SECAUCUS, N.J. — Panasonic Computer Solutions has announced major updates to its Toughbook computer line with the introduction of the thin-and-light F8 and upgrades to the tablet alternative T8 and the ultraportable W8

“Panasonic Toughbook business-rugged notebooks are engineered for the truly mobile professional. We have designed these notebooks to offer industry-leading portability, durability and wireless connectivity: a necessary combination for today’s workers on the move,” said Kyp Walls, director of product management for Panasonic Computer Solutions. “Reliability is an issue that is coming into the mainstream with a lot of talk about computers being ‘rugged.’ While many vendors appear to be making moves in the direction of improved durability, most business notebooks are still seeing annual failure rates in the double digits.”

The new Toughbook F8 is considered by Panasonic to be the world’s lightest 3G-ready notebook with a 14.1 inch wide display, and an internal optical drive. Weighing 3.7 lbs., the Toughbook F8 has an integrated handle designed for maximum portability. With the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB of RAM, a bright widescreen LCD and a 160 GB shock-mounted hard drive, the new F8 is designed to be the ideal tool for an operator who needs both an extremely portable and high performance PC.

The 8 Series Toughbook mobile computers will also include the Gobi 3G mobile broadband (WWAN) from Qualcomm, which allows connection to high-speed mobile Internet services available internationally, and will offer a range of embedded wireless options, including 802.11a/b/g/draft-n and Bluetooth 2.0. The 8 Series will ship with optional embedded GobiTM 3G technology.

For more information about price, and other details, refer to www.panasonic.com/toughbook.