Panasonic ‘Let’s Note’ Laptop Marks 30 Years Since June 1996 Debut

OSAKA, March 14 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Panasonic Connect Co.'s "Let's note" compact laptop will mark its 30th anniversary in June, supported by Japanese business users who value its durable and lightweight design, the subsidiary of electronics giant Panasonic Holdings Corp. said.

Kyodo News reported that while many major Japanese electronics makers withdrew from the personal computer business after they lost market share to foreign makers, the Let's note, featuring a distinctive "bonnet-style" display lid, has survived by focusing on corporate demand.

Reflecting on its three decades on the market, Shintaro Tanaka, a manager long involved in the product's development, said the key features were "being lightweight, durable and having a long battery life on a single charge."

The first model, the "AL-N1," was launched in 1996, when portable computers were rare, by Panasonic Holdings, then named Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. As telecommunications technologies progressed and the use of portable PCs rose, the 2002 "CF-R1" model, weighing less than one kilogram, became a hit.

With PCs typically reliant on operating systems supplied by Microsoft Corp. and central processing units from Intel Corp., manufacturers have struggled to differentiate their products, but Panasonic narrowed its focus to domestic corporate customers seeking lightweight and durable products.

One of Panasonic's rival Japanese manufacturers, Sony Group Corp., spun off its "VAIO" PC business in 2014 when the company was named Sony Corp., while another maker, Toshiba Corp., separated out its "dynabook" brand in 2018.

Although Let's note models are priced higher than those of competitors, Panasonic Connect emphasises that total operational costs are lower, citing the models' durability.

The maker's "26-direction drop test" involves dropping a laptop from a height of 76 centimetres, roughly the height of a standard desk, and confirming that it does not break no matter which of its 26 points, including six faces, eight corners and 12 edges, hits the ground first.

The display lid, first adopted for the CF-R1 model, was inspired by a car hood to ensure strength, as the maker took a different approach from rivals that favoured flat and slim designs.

"Despite being described as awkward, we have refined the design over the years while maintaining its functionality," said senior manager Takashi Tsukahara.

The Let's note laptop's assembly has been entirely handled by a factory in Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, and production, including related models, topped 10 million units in 2023.

Ichiro Niwayama, a leading marketing expert, stressed the importance of the product "sticking to its own identity."

"They gained the trust of both corporate clients and fans, which helped (the laptops) survive," he said.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO