Panasonic's AX3: 11.6-inch 1080P, foldable, Haswell, 13 hours of battery life

[Spaniard]

Microsoft? Are you listening? We want Haswell Surface Pro NOW.

Panasonic's AX3 is a foldable Windows 8 Ultrabook that can also take some abuse
Plan on doing some yoga while in a hostile country? Panasonic's got you covered with its 11.6-inch AX3 Ultrabook. The device's 1080p screen folds over, similar to the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, along with Dell's officially unofficial XPS 11. Under the hood, it runs an Intel 1.8GHz Haswell chip, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, all in a package that weighs in at just 1.14kg (2.5 pounds) and promises to deliver 13 hours of battery life. In the grand tradition of Panasonic's ToughBook devices, the AX3 can survive a 2.5-foot drop if it slips off your desk, and it can also withstand 100 kilos of weight should you feel the urge to stand on top of your computer. There's no pricing or availability information to share at the moment, though we hope to get a hands-on at IFA later this summer.

[video=youtube;Ft10g3RN-MQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ft10g3RN-MQ[/video]

 

[Spaniard]

Real keyboard, like the type cover. For me, this is better than 128GB Surface Pro.

 

[mitchellvii]

Too bad it's butt-ass 1996 fugly.

 

[Nuspieds]

I've drawn my line in the sand I definitely do not want another laptop.

I like the Modern UI and I am slowly but surely transitioning to it as I find and install new apps. As such, I want a tablet with a detachable keyboard cover. I don't care if MS makes it or an OEM, but I definitely like the form factor and functionality of the Surface Pro with Type Cover and that's the type of device I look forward to buying.

 

[dleuen]

Agreed. While it is a fine ultrabook I prefer the form factor and design of my Surface Pro.

 

[Spaniard]

Same happens to me. I have broken several laptop keyboards, so really I prefer detachable keyboards... but I want Haswell! I'm waiting, Microsoft! You have 2 weeks! :cool2:

 

[Tom T]

Keep in mind this is of Toughbook heritage, try dropping your Surface from 2.5 feet. Now I really don't NEED that kind of build but I would sure like to have the security. This probably will not be cheap though based on previous Toughbook pricing. Still, there seems to be a trend toward more environmentally hardened devices, such as the new Sony Tablet and Samsung is soon to release a water/dust resistant phone. That said I would buy a Haswell Surface Pro today, and likely will (depending on the competition when it is eventually released). I am a slave to battery life.

 

[mitchellvii]

I absolutely want a hybrid that doesn't come apart. Unless the XPS 11 completely sucks or is wildly overpriced that's what I'll be getting next. I do so much legacy Access Database stuff that this 10.6 inch screen is just too small. I also look forward to a solid hinge rather than a kickstand.