Waterproof Laptops Coming

Matsushita announced plans for the world's first waterproof laptop earlier this week. The company is most known outside Japan for it's Panasonic brand. The new laptop will include a a waterproof sheet and drainage system to protect the motherboard, hard drive, and other internal components. Don't assume that this a laptop intended for in-pool use, however. The waterproof features would almost certain not stand up to immersion for more than a few seconds (if that long). However, having seen a number of laptops damaged by accidental spills, I can say that this is one of those design innovations that has been a log-time in coming. The laptop, called the Let's Note CF-Y5, is also designed with an extra-rugged shell capable of withstanding 200 pounds of force and will hit stores in Japan during the second half of May (no word so far on world-wide distribution).