Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1

Need a small rugged tablet running Windows 8? The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 is a 7" Windows 8 tablet that is powered by an Intel Core i5 vPro processor. You can also choose a Celeron processor option. That means it will provide very fast performance in a small, durable form factor. How durable? MIL-STD-810G, 5-foot drop and all-weather IP65 dust and water resistant design. The battery can be replaced by the user and Panasonic is offering several battery options including a standard battery (8 hrs) or a long-life extended battery (16 hrs). The 7" screen is 1280x800 and will have the ability to support normal multi-touch along with gloved touch.

Tablet computers used in the hospital environment are often dropped or mishandled (not intentionally, but emergencies do come up when patients fall or need something urgently). Having a rugged case may help protect some tablets, but using a tablet that's designed to be rugged is really the ideal.

A 7" tablet is a really nice size for pocketability. The FZ-M1 is only 1.2 lbs so it will fit right into a while coat pocket. If you're looking for a larger rugged tablet, the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 is a 10" rugged tablet running Windows 8, but that thing weighs 2.5 lbs (with a standard battery) and it's not going to fit in your white coat pocket.