Every couple of days, I search "Toughbook" on Reddit to see if anyone has any questions I can help with, or if there's any breaking news on rugged laptops. I don't often find anything. That's why so many of the posts here are about non-rugged things. When I do find something, it's usually pretty dry (Toughbooks are awesome, but let's be frank, they aren't always the sexiest thing to read about). Today, however, I found something a little outside the norm: legendary mashup artist Girl Talk uses Panasonic Toughbooks in his performances!
What the heck is a Girl Talk? Mashup???
I suspect that the Venn diagram of hipsters and Toughbook enthusiasts shows very little overlap, so I'll explain. Girl Talk is the stage name of Gregg Michael Gillis, an electronic musician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He's known for his mashups, which are something like musical collages, combinations of different popular songs to create something new. They have been the subject of some debate over copyright law. Gillis in particular was used as an example during a 2007 Congressional hearing on copyright law.
Here's an example of a Girl Talk mashup, but be forewarned --
SAMPLES IN THIS VIDEO CONTAIN OFFENSIVE, NSFW THEMES AND LANGUAGE. WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK.
So, anyway, Girl Talk did an "Ask Me Anything" (or AMA) on Reddit. The format of an AMA, for the uninitiated, is basically a massive, public interview where users can ask a notable person any question they want. AMA participants in the past have included the likes of Harrison Ford, Bill Gates and President Obama.
Way down the page, a user asked Gillis how many computers he's gone through during his time performing as Girl Talk. This was his answer:
"i broke too many computers 2006-2010. not even sure. i havent broke a laptop in a few years. not trying to do a product placement right now, but those panasonic toughbooks are legit!"
Nice! Here are some photos I found online. Looks like he uses a CF-30 and a CF-74.
When most people think of Panasonic Toughbooks, they think of fully-ruggedized machines such as the CF-30 or the CF-29. However, Panasonic also makes an entire line of semi-ruggedized machines such as the CF-74. These machines are not quite built to withstand the same abuse as the fully-ruggedized machines, such as the constant vibration of being mounted in a vehicle. However, they are built to withstand significantly more abuse than a standard business laptop. The Panasonic Toughbook CF-74 is designed for professionals on-the-go.
The Panasonic Toughbook CF-74 has some of the ruggedized features that most people consider standard in a Toughbook.
Shock Mounted Hard Drive - Keep your data safe while your laptop case is being tossed around during travel
Spill-Resistant Keyboard - No need to worry about accidental late night coffee spills, the protective plate will keep any liquid from reaching your system board and causing disastrous damage to your machine
Daylight Readable Screen - Although outdoor viewing isn't too important for boardroom professionals, it is a must for professionals whose jobs keep them in the outdoors
Magnesium Alloy Case & Handle - This Toughbook is built with a material that is twenty times stronger than a standard business laptop
The Panasonic Toughbook CF-74 has also taken some major technological leaps from the fully-rugged machines that most Toughbook users are accustomed to.
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor - Faster processing speeds than most fully and semi-rugged Toughbooks currently on the market
Expanded RAM - Based on the operating system installed, the CF-74 can support up to 4 Gig of RAM
Windows 7 Ready - One of a few refurbished models currently able to fully utilize the benefits of Windows 7
Light-weight - Weighing in at only 5.9 pounds, this laptop is easy to transport to various meetings
Like choosing any laptop, you have to weigh the options of what you need the most and where you plan to use it. The Panasonic Toughbook CF-74 Ideal for mobile executives or any business person who is constantly on-the-go.
