The race to create the lightest, fastest notebook is getting old. So Panasonic, and other Japanese laptop makers, are changing the stakes: now it's all about durability. Hence Panasonic's latest Let's Note CF-R4j notebook, which claims to have a 218 lb. weight resistance (up from 110 lb. in the previous version). The notebook is unchanged in just about every other way (including the ability to withstand a 12-inch drop). But the durability champ is still NEC, which has a notebook with 330 lb. of weight resistance.

The new R4j will be available in Japan starting February 10.

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