Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1

Powerful Core i5 processor ; Well protected ; Display designed for bright conditions ; Quiet (fanless design)

Price ; Battery life

Panasonic's Toughpad FZ-M1 is solid in terms of both build quality and performance, and it's also quiet thanks to a reliance on passive cooling. Other plus points include a bright display and swappable components, which you may need to take advantage...

As ever, the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1‘s talents come at a considerable price but, like its predecessor, it easily lives up to its name. It’s supremely well designed, and for those who need a tablet that can withstand the kind of abuse that would ruin...

Solid/rugged design; Full USB 3 port; Multiple configurations; Removable battery; Comprehensive support

Standard battery life was disappointing; Expensive

Suitable for deployment in a variety of enterprise environments, the customisation options for the ToughPad are unmatched. It's the tablet of choice when ruggedness is the priority.

Fully rugged, Core i5 processor with vPro, removable battery pack

Few I/O ports, industrial peripherals extra, stylus extra

Fanless design ; Hot-swappable battery option ; Lots of optional connectivity features

Cost will be a barrier for some ; Size could be an issue

Panasonic's latest Toughbook, the FZ-M1 has a fanless design that allows for the body to be sealed. This makes it dustproof and water resistant. It's a unit that can also withstand 1.5m drops. Importantly, it's based on a Core i5 CPU and Windows 8.1,...

Fully rugged design. Hardy magnesium alloy chassis. Sealed port covers. Heavy bumpers. Touch display is readable in sunlight and works with fingers, gloves, or stylus. Intel Core i5-4302Y processor outperforms many mobile competitors. Several add-on...

Low-resolution display. Short battery life.

Conclusion With its Intel Core i5-4302Y processor, the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 offers significantly better performance than Atom-based counterparts. Its small size makes it easier to tote around, whether you're carrying it from house to house checking...

Mil-spec durability; Supports barcode scanner and magnetic stripe reader; Bright, anti-reflective display; Lots of configuration options ; Runs hot; Mediocre performance ; The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 tablet offers a highly configurable chassis and...

Runs hot; Mediocre performance ; The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 tablet offers a highly configurable chassis and military-grade durability to withstand abuse even in extreme environments.

The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 tablet offers a highly configurable chassis and military-grade durability to withstand abuse even in extreme environments.

Matt-reflective display, IPS panel, High brightness, Fast SSD, Silent

Throttling of CPU & GPU after short period, Only lasted 4 hours during the WLAN test

The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 is a tablet for professionals. Various modules allow the user to adapt the slate for different applications. One of the options is a serial port, which is still used in some professional scenarios. Since the chassis is very...

Compact and rugged ; Highly configurable ; Solid performance ; Silent, fanless design

Expensive, especially as options mount up ; Battery life with standard battery could be better

If you're looking for a rugged Windows 8.1 tablet that's relatively compact and lightweight, Panasonic's 7-inch, 540g, 18mm-thick Toughpad FZ-M1 is a good option. The 8.1-inch Getac T800, by contrast, weighs 880g and is 24mm thick. However, with prices...