Panasonic is updating it’s Let’s Note line of compact laptop computers with a new model sporting a 12.1 inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel display and support for up to an Intel Core i7-8650U quad-core processor.

It’s called the Let’s Note CF-SV7, and it’s a pretty unusual looking little computer… but it’s also a pretty expensive one. Prices start at about $2300 and go up to nearly $4000 for a model decked out with top-tier specs and optional features including a Blu-ray drive and LTE modem.

If you don’t live in Japan the point may be moot though, since it’s unlikely this new laptop will be widely distributed outside of Panasonic’s home country.

Still, it’s always fun to see what PC makers can pack into a small space. In the case of the Panasonic Let’s Note CF-SV7 the answer seems to be “quite a bit:”

  • Core i5-8250U to Core i7-8650U processor options
  • 8GB and 16GB LPDDR3 memory options
  • Up to 512GB of SATA SSD storage and up to 1TB of PCIe SSD storage
  • Optical disc drive (either a CD/DVD burner or a Blu-ray reader/CD/DVD burner)
  • Thunderbolt 3/USB Type-C port
  • 3 USB 3.0 Type-A ports
  • HDMI, VGA, and 3.5mm audio jacks
  • Ethernet jack, 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1
  • Optional 4G LTE (300Mbps down, 50 Mbps up)
  • SD card reader
  • 11.2″ x 8″ 1″
  • 2.2 – 2.5 pounds, depending on configuration.

There are also several different battery options, with Panasonic offering an “S” battery that offers up to 14 hours of battery life and an “L” battery that can allegedly power the computer for up to 21 hours straight.

On the one hand, this little laptop is a bit on the thick side for a portable notebook in 2018. On the other hand, that means it has room for full-sized Ethernet and VGA ports, which you don’t see as often as you used to. An there’s also an optical disc drive, which is practically unheard of on laptops with small screens these days.

via AnandTech and PC Watch

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7 replies on “Panasonic launches 12.1 inch, 2.2 pound laptop with Kaby Lake R (in Japan)”

  1. Well, it looks good. I don’t like these hipsters laptops with one Type-C-is-enough-to-all connectivity option. Probably I should get one from a previous gen.

  2. I like how that the batteries are user replaceable. Pretty expensive though assuming the Yen to USD exchange rate is an indicator of how much this would cost if it’s officially sold the USA.

  3. I love these Panasonic laptops. It’s what happens when you have an industry that develops for a very specific market and splinters from conventional design. The unique trackpad and inclusion of all the bells and whistles are very much a Galapagos case for Japanese business laptops. Makes you wonder what other manufacturers could learn from non-conventional designs.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_syndrome

  4. The Let’s Note series have looked like this since the early 2000s. I lived in Japan a long time. They were ultrabooks before the term existed (like the old Tosgiba Portege series) and were/are great computers. Recommend getting one if ever you visit. Second hand they are always bargains in Akihabara.

  5. It looks like a late 90s laptop, albeit slimmer and lighter of course; kudos for that round track pad, very odd and I have no idea if there’s any benefit to it, but it’s something different.

    1. The Let’s Note series always had round track pads. It does help when typing.

  6. Still, it’s always fun to see what PC makers can pack into a small space. In the case of the Panasonic Let’s Note CF-SV7 the answer seems to be “quiet a bit:”
    —–
    Yes,all that packing makes it very “quiet”
    You meant,probably, quite a bit.”

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