Panasonic has just announced that they’ll be updating their rugged line of “Let’s Note” notebooks in Japan with Intel’s new Core i5 and i7 platforms and a Windows 7 OS upgrade. In case you’re looking for a faster notebook that you can bring along during your forays into the Amazon rainforest.

Ok, we mentioned “Toughbook,” but what we know as the Panasonic Toughbook—a line of ruggedized netbooks that can withstand various levels of water, dust, bumps, drops, and temperature extremes—is also known as the “Let’s Note” in Japan, Panny’s home country. Before tackling the new notebook models, we just have to wonder who thinks of these names?

Anyway, the new updates, which include upgraded Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and a Windows 7 Professional operating system, is set to be available on four Panasonic Let’s Notes models: the 14.1-inch F9, the 12.1-inch S9 and N9, and the 10.4-inch R9.

The R9 ultraportable (shown above) runs on a system designed for portability, with a power-efficient 1.06GHz Core i7 processor, Intel’s QM57 Express graphics chipset, and a Turbo Boost mode that pushes the clocks up to 2.13GHz if you need more computing muscle. Te rest of the R9’s spec includes 2GBs of memory, a 250GB hard drive, and a 7.5-hour battery. Optional add-ons include Bluetooth, a larger 500GB hard drive, and a faster, more rugged-friendly 128GB solid state drive.

The two 12.1-inchers, the S9 and N9, share the same 2.4GHz Core i5 processor, HDMI output, WiMAX connectivity (handy when you’re out in the rough, but pretty much useless if you’re outside the network’s coverage area), and an excellent 14-hour battery.

The 14.1-inch F9 offers two display options, coming with either 1280 x 800 or 1440 x 900 resolution. It’s also powered by a 2.4GHz Core i5 processor that can be pushed up to 2.93GHz with the boost feature, and comes with WiMAX connectivity and a 9-hour battery.

The F9 and S9 is listed to cost around $2,200 (equivalent) when they’re released in Japan next month. It’s unknown if these particular models will actually turn out to be “Toughbooks” as they reach North American shores, but we’re expecting a processor update nevertheless.

Tags: Notebooks, Panasonic, Rugged, Toughbook

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