The CRAZY Upgradeable Laptop

[JonoT]

 

Thanks to Panasonic TOUGHBOOK for sponsoring this video! Check out the TOUGHBOOK 55 at https://lmg.gg/8KV1N

 

In the world of soldered ram, pentalobe screws and glued down batteries - Panasonic is taking the complete opposite approach with the new Toughbook. They've created a laptop where nearly everything, including the GPU, can be swapped almost instantly.

 

Buy Panasonic TOUGHBOOK
On Amazon: https://geni.us/GWl6M
On Newegg: https://lmg.gg/8KV1x

[vriesdiep]

I might be wrong, but didn't Linus recently mention that showcases (Which this clearly is, but not labeled as such) would be extra videos in addition to the regular content?

 

WAN Show July 13:

@5.47 "If there is a video that is just like here is information about a product but it's sponsored by that company or by that product or somewhere to get it, it is supposed to be clearly displayed in the tile of the video"

 

@7.30 It is mentioned "We didn't want this sponsored content to interfere with our regular upload schedule"

 

[xnamkcor]

The only people I know who use car laptop docks also have shotguns mounted in their vehicle.

[Th3RealMuri]

14 minutes ago, vriesdiep said:

I might be wrong, but didn't Linus recently mention that showcases (Which this clearly is, but not labeled as such) would be extra videos in addition to the regular content?

 

WAN Show July 13:

@5.47 "If there is a video that is just like here is information about a product but it's sponsored by that company or by that product or somewhere to get it, it is supposed to be clearly displayed in the tile of the video"

 

@7.30 It is mentioned "We didn't want this sponsored content to interfere with our regular upload schedule"

 

This is not some sort of showcase as an ad for the product, as no one watching LTT is going to need one of this!
These are pure enterprise products! He is showing them because it is interesting tech and not to influence some military and industrial buyers to get these.

[minibois]

Ah, physical micro-DLC. I like it.

/s

 

Pretty cool product. I will never buy or sell it.. But still cool! Great to see - as Linus mentioned in the beginning - a company deviate from the norm to show what it also possible.

Kind of a shame this wasn't more of a review though  

[Streetguru]

Linus just carry a few of gift cards to use instead of your actual credit cards lol.

[Hans Power]

Damn, and these aren't even that expensive! If I ever come across a businessman who needs a laptop which can take a punch I will definitely recommend these. Usually I'm not the biggest fan of showcases but this one rubs the right spots! I'm just a sucker for versatile hardware like this! Kinda needs a Ryzen Model, tho.

[Windows7ge]

I would pretty much go with the same load-out as Linus.

1. Maximum battery
2. Put the GPU in for any GPU based workloads I have
3. Stick with the one SSD
4. VGA on the back (though I'd prefer HDMI)

Very nice laptop. Love the modularity of it. That's something laptops have always lacked over desktops.

 

Seeing as how they don't outright give you a price-tag on the website though is a bit concerning and I can only imagine the price of the proprietary upgradable modules.

 

Looking up the 54 model you're already looking at >$2,000 not including modules...yep. Something I'll never afford.

[Bombastinator]

Full desktop gaming GPU.  One of those external box things on a cable maybe.  Or, if you’re feeling extremely hackery in the actual slot.  Maybe sticking out the side or something.  The thing has more than enough CPU.  A hardcore GPU would be wild though.  Especially if it’s upgradable

[rcmaehl]

40 minutes ago, xnamkcor said:

The only people I know who use car laptop docks also have shotguns mounted in their vehicle.

I take offense to that. I just want to be able to retune and recode my VW on the fly. I don't need a shotgun for that

[xnamkcor]

30 minutes ago, rcmaehl said:

I take offense to that. I just want to be able to retune and recode my VW on the fly. I don't need a shotgun for that

Nope. Sorry. You'll also have to mount a shotgun in your front cabin. It's the rules.

[Results45]

So this versus the Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme...........

• it's got waaaaaay more modularity
• Similar displays, CPU, and RAM/Storage options (1000nit vs. 700nit 1080p touchscreen, Core i7-8655U vs. i7-8650U, 64GB/2TB vs. 32GB/4TB)
• faster GPU ~ by 50% (WX4150 vs. RX540)
• similar connectivity (Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, GPS, SmartCard, docking, etc.)
• higher potential battery life (141Wh vs 102Wh) & more I/O due to modules
• not as water resistant nor as drop-shockproof (IP53 vs. IP65 & 3ft. vs. 6ft.)
• similar certified military-grade durability (MIL-STD-810G)
• generally lighter (4.6-6lbs vs. 7.6-8.6lbs)

 

Documentation:

Spoiler

.

• https://na.panasonic.com/us/sites/default/files/2019-09/toughbook_55_spec_sheet_9-19.pdf
• https://na.panasonic.com/us/sites/default/files/2019-08/toughbook_33_spec_sheet.pdf
• https://www.mrmemory.co.uk/downloads/memory-configurations/211671.pdf
• https://www.atec.army.mil/publications/Mil-Std-810G/Mil-Std-810G.pdf

.

 

The only device in Panasonic's catalog that might have some advantages over the TB55 & Rugged Extreme would be the Toughbook 33. It's got a detachable 12-inch tablet, a 1440p screen with 1200 nits of brightness, and sports an 8MP rear-facing camera.

 

To each their worth I guess.  

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

as said by @vriesdiep, this title is clearly misleading. when the video has a big sponsored by *insert brand* that the video covers, it is a SHOWCASE!!!1!!1. 

[greenhorn]

I really like the fact that this laptop is so easily customizable. I just wonder whether the SSDs/DVD drives/batteries etc contained in those expansion modules can be easily swapped with aftermarket parts (not necessarily sold by Panasonic). I really hope this is the case, otherwise replacing parts could be quite expensive.

[williamcll]

That proprietary PCIe adaptor will be an issue especially once support for the computer ends.

 

Imagine a Laptop with only M.2 slots for all modules.

[Euchre]

I ran into a problem (which I mentioned in a comment to the video itself) with these Panasonic ToughBooks that is a big, giant, glaring one when used by the market that is prime: availability of replacement charging power supplies. These are used by telecommunications techs a fair bit, and by specialty techs who work in tough environs or on very heavy, specialized equipment (think oil fields, large factories, mines). They are often in places far from easy access to retail or fast delivery of freight. If they lose or break a charger, they can't really wait 1-2 days of shipping time for replacement, at least without a seriously costly downtime for whatever they're working on. I had a guy come looking for a replacement for his ToughBook, and found out they don't use the very common, nearly ubiquitous 19v input; they use 15.6-16v. They also appear to often have a peculiar connector, which doesn't help things. So, your chances of finding a replacement charger in the field on short notice are pretty close to zero. Maybe this is why Panasonic offers 40-80 hrs of battery capability, so hopefully you've got 2 charged batteries to get you through the long wait of ordering a replacement shipped to your current location in the ass end of nowhere. Of course, how likely are you to find out your brick is dead or maybe even damaged until you find the battery is dead and you're needing to plug in to get your work done?

 

Maybe Linus could whisper in the ears at Panasonic and suggest a more common input voltage be used.

[sub68]

I would go max battery with gpu 

 

[Results45]

6 hours ago, Euchre said:

Maybe Linus could whisper in the ears at Panasonic and suggest a more common input voltage be used.

 

Um.......USB-C? Cuz that would ensure compatibility for charging with any high-output power brick up to 20 Volts or 100 Watts.

[xnamkcor]

10 hours ago, Euchre said:

I ran into a problem (which I mentioned in a comment to the video itself) with these Panasonic ToughBooks that is a big, giant, glaring one when used by the market that is prime: availability of replacement charging power supplies. These are used by telecommunications techs a fair bit, and by specialty techs who work in tough environs or on very heavy, specialized equipment (think oil fields, large factories, mines). They are often in places far from easy access to retail or fast delivery of freight. If they lose or break a charger, they can't really wait 1-2 days of shipping time for replacement, at least without a seriously costly downtime for whatever they're working on. I had a guy come looking for a replacement for his ToughBook, and found out they don't use the very common, nearly ubiquitous 19v input; they use 15.6-16v. They also appear to often have a peculiar connector, which doesn't help things. So, your chances of finding a replacement charger in the field on short notice are pretty close to zero. Maybe this is why Panasonic offers 40-80 hrs of battery capability, so hopefully you've got 2 charged batteries to get you through the long wait of ordering a replacement shipped to your current location in the ass end of nowhere. Of course, how likely are you to find out your brick is dead or maybe even damaged until you find the battery is dead and you're needing to plug in to get your work done?

 

Maybe Linus could whisper in the ears at Panasonic and suggest a more common input voltage be used.

Why would you have to wait for a part you already have in stock?

[scotartt]

We used an older model of these things for ramp staff at our airline. We are in the (nearly complete) process of replacing them with iPads.

 

Re: car mounts. Could see people like refuellers (in a fuelling truck) using them.

 

@Euchre -- that's a problem wherein cheap skate managers won't buy enough machines or parts to cover spares, moreso than the specs of the device. The same could be said of all the proprietary modules (imagine if your fingerprint reader died and your site worker couldn't login anymore). This is exactly the sort of thing where your onsite repair techs require either entire spare machines or spare parts. It is in fact one reason we are moving to iPads. They are easy to source.

 

[sub68]

Redundancy

9 hours ago, xnamkcor said:

Why would you have to wait for a part you already have in stock?

Redundancy

[xnamkcor]

15 minutes ago, sub68 said:

Redundancy

Redundancy

Why would you have less in stock than you feel is necessary for redundancy?

[Euchre]

I think all of you missed something here....

 

The external power supply brick, the charger, isn't like one of the swappable modules inside. You aren't going to suddenly lose one of those easily. Those modules aren't completely outside of the hardened chassis of the laptop. Just as easily as you could damage or lose a set of headphones you use to listen to your laptop audio, you can lose the charger. The external power supply on most laptops that aren't even hardened, just common, commodity laptops, are easily replaced with a universal charger available off the shelf in many kinds of retail stores all over the place. I also think many of you are thinking in terms of an IT department dealing with a campus of a company. The IT department's spares aren't going to be closer than the nearest town's retail stores, in the kind of applications I'm talking about. These are workers in a company truck or rental car, staying in a hotel that's 20 miles away from their worksite, hundreds of miles away from the nearest company facilities. Even if the IT dept. has a spare power supply to send you, it'll take just as long as an overnight shipment from Amazon. FedEx, UPS, the postal services - it is going to take the same time to ship 'hotshot' from Amazon as it would from IT. Even if the company runs a 'hotshot' delivery of its own, that's crazy expensive of a solution for something that could be solved in a few hours at most, for under $100.

 

All because they didn't use the most common input voltage.

 

19v and the problem is fixed.

[Required]

On 10/10/2019 at 9:52 PM, TheRealSpirit said:

He is showing them because it is interesting tech and not to influence some military and industrial buyers to get these.

Well the US Military buy still Dell. So what the US Military use must be good.

And since Panasonic dont sell my there Products I will will be stick with Dell...

[xnamkcor]

6 minutes ago, Required said:

Well the US Military buy still Dell. So what the US Military use must be good.

And since Panasonic dont sell my there Products I will will be stick with Dell...

I dare you to tell someone in the military that doesn't work at a desk that the military buys things because they work well.