Panasonic
You knew that Panasonic makes great DVD Players, High Definition Plasma TVs, and receivers, but did you know that they make laptops as well? Panasonic is the company behind the Toughbook, those rugged laptops that you always see taking so much abuse in those commercials.

With only two models, Panasonic definitely doesn’t confuse the buyer with hundreds of different configurations to choose from like most other laptop manufacturers. The lower priced W5 comes with a 12.1 display, a 60GB hard drive, a choice between 512 MB and 1 GB of memory, and an Intel Core Solo Processor. Or, for a few hundred dollars more, the Y5 has an Intel Centrino Duo Mobile chipset, and a 14.1” anti-glare display. And like the W5, it comes standard with 512 MB of memory. These specs are forgettable, because at well over two thousand dollars, these Panasonic notebooks are comparable in power to those of other brands that cost hundreds, or even thousands less.

But the real charm with the Toughbook doesn’t lie in its performance, but rather with its durability as its name suggests. For starters, the 60 GB hard drive is a special shock mounted drive, with shock-absorbing polymer compounds inside to protect it against any sudden jarring motions. It also comes in a magnesium alloy case, which is a hardened material designed to protect the entire machine from any kind abuse you’re likely to throw at it. That’s why when you see them bounce the laptop off the pavement in the commercials, nothing bad happens to it.

The Panasonic Toughbook laptop is also designed for portability, and to be easy to carry around. It has an ultra thin design and weighs in at only 3.4 pounds, which is definitely on the lighter side among laptops of this caliber. This laptop is targeted toward users such as construction company foremen, who will be taking it around to different job sites where it could be banged around a bit.

Panasonic computer laptops are available at many major electronics retailers, and also on the manufacturer’s website, where Panasonic laptop parts can also be found. Or, if you can’t afford the steep price tag for this brand, one can often find cheap used or refurbished Panasonic laptops on auction and classifieds sites.