IFA 2013: Various brands

Panasonic 4K Toughpad

The Panasonic 4K Toughpad. It's a proper x86 computer, running Windows 8, hidden in the body of a sleek tablet with a screen that spans 20 inches in diagonal. What's more, the said screen will bring tears in your eyes if you try and discern the individual pixels. The 20-inch screen on the Panasonic 4K Toughpad boasts the impressive 4K UHD resolution and this means no less than 3840 x 2160px.

It took Panasonic the better half of a year to give away more than just the basic details on the 4K Toughpad, which was originally shown at the beginning of the year at CES in Las Vegas.

The "tablet" has a whopping 20" 10-finger multi-touch display of 4K resolution (3840 x 2560)which breaks down to the impressive 230 ppi. The display is an IPS unit and has the enviable 176-degree viewing angles.

Underneath the surface of the 4K Toughpad is Windows 8.1 and an Intel Core i5 processor. There will be two versions of the 4K Toughpad - the first will weigh 2.3 kg and will carry 4 gigs of RAM and a 128GB SSD, while the heavier 2.7 kg model will have 8 gigs of RAM, which will be expandable to 16 GB, and a 256GB SSD. each of those models has three USB 3.0 ports along with an SD card slot and HDMI out.

The Panasonic 4K Toughpad

The Panasonic 4K Toughpad supports the Anoto Live Pen, to be used for drawing on the display, which has a special palm-rejecting feature and a built-in battery that's good for six hours on a charge.

There's a desktop cradle with a mounting port adapter, which coupled with a set of mouse and keyboard turn the Panasonic 4K Toughpad into a fully-functional touch-enabled All-in-One PC.

Here's a video of the 4K Toughpad in action at the IFA floor.

The Panasonic 4K Toughpad is said to be reinforced against 2.5 ft (around 76 cm) drops but we wouldn't really want to test that spec out.

The base model will cost €4,508, while the 8 gig version is still to get a price tag. The optional pen will sell for €280. According to Panasonic reps the standard 4K Toughpad will start shipping in November with the performance model coming later in early 2014.

However, before you get your hopes too high, there's a chance that the 4K Toughpad won't see wide retail availability, being reserved instead for big companies through direct B2B orders - we'll need to wait and see.

Hardware overview

Despite its monstrous (in tablet terms) size, the 4K Toughpad feels rather light. The bezels around the screen are thin, although we don't really see this as a benefit as nobody will be comfortable using this device hand-held.

Panasonic 4k Toughpad

The screen, as you can imagine, is a pleasure to look at. It's actually incredible even up close. The super high 4K Ultra HD resolution at this relatively modest size (you are more likely to see it on 60-inch+ screens) really stands out.

From the first touch it's immediately noticeable that the Panasonic 4K Toughpad was made with attention to detail. The materials used feel premium and the color patterns are interesting both at the front and especially at the back.

Panasonic 4K Toughpad display

The 4K Toughpad has a glossy finish, which isn't ideal but seeing as this is a device that will spend most of its time lying flat or on its stand we don't see it as a problem. The array of ports is also great.

The sides and back of the 20-inch slate

The Panasonic 4K Toughpad is a great concept, even if it needs a dedicated kickstand to stand firm on a desk. The screen is incredible and even if you're not planning on using it as a work horse for 3D modelling or drawing professionally it's still great for up-close multimedia consumption.

However at this price it's a little insane to go for it for this purpose alone. For the same price you can find a suitable, bigger, screen to enjoy multimedia on. The only reason to go for the 4K Toughpad is the pen input for dedicated artists and graphics professionals.