Life with the 54 after a few months.

Since real user info is not readily available too much on the 54's I figured I would give you guys my worthless opinion....

The biggest, most awesome part of this machine is the speed and display. The portability is much better for me compared to the CF-30 I am accustomed to as well. I just hope I don't miss the full ruggedness of the CF-30 one day.

The KB is still taking a little time to get used to. I loved and was so used to the chiclet style on the 30. The stroke is what's a little different. The back-lit is not as consistent as my 30's either. An example is the 4 top left keys are just about 50% dimmer than the others. Could be something I have Heartland take a look at one day.

The TS is 100% more sensitive and accurate in my opinion. I'm not sure what all is different or what they changed but it's a huge improvement. I find myself using it so much more.

The wireless is a little buggy at times. Sometimes coming out of sleep it takes way too long to connect, other times it is instantaneous. It has the Intel AC-7265. I uninstalled the Intel ProSet program as I have never been a big fan of it. That really caused some havoc. I was so frustrated with it that I did a clean re-install and now life is much better. The 4965 that is in my CF-30 MK2 is so rock solid and has been just about the best one I have used.

Very happy with the audio. Sound is very strong and clear for a laptop.

Battery life is bat shiiit awesome. I can go almost a full day depending on the applications until the 2nd battery kicks in. I usually keep the brightness level pretty high as I am getting older and my eyes pretty much suck now. The batteries charge very fast which is nice.

The touch pad is very easy to use. I have not had to change any of the settings from default and it's perfect.

The side doors are a sticking point for me. You gotta have some strong finger nails to grab the tab to open them. I understand why they made them a little hard to open but geez, my finger doesn't like it!

I started using the GPS this week for the 1st time. It detects and locks on almost instantly. It has the U-Blox which I have never used before. I purchased the Co-Pilot software/mapping program and am not too thrilled with it. Not very user friendly imo. Any suggestions on others would be much appreciated.

I have the port replicator on my desk and also installed a new Gamber/Johnson dock in my vehicle. I can't understand why Panasonic did not allow the audio to pass thru though. I don't like the fact I have to have one of the doors open to listen to plug in a external speaker or headphone when the unit is docked.

Can't really think of anything else to comment on. If you have any particular questions feel free to ask.

 

Thanks for the write up.

The Intel 726x series had some connect issues. I have read reports that installing version 17 or later drivers from Intel website will solve the problem.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/83635/Intel-Dual-Band-Wireless-AC-7265

Odds are the KB backlight is the way it is designed. CF 19 keyboards do not light evenly either.

 

OK...that's it. I want a CF-54.
One thing about the battery. Which battery is being used first. The main battery or the one where the DVD would go ?

Update : I got one coming very soon . Four year late but who cares.

 

Thanks Shawn. I'll give that driver a shot.

 

The main battery goes first.

 

I like that better. This is what I did not like on my CF-30 that the media battery was used first then the main battery. You really could not hot swap them.

 

You say the connectors with the second battery are not compatible with the DVD drive. Are they compatible with the PC Card attachment? Does yours have the secondary internal hard drive? Is it possible to add that as an upgrade or does it need a special connection as well?

 

The second battery goes where the DVD would go.

 

From my understanding you have to open the bottom case and unplug the battery caddy and remove it. Insert the DVD drive caddy and plug it in. It is NOT like the 30's as in simply sliding one out and the other in. Unfortunately.

Mine does not have the internal HDD. It is a pretty hefty option cost wise. It has to be soldered onto the MB as I understand it.

 

Shawn, I installed the latest Intel driver for the network and so far it is much better. I like to keep the Panasonic drivers in place as much as I can but sometimes you gotta do it!
Panasonic does not provide the step by step software/driver procedure like they used to do on the other models. The graphics driver on my 30 is tied into so much other stuff that if you installed a non-Panasonic driver you were screwed, you are fully aware of that I know....I am curious to know if the 54 is the same way.

 

"Mine does not have the internal HDD. It is a pretty hefty option cost wise. It has to be soldered onto the MB as I understand it"

please clarify .

 

The video driver may be interconnected. I don't know about that. Usually the biggest thing that doesn't work with a driver that is non Panasonic is the hotkeys.
Personally I can live without hotkeys to get a better driver.

Some things I have installed non Panasonic drivers with success are
Touchpad
Touchscreen
WIFI
Bluetooth
Some success with Intel chipset drivers. I install the Intel driver updater and see what it will update when I run it.
Fingerprint reader drivers and software are limited in choices.

The CF19 is a beast for drivers.

Is the keyboard the same dimensions as a CF30 keyboard? If it is, I am curious if they will interchange.

 

I am guessing that is the 2nd hard drive option.

Panasonic Toughbook 54: Key Features
• Highly Portable Design: 2 pounds lighter and 0.5” thinner than the nearest semi-rugged competitor
• Semi-rugged and Reliable: MIL-STD-810G and IP5x magnesium alloy design with built-in handle.
Tested by an independent third-party lab to survive 3 foot drops on 26 faces; features port covers, a
spill-resistant keyboard, touchpad, hinges and display. The Toughbook 54 offers improved vibration
resistance and uses tough magnesium alloy in more areas as compared to our similar models such
as the Toughbook 53.
• Next-Generation Processor: 5th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-5300U vPro™ Processor (3MB cache,
2.3GHz up to 2.9GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology)
• Powerful Graphics Processor: Intel® HD Graphics 5500 (all models); AMD FirePro™ M5100
graphics (Performance model) which offers more than double the graphics performance of the similar
Toughbook 53 when comparing 3DMark Fire Strike benchmarks.
• Full-Shift Battery Life: Up to 11 hours of continuous use2 (Prime and Gloved Multi Touch models);
up to 18 hours2 with optional media bay second battery. Lite model offers up to 8 hours2 of continuous
use.
• Enterprise-Grade Memory & Storage: 4-16GB RAM (8-16GB on Performance model); 500GB
shock-mounted flex-connect hard drive with heater for cold temperature operation. Optional 128GB
SSD, 256GB SSD and 1TB 7200rpm HDD with heaters. For even more storage and/or convenient
backups, the Toughbook 54 is the first Panasonic notebook to offer optional dual drives2 – 128GB or
256GB SSD with heaters.
• Advanced Operating System: Windows 8.1 Pro Update 64-bit or Windows 7 Professional (available
through downgrade rights from Windows 8.1 Pro)
• Optional 1000 nit Touchscreen: 10-point capacitive Gloved Multi Touch model with stylus available.
Panasonic is one of the few manufacturers that has been able to offer the smooth operation of a
capacitive display but still allow users to choose to keep their gloves on if they need.
• High Resolution Displays: 14.0” IPS 1080p full HD display (Gloved Multi Touch and Performance
models) or 768p HD display (Lite and Prime models)
• High Resolution Webcam: To go along with the available 1080p full HD display, the Toughbook 54
offers an optional 1080p webcam3 for crystal-clear video conferences.
• Faster Typing & Night Time Use: Standard on all models except for the Lite model, an emissive
backlit keyboard3 offers four levels of brightness for uses to adjust their keyboard brightness setting
from a soft light to a warm glow for easy typing at night or in darkened settings. Plus, the rounded
ergonomic keys allow for faster typing with less chance for errors.
• Improved Speakers: To help combat with the noise outdoors or inside vehicles, the speakers in the
Toughbook 54 (up to 91 dB) are now twice as loud as similar models such as the Toughbook 53. For
comparison, a Boeing 737 at 1 nautical mile before landing is 97 dB and a diesel train at 45mph from
100 feet is 83 dB.
• Dependable Connectivity: USB 3.0 (x3), Bluetooth 4.0 (class 1), Intel® Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac;
optional 4G LTE multi carrier wireless broadband with satellite GPS;optional dedicated GPS (u-blox)3
and antenna pass through3
• Wirelessly Stream Content: Intel® Wireless Display (WiDi) allows easy and secure presenting
without the need for any video cables on displays that either have Intel WiDi built in or have an
adapter plugged in.
• Enhanced Security: Trusted platform module (TPM) 1.2, Computrace® theft protection, cable lock
slot, supports multiple variations of dual-form authentication with optional fingerprint3,4, insertable and
contactless3,4 SmartCard readers.
• Additional Options4: DVD drive, true serial port3, VGA, PC Card3, 2nd LAN3, rugged Fischer® USB
port3.

 

"Full-Shift Battery Life: ..."
heh ... you won't believe what i read that as the first time .
more coffee .

still , i am reading it as the second hdd drive is soldered into place ?

 

Yes, the optional HDD or "2nd optional HDD" is soldered in.

 

ok ... thanks for that info .

 

Here is a great review with internal photos. It appears to me that the 2nd HDD goes in an adapter for the DVD / 2nd battery slot.

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/laptops/1402680/panasonic-toughbook-cf-54-review-hands-on

 

My guess it does not go where the DVD goes only because of the way they said it..."First to offer"

I have seen this option in other Toughbooks Shawn but not sure about the 54. You could be right...it does make more sense but we are talking about a all new type Toughbook . I would like to see the MB and see how the 2nd hdd is installed. Is the caddy soldered to the MB or just the hdd ?

Yes I read it the same way

 

After I decided to RTFM,
The 2nd drive is described as ONBOARD.
The optional smartcard or the optional PC CARD go into the DVD slot though.

I would guess they used a SSD in a MSATA or NGFF configuration.

 

That's what I think too. Guess we will have to wait and see. I wonder how they put the heater on it?

 

The on board HDD is soldered onto the MB, I am under the impression that it does not have a heater. They promote this drive as being more of a storage drive compared to the OS drive. Who knows though......

The caddy for the HDD and 2nd battery plugs into the MB or SB, can't remember.

 

Shawn, I believe this is the video of that same review or at the same expo. Notice the hardwoods....
Look at 2:29. What is that piece he is holding? Stumped.

 

I think this is the video. Just guessing.
Webpage review------http:// www.expertreviews.co.uk/laptops/1402680/panasonic-toughbook-cf-54-review-hands-on
I want to know what that tray is also. That's what I thought was the 2nd drive tray / adapter. My guess now is that has to do with the Legacy PC Card reader option that replaces the DVD.



This is the tray / adapter in question.


Zoom in on this photo. That is a NGFF SSD with a heater.

 

This video shows the Smartcard. I was incorrect as the smartcard is a wart that sticks out from the bottom.

 

yeah ... that is what i was thinking ... that the second drive is an ssd of the miniature type .
this would also explain the comment that the drive is more for storage ...
possibly on a more temporary basis that the "main" hdd .
ergo , think of it as a glorified built-in usb flash drive .
a look at at motherboards (eg : roll-yer-own) shows this to be offered on more models than (say) two years ago .

the cost of those mini ssds is more per byte than their larger brethren .

 

Good job Shawn....the search ninja strikes again.

 

Been doing some reading.
To clarify things. All CF54's have a 2nd "bridge" battery to allow battery hot swaps. This battery lasts for a minute or two.
Don't confuse the bridge battery with the optional 2nd battery that goes into the DVD slot.

 

You must admit it is easy to take it the wrong way. I did at first until I read it again. The more I read about the 54 the more I want it. Guess it's time to move out and sell a few extra Toughbooks I have .

 

sort of like a "keep alive" battery ... low capacity .

 

I enlarged that one photo.
That odd tray does fit into the DVD slot. I also see it has an eject like button and a USB 3.0 port.

I just connected some dots. Look right above the eject button at the white usb device. In the video that device is mounted in the tray.

 

Sorry Shawn. Brain fart moment in forgetting the link. That is the same one.

 

The on-board HDD is a flash type in the M.2 form factor. This is what I bet is exactly in it. The M.2 is extremely fast and compact. That's their biggest advantage.
http://www.transcend-info.com/Products/No-643

 

All unlocked now