Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 Walkthrough Review

The CF-31 Toughbook is Panasonic's flagship fully rugged laptop. It features a very similar design to its predecessor, the CF-30. It is known for its ability to work in demanding environments.

This quick review will walk you through this laptop's base features to help you gauge if this is the right rugged laptop for you. We will review key features like the keyboard, all the available ports, and the potential upgrades you can add to this laptop.

Keyboards On The CF-31

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 has three different keyboard options available. The first keyboard comes standard with the CF-31 and is often referred to as the standard keyboard. It has a nice mechanical feel and does not provide backlighting to the keys.

Other than that, there are no special features to this keyboard.

Panasonic Toughbook Backlit Chiclet Keyboard

The next keyboard available for the CF-31 is the backlit chiclet keyboard. This keyboard is comfortable and easy to use. The backlight tends to be dimmer than most people expect. Compared to a consumer-grade laptop's keyboard, the CF-31 backlit chiclet keyboard is much less bright. The keyboard was designed to be bright enough to be seen in dark settings without being too bright for police officers to use during their night shifts. The backlit chiclet keyboard helps users see in the dark while maintaining a low profile.

Rubber Backlit Keyboard For Toughbooks

The last option for a CF-31 keyboard is the backlit rubber keyboard. Out of the three keyboard options, this keyboard is chosen the least. People choose the rubber backlit keyboard for its foolproof water resistance and durability. Even though the keyboard is harder to work with due to the thick rubber coating, it offers protection that some occupations can't live without. The keyboard protects against some of the obvious problems, like water and dust ingress, but it is also useful in cases where the workplace is oily or greasy.

The rubber backlit keyboard is not recommended for those who need to type fast and consistently. Otherwise, it is a great addition to wet and dusty environments.

Ports And Upgrades On The Panasonic Toughbook 31

The phrase "built like a tank" would accurately describe the CF-31. The magnesium alloy casing is like armor plating that helps protect it from drops and shocks. Not only is the CF-31 covered from top to bottom with protective coverings, but each of the ports on the laptop that handles the device's inputs and outputs is secured with hard plastic covers that shield it from dust and debris.

The Ports On The Panasonic CF-31

The CF-31 is probably one of the most generous laptops when it comes to the ports available. It has a wide range of ports, all of which have a covering to protect them from the elements. These port covers do not make the laptop waterproof, but they are incredibly water resistant.

The CF-31 comes with a power port that takes an adapter that provides 7.05 amps and 15.6 volts. This port is used to power the laptops and charge the battery in the laptop's lower right bay. It will also charge the secondary battery if the Toughbook has an additional battery in the media expansion bay.

This laptop features several USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, a NIC, an HDMI, a VGA, and a serial port. These ports are key for connecting peripheral devices such as a mouse, USB drives, a gigabit internet connection, an external monitor, or an external keyboard.

Some other key ports on the CF-31 include the audio jack, microphone jack, and docking port. The audio jack ports are key for anyone who needs an external microphone or speaker. The docking port helps anyone working out of a vehicle by allowing the laptop to connect to your car. The fully rugged CF-31 also comes with a dual or single-passthrough antenna connector, a multipurpose media expansion bay, an SD card reader, a PCMCIA slot, and an ExpressCard /54 slot. The media expansion bay can house multiple modules like the CD/DVD RW drive, a secondary battery, or even a secondary hard drive.

Upgrade Options On The Panasonic Toughbook CF-31

The CF-31 has several upgradeable options that can be ordered with the computer or upgraded later. One of these upgrades is an integrated webcam installed on the upper right side of the screen. Installing this upgrade isn't incredibly hard as long as you are somewhat experienced with opening up computers. Another possible upgradeable feature is the fingerprint reader, which you can find on the bottom left of the chassis. Other possible upgrades include a GPS, Smart Card reader, and WWAN card for connection to cellular signal.

Depending on how much RAM the laptop has, you can also upgrade its memory. On paper, the CF-31 Mk1-5 maxes out at 16GB of RAM, but the CF-31 Mk5 may be able to go up to 32GB of RAM if you can find 16GB DDR3 sticks of RAM. The CF-31 Mk6 maxes out at 64GB of RAM, which ismore RAM than almost anyone needs!

Perfect Choice For Any Environment

Overall, the CF-31 is an excellent laptop for any working conditions. Even today, it's one of the best options and is extremely affordable. If you're interested in one of these laptops, check out our current stock!