Toughbook phone CF-P2

Ok saw a mention of this in the for sale forum and got curious. Never come across it before, and the only Ebay sites I see them for sale in in the UK.

Who has used (or uses) one and what are they good (and bad) for?

Craig.

 

As for every toughbook, ask for the model # (it's located in the casing under the battery), and get the full specs from Panasonic web site. Some have wifi, others dont...
The unit I use is from Britishgas, bluetooth, no wifi, Windows Mobile 2003, Activesync 4.5 works fine, and I'm using a 2GB SD card in it.

 

Ok been checking all the CF-P2 listings on Ebay UK and a few of them have bluetooth and wi-fi, but it looks like they only support GSM on 850 and 1900 Mhz bands which is only useful here in Australia if used with Telstra as they operate their primary GSM service on 850 Mhz while the other two tier-1 telco's here operate on the more standard 900 Mhz (ie. Singtel/Optus and Vodafone). That could well explain why they aren't present here in Oz.

Besides that, they look like a really useful device with the wi-fi and bluetooth functionality. I wonder if they support Windows Xp? Can't find anything on Panasonic's main website or the Toughbook site about the CF-P2 but I did see the CF-P1 in the TB configurator in the 'discontinued models' section, so the P2 could still be a current product.

Craig.

 

About eBay sellers:dont trust their description, they hardly know what they're selling, ask the full model #,telling them where to find it, then google it, you'll get the service manual for free and on the last page you have the specs.
And you're right, it's only dual band 900-1800.

 

I heard they're really good to drive tent spikes with...

mnem
hammered.

 

Phones have moved on considerably since the CF-P2 was conceived and released. Even basic things like getting batteries for the CF-P2 has become a challenge.

I'd strongly recommend you look at the Sonim phones if you want a modern ruggedised cell-phone.

http://www.sonimtech.com/

 

I would certainly hope that they have moved on, since I paid about $100 for my CF-P2 (including shipping) and to buy a new Sonim is over $400! Now, while the P2 may not have every modern convenience, is the Sonim worth four times the price? Well.....If you can find a used Sonim for $200, that would be a different story.

 

A good point on the price, but if you need a phone to work, then $400 is just the cost of doing business. I am planning to buy a Sonim Enduro XP3 as I need the quad-band capabilities. I have done a LOT of research on this!

However, I agree, if the TB-Ph will work for you, it is a good deal for the money!

 

So i assume Panasonic no longer makes tough phones. That would have been sweet to have a toughbook and tough phone side by side. The sonim is cool but its not panasonic. But yes $400 is average for phones at least the phones i get. The HTC smart phones are around $200 + but obviously cheaper with contract. Sonim doesnt seem to do contracts which is the reason for the high price.

 

I have one of the P2's from Uk, no Wifi and no usb cable to sync
I think they are all the same, as all the sellers have the same listing (including new car kit)
They work great, battery last about 2 day's (i have 4 spare ones)
Usb cable can be made from the connector off the wall charger
Usb pinout:
1 - ground
4 - D+
5 - D-
6 - +5v

 

Craig, I'm not so sure about that, I'm in Australia (in Melbourne) and althiugh I have a Telstra sim, if I go to manually choose a network, it lists Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone and another thing called "CC 505 NC 16" as being available.
If I knew someone on the other networks I'd try it, but my guess is it's 900/1800 as thats what they have in most of Europe, the 850/1900 is (I think) the USA GSM standard.
Cheers,
Fraser

 

They also at one point had a CF-P1 PDA/PocketPC...is that worth looking into?

 

I have two of them, they are useful and fun to toy with, but remember they are older technology. The faster one has a 400MHz processor and 64 MHz of RAM. Some have the built in GSM phone. Many have built in wireless, Bluetooth and run Windows CE or Pocket PC 2003. One of mine has the phone pad keys and built in GSM. The other has the regular keyboard and the setup for having a CF GPS module. And in comparison to most PDA's, they are huge. But I love them.

 

Let it go my friend, Toughbook only good for notebooks. CF-P2 is no longer with us. Old technology, no parts and stay on WM2003 for life. There is nothing you can do with it besides talk, trow it on someone then pick it up and keep talking. That's it.
It is time to move on. Here is something that you are going to love

New U-mate A81 Unlocked Dual Sim card Rugged Cell Phone - eBay (item 170517620906 end time Aug-21-10 18:38:04 PDT)

Enjoy it and let us know how does it work in your country.

 

I just noticed that on the You Can't Handle This Episode showing of Psych, John Cena's character Ewan O'Hara is using the yellow CF-P2 "Toughphone" as his cellphone.