook CF-19 Review

The CF-19 falls under Panasonic’s fully rugged moniker, meaning that it will stand up to almost anything. That includes being dropped from almost a metre, being showered with water, being thrown in the mud and being dragged through dust and sand. It’s therefore no surprise that ToughBooks are used by the US military, where the conditions are often inhospitable to say the least. In fact Panasonic was keen to mention that a ToughBook saved a soldier’s life during Desert Storm.

The unusual thing about the CF-19 and the CF-18 before it, is that despite being as tough as an armadillo, it’s also pretty small and light. Weighing in at 2.25kg and measuring 271 x 216 x 49mm (WxDxH), the CF-19’s proportions don’t indicate that it could withstand serious abuse, but believe me, it can. The video embedded on this page shows the CF-19 being dropped from a metre high, being doused in water, having someone jump on it and having it doused in more water with the lid open. You can also see from the video that the CF-19 still worked after all that punishment and was happy to be doused in yet more water when powered on.

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