Its certainly not for everyone — a twenty-inch tablet could be considered a bit unwieldy. However, Panasonic plans to bring such a device to market, seemingly regardless of demand, or lack of it. We have known this was coming since NAB, but today the hardware maker officially announces it will make the tablet available in the US this January — ask for gifts of money this holiday season, you are going to need it if this is on your wishlist.
The giant Toughpad comes with impressive specs — not only is the screen monitor-sized, but it displays 4k video with 3840 x 2560 resolution. It also packs a Core i5 Processor, 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD, USB 3.0 and a 720p webcam. Most importantly perhaps, is the “tough” name. Panasonic is known for its Toughbook line of notebook computers, frequently found on job sites in the construction industry. The Toughpad follows in those footsteps with a 2.5-feet drop rating for its magnesium alloy chassis and GFRP rear case.
“Imagine being able to watch 4K video footage a full resolution on a tablet with screen real estate to spare! Consider being able to see almost all of your DSLR image area at 100-percent magnification”, points out Microsoft’s Gavin Gear. He goes on to explain that “this is a full Windows 8.1 4K pen-enabled Tablet PC in the same price class as some 4K desktop displays.”
Its that “price class” he just mentioned where things go a bit downhill, before you have the chance to become excited over this. The Panasonic Toughpad can indeed be yours very soon, but you will need to pony up $5,999 for that privilege. No, the best things in life are not always free.
