Original laptops offered by Japanese companies in the home market are of interest to us more academic than real. However, it is sometimes useful to take a look at these devices to get a good general idea of the industry.
Modern laptops have long lost optical drives - ODDs have remained mainly either in inexpensive or highly specialized models. But the Panasonic Let's Note CF-SV7 does not belong to either one: it is a compact laptop with a 12.1-inch screen (resolution - 1920 x 1200 pixels) and weighing about a kilogram (base model - 999 grams, flagship - 1124 grams ). But an optical drive can be installed in it, and for a surcharge it will not only burn CDs and DVDs, but also read Blu-ray.
This model uses the latest eighth generation Intel Core quad-core processors: 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 will hardly find a D-Sub video output in laptops equipped with these CPUs, but let's Note CF-SV7 has it. Also in the list of interface connectors are three USB 3.0 Type-A, one USB-C with Thunderbolt 3 interface, HDMI and RJ-45.
The amount of RAM varies between 8-16 GB. The storage subsystem uses a 2.5-inch SSD up to 512 GB, an M.2 PCIe SSD up to 1 TB, and a HDD up to 1 TB. A webcam that records 720p video, an infrared camera with Windows Hello biometric authentication is standard, and for an extra charge you can also get a built-in LTE modem.
The dimensions of the novelty are 283.5 x 203.8 x 24.5 mm, autonomy is from 11 to 21 hours, depending on the capacity of the battery and the type of drive. Panasoni Let's Note CF-SV7 is not only a non-standard laptop, but also not cheap: the basic version is priced at $2320, and the most expensive version costs nearly $3900.
Panasonic, like some other laptop manufacturers, is about to launch new laptops that will have energy-efficient Intel Core M processors from the Broadwell line inside. The Japanese vendor is about to launch a small laptop with a screen diagonal of 10 inches, which will be called Let's Note RZ4.
True, it will 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 on top.
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 permanent storage device. 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.
Windows 8.1 64-bit operating system will be preinstalled on the laptop. 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 a heavy device will be difficult to keep on weight, then we will reassure you, the weight of the laptop is only 720 grams.
There is also a Wi-Fi 802.11ac wireless module, among the ports are 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 at the same time inexpensive!) Well, if you already have a laptop of this brand, then
One can only be surprised at the perseverance of the Japanese in the face of Panasonic. While all companiesincluding and their Japanese competitors NEC) are chasing the minimum thickness and weight of their laptops, companies from the city of Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, spit on fashion trends andmake their laptops like they came straight out of 2005.
The novelty called Let's Note SV7 does not change its "proprietary" design - it's still the same thick bar, with a 12-inch screen and a resolution of 16:10 sides.
From the technical side, everything here is much more interesting than from the aesthetic side - the laptop is a full-fledged working machine with up-to-date hardware and a large selection of configurations.
A 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, 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. The choice of the screen matrix is not provided here - for all configurations, an IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels is installed, which can open at 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 unlock via infrared scanner.
Other characteristics may confuse the buyer from 2018: firstly, there is still an option to select an optical drive (DVD or Blu-Ray), which is necessary for a few buyers. Although we should not forget that the main buyers of Let's Note laptops are business customers, so this element may still be in demand for them. As well as D-Sub (VGA) and Ethernet connectors, which are all found on modern laptops harder and harder.
It’s still hard to find a laptop with a sufficient number of USB ports, but here the Japanese novelty does not beat its face in the dirt - 3 classic USB 3.0 connectors and one USB Type-C connector (combined with Thunderbolt 3) that supports USB-PD power reception. Thus, you can even power the laptop from a power bank with support for the appropriate technology, but for compatibility with past models, the traditional charging port with a round connector has also remained here.
Panasonic is also offering customers the choice of the battery that comes with the SV-7, which can be a standard (S) cell for 12.5 hours of battery life or an extended (L) "battery" for 19.5 hours. Even if you do not believe the manufacturer's traditionally inflated data, a more realistic 16 hours of full-fledged 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 - LTE networks are 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 increased 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 laptop line 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 market: 100 kgf vibration and pressure test, 76 cm flat drop test, 30 cm drop on corners and ends, and keyboard stability test (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 a 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 please pay 425,304 yen for it with taxes (almost 4 thousand dollars)! But this is not the ceiling of the price of this laptop: you can add an exclusive coloring of 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).
Exhaled? This price is explained, first of all, by Panasonic's focus on large business customers, at the forefront for which the reliability and thoughtfulness of the device, rather than 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.