This is amazing, it looks like the laptop an engineer would make if he was told don’t worry about aesthetics, just make the thing exactly as you’d like.

The circular trackpad is an acknowledgement that most engineers hate using trackpads, generally only will use a laptop docked, and would rather have a better typing experience than a giant trackpad that will only get in the way the few times they do use the laptop on the go.

“If you can’t do it in the keyboard it’s not worth doing”

Circular trackpad my goodness! I’ll also never go back to metal/plastic handrests on a trackpad after using whatever material is on a pixelbook and the crazy fabric-esque option on a ms surface - huge game changer.

The trackpads are great (assuming new models are similar to past models), and the keyboards are IMO very good, but watch out for the squashed key dimensions on the SR and QR, and the Japanese layout.

The 12.x" models occasionally make it in to other APAC markets with US ANSI keyboards: https://ap.connect.panasonic.com/sg/en/products/toughbook/to...

Shame that they are not more widely available.

I didn't know they were still doing it! But it's disappointing that it doesn't have the optical drive.

But I see you can buy the English keyboard on eBay.

Back in the 90s and 00s, Panasonic had some really great hardware designs

Right around the turn of the century, the Japanese brands were all great designs. I haven't seen one for sale in the US in a long time though.

Thanks for the link, this is impressive. They even have thunderbolt 4?!

those look excellent, some even have a bluray drive still. would love this in europe