The evaluation unit's 84 keys were 15mm apart, compared with the usual 19mm pitch of standard-size units. This is simply too tiny to accommodate touch-typing comfortably, even for those users with relatively small hands. However, the key layout is good, with a larger Backspace key positioned at the end of a row and inverted-T arrow keys placed adequately apart from the others. The ToughBook's smallish LCD panel is more pleasing than its keyboard. At 8.4 inches diagonally, it suffices when displaying its maximum native resolution of 800x600 at 16-bit color.
Colors are bright and even from corner to corner as well as off-axis.
The screen supposedly features what the company calls ARX anti-reflective technology, designed to cut down on glare in brightly lighted environments, but we noticed no difference between this and other notebook displays. Panasonic has made one particularly interesting decision in outfitting the ToughBook with a touch screen. In testing, the touch screen worked exactly as promised, and a special applet gave us a bevy of ways in which we could customize touch commands. But with a screen this small, minimizing windows and selecting particular menu options with a fingertip can be difficult. Though Panasonic did not include a stylus, we recommend that you use one.