Osaka, Japan - Panasonic Corporation today announced the development of a new tablet computer that features a 20-inch IPS Alpha LCD panel with more than four times the resolution of Full High Definition, as well as a high precision digital pen. With the target to commercialize the new tablet later this year, Panasonic is gearing itself up to propose new business value this feature-rich device will offer to its customers in a wide range of industries. The tablet is on display at the 2013 International CES in Las Vegas from January 8 to 11.

Employing Panasonic’s cutting-edge digital technology, the new tablet is designed to create new value for users with a more realistic and intuitive operating environment than paper or a display. This tablet embodies the characteristics of printed media that existing personal or tablet computers cannot provide, such as texture rich rendering, natural hand-writing and a light weight and thinness for easy mobility.

The 20-inch LCD panel delivers “4k” resolution (3840 x 2560, 9.83 million pixels), more than twice the horizontal and vertical resolutions of Full HD (1920 x 1080) and has a density of 230 pixels per inch. With a unique aspect ratio of 15:10, it can display an A3-size paper in almost full size, making it ideal to show content such as newspapers and magazines, as well as pictures with the same aspect ratio. Moreover, the pen input, with a resolution as high as the panel itself, enables natural handwriting on the tablet. Weighing 2.4 kg (5.3 lbs) and 10.8 mm (0.4 inch) thick, the tablet is easy to carry.

These unique characteristics will open up new ways for tablets to be used.   The following is an example of its usage in an editorial meeting to finalize a new catalogue:

An editor comes into the room carrying a 4k tablet with him, lays it flat on the table and switches it on to show the catalog data for perusal by the editorial staff. While they check each page of the print-ready catalog by tapping and swiping the touchscreen, the editor jots down instructions for color changes directly on the screen using the digital pen and transfers them to the printing company.   The meeting wraps up after they make a final check of the revised data returned from the printer to ensure the changes have been made correctly.

As the above example shows, the 4k tablet offers intuitive operation and ultra-high resolution images with superb color reproduction and a wide viewing angle unique to IPS Alpha panels, bringing an “eco and smart” work style into various business scenes.

The tablet is based on Windows 8 operating system, which enables the user to continue to use reliable applications developed for and business documents created on older versions of Windows. Besides offering an intuitiveness other PCs and tablets cannot rival, this innovative tablet will facilitate an environment in which users can develop business solutions in a timely fashion without losing any business chance.

Panasonic has built up trust with customers in a variety of industries by offering its ruggedized Toughbook laptops and Let’s Note mobile notebook PCs, which helped improve operation efficiency and productivity in harsh outdoor working environments where such IT products were rarely found. Building on these achievements, Panasonic will strive to commercialize the 4k tablet, making it available globally to provide new business values to customers.

Specifications

Display: 20.0 inch IPS Alpha Panel

Resolution: 3840 x 2560 pixels (230 ppi): Approx. 16.77 million colors

Aspect Ratio: 15:10

OS: Windows 8 Pro 64 bit

CPU: Intel Core i5 3427U vPro 1.80 GHz

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce Graphics

Memory: 4GB (max.16GB)

Flash Memory Drive (SSD): 128GB

Interface: High resolution digital pen (Anoto Live pen), Electrostatic multi-touchpanel (10 fingers)

Wireless: IEEE802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0

USB Port: USB2.0 x 1

Expansion Slots: microSD memory card slot x 1 (supports microSDXC memory card)

Embedded Camera: Resolution: HD 720P, Effective pixels: max. 1280×720 pixel

Battery Life: Approx. 2 hours (using internal battery)

Size: 18.7" (W) x 13.1" (D) x 0.4" (H)

Weight: 5.3 lbs

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries that identifies Microsoft Windows operating system.

Intel, Intel vPro and Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

NVIDIA and GeForce are trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation.

Anoto, Anoto Logotype and Live Pen are trademarks owned by Anoto AB.