Panasonic has added a rugged mini-PC to its Toughbook line of machines. The CF-U1 is made to keep up with the increasingly mobile demands of corporate users and withstand shock, dust and water.

The computer is based on Intel's recently launched Atom processor and includes two batteries that can be "hot-swapped," so one can be taken out and replaced without turning off the entire system. Each battery can last about 3-4 hours.

The case is built from magnesium and plastic and there's rubber around the edges to protect the computer. As a result, it can survive drops of up to 120 centimeters, which approximately the height when the device is hand held.

Panasonic has also made improvements to the Toughbook's layout so it should be easier to use. There are scroll buttons on its upper left hand side of the screen and zoom buttons just below them. It also has application shortcut buttons and the LCD has been improved over previous machines from Panasonic so it's easier to use in sunlight.

In a move to protect its position as market leader in this rugged laptop segment, Panasonic is prioritizing the overseas market and will release the machine from August in countries outside of Japan. It won't hit the domestic market until October. Pricing is set to around YEN 250,000 (around US$2,490) in Japan.

With reporting by Chiara Castaneda in Tokyo this is Martyn Williams, IDG News Service.