Panasonic's Let's Note goes Core Duo

Panasonic's once again updated their Let's Note series over in Japan (what we call the Toughbook in the US), this time with a slew of latter Intel chips. The Y5 features a 14-inch 1,400 x 1,050 display, low voltage 1.5GHz Core Duo L2300, up to 1GB RAM, 60GB hard drive (ahem), DVD burner, 802.11a/b/g, Ethernet, PC slot, SD, VGA out, waterproof keyboard(!) and a 12.1 x 9.6 x 1.1/1.7-inch body; the W5 and T5 feature a 12.1-inch XGA display, 1.06GHz Core Solo U1300, 60GB drive, up to 1GB RAM, 802.11a/b/g, Ethernet, SD, and VGA, the difference being the W5 has an internal DVD burner, while the T5 has none (both are 10.5 x 8.2 x 1/1.7-inches); finally, the 9 x 7.2 x 0.9/1.6-inch R5 features a 10.4-inch display and also rocks the 1.06GHz Core Solo U1300, as well as 802.11a/b/g and a supposed 11-hour battery life. Coming soon to an importer near you for way, way too much money.

[Rus @ Apr 25th 2006 9:36AM]

Does any one have a reasoning behind an optical drive like that?

[Dale @ Apr 25th 2006 9:47AM]

"Let's Note"?

WTF is up with that?!

[freakQNC @ Apr 25th 2006 10:26AM]

Let me premise by saying that I do not work at Panasonic nor I have any interests to be pro or against such brand. All I am writing about is from personal experience so you have the benefit of the doubt granted... though I hope it will help you in case you are going through the process of purchasing an to intel Core Duo powered laptop.

With the Y4 tagged at $2400 Y4 with its Pentium� M Processor 1.60 GHz, 60GB shock-mounted HDD, 14.1" SXGA and only a DVD/CDR combo drive, it's hard to imagine the Y5 will be offered at a lower price. I was looking into buying one of these units but there have been a couple of issues that made me look away from this laptop.
1. The Y4 is not running a Core Duo but an older Pentium M processor
2. The Y5 has yet to appear in mainstream market and so far I have seen no reports on how well it performs to be able to decide if it's worth the heavy price tag
3. Panasonic customer/sales support left lots to be desired,
4. the Pana Core Duo laptop are coming quite late into to the market... even apple has a core duo out (for Pete's sake!) at this point I wonder if that's just bad marketing decision or lack of product management by Panasonic.
5. The MacBookPro has better specs for the price and let you run Mac and Win, Linux etc on the same laptop, so why spend the extra cash on the Pana for lesser specs and Win only Hardware? Besides MacBookPro already comes in 15" and apple just released the 17" version if you are in need of vidual real estate plus apple is working on a 13" macBookPro to be released probably this summer.
6. If one really doesn't need to run Mac OS then there are better configured products to choose from which more importantly, are already on the market

So unless "you have to have" the look of the panasonic laptop and you can deal with the fact that they seriously lack of support (which I know from personal experience), then you should be looking elsewhere.

I recently got a Sony VAIO VGN-SZ120P/B laptop with Core Duo 1.83GHz Processor, 1GB RAM, 100GB 5400RPM Hard Drive, Dual-Layer DVD Burner, Windows XP Pro and 13.3" Widescreen Display. The laptop was for my wife who needed a portable solution which was powerful enough to run Video Editing software and so far I have to say that the laptop seems to respond well to lightweight Video production tasks and although we had no chance yet to test how the SZ-120 does under heavy loads, it was nice to see that Premiere had no problems recognizing the core duo as a dual processor at boot.

It's a shame panasonic is not keeping up (let alone keep ahead of the game) maybe a change in product management and marketing dept. would not be such a bad idea... ;)

Best to all and Keep up the great work Engadget!

[John @ Apr 25th 2006 10:26AM]

I've had a toughbook W2 (predecessor to the W5 described in the posting) since it was first released in 2003. It is the best notebook I've ever owned, and I've had a lot of them. There aren't too many PCs (or macs for that matter) that weigh less than 3 lbs, go for 6 hours on a battery charge, have a built-in optical drive, and DON'T BREAK. Yes, even with the oddball fliptop DVD drive it's a solid little machine. The only complaint some people have is the keyboard is sort of cramped, but I actually like it, and it's the kind of thing you don't even notice after a week of use. I am considering an upgrade to the W5 when it makes it over the US. I hope they add 802.11n by then.

[tekdroid @ Apr 25th 2006 10:28AM]

Optical drive opening looks interesting for tight spaces. Does this mean it's not upgradeable?

[yowsa @ Apr 25th 2006 10:33AM]

The drive design allows the laptop case to be more rigid. It doesn't have a sliding door that doesn't allow for a complete band of material around the perimeter of the case.

[tcc3 @ Apr 25th 2006 11:18AM]

I for one hate the little pop out optical door on most laptop drives. You cant open it in tight spaces and the damn thing is always popping open accidentally. I'm constantly afraid of shearing it off by accident. Given that the "wrist rest" area of most laptops is empty space any way I think this is a wonderful idea.

[Tara @ Apr 25th 2006 11:23AM]

Wow! Think there's any chance they'll be remotely affordable....

[Ashraful @ Apr 25th 2006 11:45AM]

It takes a long time for these to be offered by Panasonic USA and even then the machines are downgraded. Also it looks like the W5 still is XGA.

[joe @ Apr 25th 2006 12:10PM]

looks like they beat apple to the punch and installed the ipod jogwheel :>

[cc @ Apr 25th 2006 1:19PM]

I love the "Let's"/Toughbook series... I used one of the first ones when I worked in Japan. My only beef with the machine is there's no Firewire, which every other laptop in Japan has.

IMO the look even cooler than Macs... these things have some personality.

[mign @ Apr 25th 2006 2:09PM]

I've used the Panasonic W4 for about a year now and it's the best laptop i've ever used. It's surprisingly durable, but it's not technically a "toughbook" as we know it here in the states. If you go to Panasonic's USA website, you won't find it under the toughbook category. To be honest, by the time the US retailers offer it, it will be cheaper to get it from an importer, plus you'll be getter a better system (mine has DVD burner whereas US version only has CD burner) And for the price, compared to similarly configured and sized US models, is very reasonable. Although the XGA screen is really due for an update.

[elbow @ Apr 25th 2006 2:27PM]

I'm also a loyal owner of 3 previous Let's Note machines (T2, W2, W4), and I'm a big fan of their amazing build quality and high "usefulness to weight" ratio. It's very rare to find a machine that's still built in Japan, which accounts for the high quality - the prices are somewhat higher, but not that bad, all things considered (they get higher once the importers like dynamism.com get their hands on them, though, but having an English OS and USA-based support are definitely worthwhile).

Panasonic will be offering custom configs with up to 100 or 120GB drives, depending on the model. They also have a separate site for customizing the laptops here:

http://www.mylets.jp/

You can see the list prices there for the base configurations. Here are the conversions to $USD at today's rates: Y5 $2,332; W5 $2,158; T5 $1,897; R5 $1,767. They're also running a special on 512MB upgrades for $131, and the 100GB HD upgrade for the Y5 for $87.

Here are some caveats/idiosyncrasies about these laptops:

* Yes, the optical drives are definitely not upgradeable. It's a tradeoff that allows the machine to have a lighter & stiffer chassis, but it also means that the drives' speeds lag by a few generations. It's only recently that Let's Note drives have been able to do 4x recording for DVD-R and +R. Recording of DVD-RW is at 2x and DVD+RW is at 2.4x, and double-layer recording isn't possible. (But hey, the W5 is a 2.64 lb machine w/ a DVD burner!)

* The RAM module they use is a very hard to find 172 pin DDR2 PC2-4200 microDIMM. Good luck finding these anywhere, they're practically custom modules, and it's advisable to spring for the full 1GB factory-installed by Panasonic.

* The hard drive is also very hard to upgrade. The Panasonic ones are special 3.3V models which help the battery life. However, some enterprising warranty-voiding folks have installed standard faster 5V drives by breaking off pins 41 & 44:
http://www.leog.net/fujp_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5649

* The Japanese keyboard layout has certain punctuation keys swapped from the positions we're used to on a US English keyboard (this may bother some people more than others). The mapping can be changed to US under Windows, but then those keycaps don't visually match. Note that once the US version of this series is released, it should be possible to get the US keyboard part & swap them (keyboards tend to not be compatible across generations, however)

* The round trackpad is a little strange. IMHO, it's mostly a design element that makes it stand out visually. The shiny bezel around the trackpad isn't functional & doesn't rotate. The outermost edges of the trackpad (just inside the bezel) are an area meant to be used as a scroll control, but I disabled that, since I would find myself occasionally scrolling inadvertently. Otherwise, the round shape doesn't really matter, it works as a normal trackpad, even though the screen obviously isn't round.

* No docking station is available

[elbow @ Apr 25th 2006 2:41PM]

Oh, I should also say, I've found the magnetic release on the CD lid on the W2 and W4 to be a bit tempramental, sometimes it takes a few seconds to open. Any other W2/W4 owners have this problem?

[elbow @ Apr 25th 2006 5:27PM]

One other caveat - Let's Note laptops don't have Bluetooth built-in, I guess it's not as popular a feature in Japan as it is in the US & Europe.

[jeremy @ Apr 26th 2006 11:52AM]

Lets not forget that not only do these lets-note machines have poorly choosen and placed keys, the keyboards themselves are uncomfortable to type on. A logical person would think that Panasonic would finnally make a keyboard somewhere near the standard of an IBM? ALso wonder if their 12 inch screens are any better now?

[Turi @ Apr 26th 2006 12:27PM]

Looks like at least one importer already has the units added to their site. The Panasonic R5 is at:

http://www.kemplar.com/panasonic_r5.php

I found some links on the site for the T5, W5, and Y5, as well, but it doesn't look like they've been updated:

http://www.kemplar.com/panasonic_w5.php
http://www.kemplar.com/panasonic_y5.php

[cosmocrat @ Apr 26th 2006 2:08PM]

Good comments elbow. I have a W2 since late 2003 and I think for the most part the Toughbook premium was worth it. I spilt some water on the keyboard, not a disastrous amount but enuf to mess it up. 3 day turnaround and included in warranty. There were some dead pixels which they refused to fix but it's not a big deal. Unfortunately I need something faster and the difference between a Pana and an IBM is just too great. Probably looking at an X60 soon.

[elbow @ Apr 26th 2006 5:54PM]

Yeah, cosmocrat, I totally agree with you on the speed thing.

Speed-wise, it seems the Y5 is the only one worth considering, and 3.28 lbs is pretty amazing for a 14.1" SXGA+ screen and DVD burner. Oh, it looks like Dynamism is now listing a price of $3199 for the "A-spec" Y5 model (ouch).

With my Let's Notes, I ended up liking the lightest one the most (T2 is 2.35 lb with a 12" screen), but now I find myself wishing for something faster. I'm debating between bumping up to 1.25GB of RAM & a 5400 or 7200rpm drive, or whether I should go whole hog & get a new rig. (It seems that Seagate's 7200rpm perpendicular Momentus 2.5 drive won't be available until late this year or early next...) BTW, if anyone's interested in a good laptop high-performance drive roundup, here's a good one:
http://www.laptoplogic.com/reviews/detail.php?id=104&part=full&page=6

Yeah, on the X60, it's great that it has the Core Duo (up to 1.83GHz!), I just wish they were able to make it a bit lighter than 3-4 lb, considering it has no optical drive, and the TrackPoint "nub" has always annoyed me (no TrackPad on the X, grr). However, the ThinkPad has a lot of advantages: the keyboards are the best (and finally with a Windows key!), available built-in EVDO, fingerprint reader, UltraBase/dock with available fast dual-layer DVD burner, and extended battery options. Heck, it almost seems worth it to get the T series for a pound more, to get the TrackPad & built-in optical drive.

The Sony SZ carbon fiber dual core also looks nice at 3.73 lbs & has a docking station, but it's quite expensive & Sony's keyboards are generally atrocious.

Even the ASUS W5F and W7V sound good in the 4lb range.

Now that Boot Camp's out, I'm also very curious to see whether Apple's 13" MacBook will have a Duo or Solo CPU, and what the weight & keyboard will be like. Mmmmm, slot loading drive...

Just to make all of this more confusing, the Merom Core Duo chips due late this year are supposed to finally be 64-bit, the upper-end also with 4MB of cache. 64-bit would be a good fit with Vista (and OS X, too, I suppose), but only if/when apps get rewritten/recompiled for 64-bit, too. It all just turns into a huge waiting game, so upgrading my T2 RAM & HD for now is probably what I'll do. :-/

[nonstatic @ Apr 27th 2006 2:23AM]

i dont know why there isnt a larger market for semi-rugged notebooks. i guess it is because manufacturers would rather that you buy another one after your first one breaks in a couple years.

i have been keeping my eye on the Twinhead Durabook series, as this seems to be the only product comparable to the toughbook that isnt a bazillion dollars.

i bought a custom notebook from a reputable online retailer 1.5 years ago, but it has really not withstood my heavy travelling...mind you, i have treated it like gold but the thing already has a few keys not working and a broken power connector. i also had to replace my hard drive after one year...it has never been dropped or anything!

i will definitely be getting a durabook or something similar for my next notebook...at the very least something made out of carbon fiber.

[ｎｏｏｂｓｒｕｓ @ Apr 29th 2006 7:01PM]

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[StyLe @ Apr 29th 2006 9:03PM]

u buy their computer for batterly iife and weight, NOT performance

the T5 has a bettery life of 15Hours, no other laptop is even close to that

[Muliadi Jeo @ May 1st 2006 2:34AM]

Our experience with Panasonic has been great so far. For couple times we are able to service the Japanase Let's note unit with Panasonic USA at no charge. We sold so many of them and our clients have been happy with them. Not much of the units came back to us for repair. There are couple minor issues such as PCMCIA port does not working or modem port needs to be replaced, but the problem rate is less than 1% so far!

Kemplar ICUBE is currently taking pre-order on all 4 (R5,T5,W5,Y5). Here is the link: http://www.myicube.com/products_litenotebook.cfm. Details pages wth specification are coming soon in couple days. FYI, Kemplar and ICUBE has recently merged.

[WTFFF @ May 5th 2006 12:05AM]

1.0ghz?? down from 1.3Pentium M, even though it is a core solo, does this mean the speed is about the same for the W5?

[Francesco @ May 9th 2006 6:35PM]

Hi, guys! Nice topics on this site.
Anyone of you knows if the new T5 has a touchscreen display too, like its predecessor? I tried to seek some infos about this functionality on the web, but I can't find anithing. I suspect that new Let's Note are a mistery still...

[gcode @ May 16th 2006 7:48PM]

> The RAM module they use is a very hard to find

Not that hard, Kingston makes it.
My 512MB cost $66.99 here:

http://www.onsale.com/onsale/shop/detail~dpno~684547.asp

[Jon @ Jun 28th 2006 11:18AM]

Y5 looks really nice. It's a shame it will not come to us in Europe :-(

Do anyone know how well Y5 works with Linux/Ubuntu?

[Jon K @ Aug 21st 2006 2:58AM]

Jon,

I have the Let's Note Y5 and I have installed Kubuntu and then Gentoo on it. Gentoo required a few tricks with getting it to recognize the CD-ROM (internally it is USB and Gentoo doesn't like that). And the wireless adapter is now working after a few more tricks. In Kubuntu, everything worked automatically.

I'm still setting it up, and imagine I will have to do a little something extra to get the beautiful widescreen resolutions.

But overall, it seems to work well with Linux, depending on the distro.

On a side note, I spent 217,500 yen on it. 10,000 yen was for an extra 512MB. At the time, that was the cheapest price in Japan, according to http://www.kakaku.com

[Jon K @ Aug 21st 2006 3:07AM]

Just to add some US dollars..
207,500 yen = $1790
10,000 yen = $86