Panasonic Toughbook CF-NX2 Let's Note personal impressions. The compact Panasonic Let's Note CF-SV7 laptop is equipped with ODD, Intel Coffee Lake CPU, LTE modem, USB-C and D-Sub ports Panasonic let's note new weight
One can only be surprised at the perseverance of the Japanese in the person of Panasonic. While all companies ( including and their Japanese competitors NEC) are chasing the minimum thickness and weight of their laptops, the company from the city of Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, does not care about fashion trends and make their laptops like this , as if they came straight from 2005.
The new product, called Let's Note SV7, does not change the “branded” design - it is still the same thick block, with a 12-inch screen and an aspect ratio of 16:10.
From the technical side, everything here is much more interesting than from the aesthetic one - the laptop is a full-fledged working machine with up-to-date hardware and a large selection of configurations.
The laptop can be stuffed with literally everything you could theoretically need. The choice of processor and RAM is unlikely to surprise anyone: the buyer has the opportunity to choose between Intel Core i5-8350U processors (two cores, 1.7 GHz, up to 3.6 GHz in Turbo Boost mode) and Core i7-8650U (four cores, frequency 1.9 GHz, up to 4.2 GHz in Turbo Boost mode), as well as a choice between 8 and 16 GB of LPDDR3 RAM. The choice of disk drive is also quite standard: SSD from 128 GB to 1 TB plus an optional 1 TB hard drive. There is no choice of screen matrix here - for all trim levels an IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels is installed, which can open to an angle of up to 180 degrees. Also, by default, all models have support for Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1 and Windows Hello unlocking via an infrared scanner.
The remaining characteristics may confuse a buyer from 2018: firstly, there is still an option to select an optical drive (DVD or Blu-Ray), which only a few buyers need. Although we should not forget that the main buyers of Let's Note laptops are business clients, so for them this element may still be in great demand. As well as D-Sub (VGA) and Ethernet connectors, which are all found on modern laptops harder and harder.
It is still difficult to find a laptop with a sufficient number of USB ports, but here the Japanese novelty does not lose face - 3 classic USB 3.0 connectors and one USB Type-C connector (combined with Thunderbolt 3), which supports power reception according to the USB-PD standard. Thus, you can even power the laptop from a power bank that supports the appropriate technology, but for compatibility with previous models, the traditional charging port with a round connector remains here.
Panasonic also offers customers a choice of the battery supplied with the SV-7: it can be a standard (S) cell for 12.5 hours of battery life or a longer (L) “battery” for 19.5 hours. Even if you don’t believe the manufacturer’s traditionally inflated data, a more realistic 16 hours of full-time work is a lot; for many people, this lasts two working days.
It is possible to choose a configuration with a slot for a SIM card - reception of LTE networks is supported (Bands 1,3,8,18,19,21,28,41).
Despite the fact that the laptop is not even going to boast of a record thickness (24.5 mm - just the thickness of two MacBooks), it is not heavy - depending on the presence of an optical drive and an enlarged battery, its weight ranges from 919 grams to 1. 2 kg. Considering that many modern laptops of a similar diagonal are even heavier than a kilogram, then the result of Let's Note SV7 can be considered quite acceptable.
The Let's Note line of laptops has never been as secure as the legendary Toughbooks from the same manufacturer, but this does not mean that they are flimsy and unreliable. As always, the Japanese conduct several stress tests with each series before its release to the market: test for resistance to vibration and pressure of 100 kgf, resistance to falling flat from a height of 76 cm, to falling on corners and ends from a height of 30 cm, and a test of keyboard stability (1 million keystrokes).
Now sit down, or get ready to fall. The Panasonic Let's Note SV7 laptop is already on sale in Japan, and the cost of the weakest configuration with a Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD paired with a 1TB hard drive is no more and no less than 242,784 yen with taxes (about 2250 USD)!
And if you suddenly decide to take the top-end configuration with a Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD, an LTE module and a Blu-Ray drive, then be kind enough to pay 425,304 yen with taxes (almost 4 thousand dollars) for it! But this is not the very ceiling of the price of this laptop: you can add an exclusive color for the lid and touchpad (for 5400 and 1400 yen, respectively), a keyboard without Japanese characters for 3240 yen, an extended battery for 5000 yen and the total amount becomes almost 440 thousand yen ( over 4100 USD).
Have you exhaled? This price is explained, first of all, by Panasonic’s focus on large business clients, at the forefront for which What stands out is the reliability and thoughtfulness of the device, not the minimum price, as well as the fact that devices in this series are provided with an extended 4-year warranty. Here is another “retrograde” feature of the Let’s Note line: instead of reducing the cost and reducing the warranty period to 1 year, Panasonic retained the same quality and production control, thereby increasing the warranty period four (!) times.
The original laptops offered by Japanese companies on the home market are of more academic than real interest to us. However, sometimes it is useful to take a look at these devices to get a good overall understanding of the industry.
Modern laptops have long lost optical drives - ODDs remain mainly in either inexpensive or highly specialized models. But the Panasonic Let's Note CF-SV7 is neither one nor the other: it is a compact laptop with a 12.1-inch diagonal screen (resolution - 1920 x 1200 pixels) and weighs about a kilogram (base model - 999 grams, flagship - 1124 grams ). But an optical drive can be installed in it, and for an additional fee it will not only burn CDs and DVDs, but also read Blu-ray.
This model uses quad-core Intel Core processors of the latest eighth generation: Core i5-8250U (1.6-3.4 GHz), Core i5-8350U (1.7-3.6 GHz), Core i7-8550U (1.8- 4.0 GHz) and Core i7-8650U (1.9-4.2 GHz). You can hardly find a D-Sub video output in laptops equipped with these CPUs, but the Let’s Note CF-SV7 has it. The list of interface connectors also includes three USB 3.0 Type-A, one USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, HDMI and RJ-45.
The amount of RAM varies between 8-16 GB. The storage subsystem uses 2.5-inch SSDs up to 512 GB, M.2 SSD with PCIe interface up to 1 TB and HDD up to 1 TB. A web camera that records video at 720p resolution, an infrared camera with support for the Windows Hello biometric authentication function are standard equipment, and for an additional fee you can also get a built-in LTE modem.
The dimensions of the new product are 283.5 x 203.8 x 24.5 mm, autonomy is from 11 to 21 hours, depending on the battery capacity and type of drive. Panasoni Let's Note CF-SV7 is a laptop that is not only non-standard, but also not cheap: the basic version is priced at $2,320, and the most expensive option costs almost $3,900.
Let me make a reservation right away: this review will not include performance tests of hardware, batteries, etc. I have neither the time nor the appropriate software, nor the experience to conduct them. You can look at technical reviews of the “Western” brother of this model with an optical drive SX2 like this one. Here we will describe exclusively subjective impressions of using the Japanese business rugged Panasonic model Toughbook CF-NX2.
Background
Somewhere in the middle of 2008, I purchased a Panasonic Toughbook CF-R7 from Conics and used it for about 2 years. The computer turned out to be very easy to use, fit almost into my pocket, weighed 850g, the charger for it was tiny and at the same time there was no point in wearing it because it was almost always enough for a working day, i.e. for 6-7 hours of coding with WiFi turned on, the 10" 4:3 screen allowed me to write code without worry.You could also drop it while it was on from the height of your desk, spill drinks on it, check it in as luggage in a suitcase, and accidentally sit on it. I didn’t do either of these things, but I didn’t stand on ceremony with him either. Despite the lack of a camera and microphone, I must admit that neither before nor since have I had such a successful experience, or rather pleasure, from working with a laptop. Although after it I had a Sony z112 and a MacBook Air 11”, quite expensive and quite decent in all respects, but neither one nor the other were as convenient. The thirteen-inch Sony turned out to be very flimsy, after six months it acquired a looseness in the screen cover, and after falling into a slightly tighter bag, traces of the keys remain on the screen, it is uncomfortable to hold on your knees, and even the enlarged battery lasted less than that of the R7 with a total double weight. The Air turned out to be better in terms of strength, but the charge also doesn’t last very long and it always seems like it will slip out of your hands or your lap.
Order
Actually, I needed all this lyrical digression to persuade myself to make a rather difficult purchase of a brand new Panasonic. Difficult both in financial terms, because it costs from one and a half thousand North American, and in logistics. The fact is that it is not so easy to buy business rugged Panasonic laptops on the Internet, with delivery to our Palestines, I know only 2 places, the aforementioned Conics and Dynamism. Theoretically, it is possible to purchase the SX2 in a “Western” version with a touch screen, but It costs more and weighs more, and I don’t need an optical disk with a touch screen at all.In general, as soon as the opportunity arose, I shouted: “what were we fighting for?”, after a painstaking two-hour fuss, I settled on the NX2 (I doubted between it and its younger brothers J10 and AX2) and, after talking with Bret Bent from Sonics via Skype, I placed an order for a customized model with pre-installed Windows 8 Pro (for some reason it was cheaper than with Windows 7).
A week after the order, all changes in the basic configuration, in the form of SSD and 8Gb, were made and the computer was sent to me by FedEx. It took two days for delivery and another two days for arguing with local customs, I had to prove that I was not going to buy at retail for resale. Anyway, at some point they brought me a box home. 
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In a modest cardboard box I found the hero of the review, 2 batteries (light 6800-6400mAh and high capacity 13600-12800mAh), two chargers, one regular and quite compact, and the second very light (in the photo with a plug attached instead of a cord) and even smaller, As I understand, the second one can only be charged when the laptop is turned off, you cannot work or charge with it, and there are many manuals from texts in Japanese and other languages of Southeast Asia. 
Technical characteristics and equipment of this model
Panasonic Toughbook CF-NX2OS: Windows OS English Windows 8 Professional 64bit
Processor: i5 3320M 2.6GHz / QM77 Express chipset
Video: Intel HD 4000
RAM: DDR3L only 8GB DDR3L 4GB onboard + 4GB in slot
Screen: 1600 x 900, 12.1" wide, matte
Disk: SSD 240GB OCZ AGT3-25SAT3-240G MLC
Keyboard Layout: Japanese International
Wireless network adapters: WiFI IEEE802.11 a/b/g/n, WiMAX IEEE802.16e-2005
LAN: 1Gbit
Bluetooth: 4.0
Webcam: 720p with built-in microphone
External ports:
standard microphone and headphone jacks
1x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0
HDMI out, D-SUB out
Card slot: SDXC
Security: TPM
Batteries: 9 hours maximum (S standard battery), 18 hours maximum (L extended battery), both included as standard
PSU: 100-240V AC international adapter x2 pieces:
- fast charging 260g with the ability to work
- light 170g, only for charging
Dimensions and weight: 295 x 197.5 x 25.4 mm, 1.09 kg with standard battery and SSD
295 x 216.2 x 25.4 mm, 1.30Kg with larger battery and SSD
the price in the basic configuration is about $1500, in the above mentioned configuration about $1800.
Here's what Windows tells us about performance: 
And here’s how it looks in comparison with the MacBook Air 11” (we’ll also look at the external ports)
top view: 
front edge (power button, WiFi switch, headphone and microphone jack): 
left side (lock, ventilation grille, HDMI, D-Sub, USB3 with recharging, USB3) 
rear view: 
right side (gigabit ethernet, USB2.0, SDXC reader, power connector): 
As you can clearly see, the NX2 is significantly thicker than the Air, but it occupies a slightly smaller area with a slightly larger screen. They have almost the same weight (I have the 2010 Air model), although subjectively the Panasonic seems lighter, probably due to the fact that you don’t expect such weight from this size. It should be noted that the screen quality of a macbook is higher, especially the viewing angles, but considering that I needed a laptop to write code, I was ready to neglect this. When viewed at the right angle, the picture on the NX2 is very juicy, the screen itself is matte and reclines 180* like a Thinkpad (by the way, in my opinion, the only real competitor to the NX2 is the Thinkpad x2xx series). 
Impressions from the work and conclusions
I am writing this review after two weeks of use. The car did not disappoint and did not disappoint - it makes me happy every day. The name laptop is much more suitable for this computer, because it lies very comfortably on your lap and there is something to grab it for; you can work with it comfortably at home on the couch or while sitting in a chair in a cafe. The computer is very responsive and fast thanks to the SSD, the operating speed meets modern requirements and is hardly different from other ultrabooks.The manipulator, a round touchpad, is surprisingly convenient, especially scrolling in a circular motion along the edge; it also allows the usual gestures for zoom and scrolling with two fingers, although not particularly useful due to the small area.
The keyboard is very pleasant to the touch, the “Japanese” English layout takes a little getting used to, of course you can cover the keys with stickers and turn them into a regular Western layout, but after R7 I still have the skills, and with phonetic layouts for Russian and Hebrew, the need for stickers has disappeared for a long time.
Japanese international layout (from the seller's website): 
The battery life, as in the case of the R7, is very impressive, the stated characteristics are close to reality. Following Bret's advice, I have Eco mode enabled for charging, which charges the battery to 80% of its capacity, which extends life and reduces degradation. Until now, I have only used a standard battery - 6-7 hours of writing code and compiling are enough for a typical day with peeking at manuals and reference books on the Internet and breaks for coffee and food.
The price may seem high at first, but considering the two charges and two batteries included and the total operating time of almost a day, I think this can be forgiven. Its weight and “security” make it possible to carry it with you everywhere without much fuss when handling it, and this, in my opinion, makes it a real help for the developer.
Panasonic, like some other laptop manufacturers, is going to release new laptops that will have energy-efficient Intel Core M processors from the Broadwell line inside. The Japanese vendor is going to launch a small laptop with a 10-inch screen diagonal, which will be called Let’s Note RZ4.
It will, however, be sold only in Japan, but its cost is quite high - about one and a half thousand dollars. True, the characteristics of the Panasonic Let’s Note RZ4 are also excellent.
The screen, as already mentioned, has a diagonal of 10.1 inches, it is made using IPS technology and has a Full HD resolution, that is, 1920x1200. Inside there is a new Intel Core M-5Y10 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 128 GB solid-state drive is offered as a device for permanent data storage. It will also be possible to purchase versions with 8 gigabytes of RAM and a 256 GB solid-state drive, but this version, of course, will cost more.
The laptop will be pre-installed with the Windows 8.1 64-bit operating system. This laptop can also work in tablet mode, for which the screen can be rotated 360 degrees. By the way, if you are worried that it will be difficult to hold a heavy device, then we will reassure you, the laptop weighs only 720 grams.
There is also a Wi-Fi 802.11ac wireless module, and ports include HDMI, USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet. It’s a pity, of course, that Panasonic Let’s Note RZ4 will not be sold in Russia. But we already have a lot of laptops that you might like. For example, the Lenovo brand is very reliable (and inexpensive!). Well, if you already have a laptop of this brand, then