The Panasonic division that makes its Toughbook notebooks today announced upgrades to its Toughbook 19 line of rugged, convertible tablets. The new Toughbook 19F now includes the Intel Core 2 Duo processor and expanded memory capabilities, just like the Toughbook 30F clamshell version. The 5.1-pound tablet also includes an optional integrated digital camera (2 megapixels), for use in "inspection and incident documentation" applications, Panasonic says. The notebook has an estimated street price of $3,199, through Toughbook resellers or the company's Web site. The version with the integrated camera will be available in May for a street price of $3,699, the company says.

Rugged features on the notebooks, which Panasonic says meet military specifications, include hard drive heaters, shock-mounting, sealed keyboards and magnesium alloy cases. The new tablet includes an anti-glare and anti-reflective sunlight display (10.4-inches with 1,024 by 768 pixels) as well.

Connectivity features on the notebook include 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and "mobile broadband-ready" wireless WAN (which means you get to pick which carrier the notebook connects to). The tablet also includes a backlit keyboard and built-in GPS for navigation or tracking applications. Other features include an 80GB hard disk drive, 1GB of SDRAM standard (upgradeable to 4GB), and an optional external USB combo drive.