NOVEMBER 15 2008
AMERICANWAY 35
T E C H N O L O G Y
“And over here,” says Estrada, point-
ing to another metal box that looks like a
supersize-memicrowave oven, “is a smaller
version.”
There is also a robotic contraption with
metal-dowel fingers that strike a keyboard
over and over, as well as a machine that
holds a Toughbook fast while repetitively
working itshinges.
“Now,”Walls says, “doyouwant to see the
coneof silence?”
OutsIdE, Just OFF thE
six-lane street
calledMeadowlandsParkway andnow also
known as Panasonic Way in New Jersey,
traffic passes by as usual. There is no hint
of thehigh-intensityobstaclecoursebehind
thesewalls. But if anybodywere towalk in-
side and see theToughbookbanners on the
walls, the blue Team Toughbook pennants
flying from the tops of cubicle walls, they
might get a clue. After all, because of savvy
advertising, even children identify drop-
proof and spill-proof andabuse-proof com-
puterswithToughbooks. (Trustme, I actu-
ally heard an 11-year-old say, while playing
that old alphabet game, “My name is Tam-
my, andmy husband’s name is Taylor. We
live inTasmania, andwe sell Toughbooks.”)
We’re not in New York City or even in
Brooklyn.We’re across theHudson river, in
industrial Secaucus, about five miles from
the giant Panasonic Astrovision electronic
billboard in Times Square. At nearly three
stories high and four storieswide, themas-
sive screen is a high-wattage reminder that
although the company’s main Toughbook
factory and testing facility is nearly 7,000
miles away in Kobe, Japan, it’s nearly im-
possible to escape thebrand.Or the stories.
Everyonewho carries a laptop computer
has amishap story. Maybe it was dropped
from armheight to the concrete floor of an
airport and the titanium case was dented,
oneportrenderedunusable.Ormaybethere
was an iced-coffee-with-cream spill onto
the keyboard and three anxious drying-out
days later, to extreme relief of owner, the
laptop still works. When I mention these
scenarios at Panasonic, everyone nods. Ev-
eryone in the room travels for business. Ev-
eryone has dropped, knocked, or otherwise
tested the limits of their computers.
Walls shares his story: Awoman spilled
a full cup of water onto his keyboard.
Ruefully, the woman said, “I just bought
The last of the
great independents.
The owner/operators
who give not only fine
beef but their hearts
aswell.
The Independent Retail
Cattleman’s Association
557Mt. Pleasant Road
Kingston Springs, TN 37082
Visit:
Rainwater’s onKettner
SANDIEGO, CA ......................619.233.5757
Proprietors:
Laurel &PaddyRainwater
St. ElmoSteakHouse
INDIANAPOLIS, IN ..................317.635.0636
Proprietors:
SteveHuse&CraigHuse
III Forks
DALLAS, TX .............................972.267.1776
Proprietor:
Chris Vogeli
PALMBEACHGARDENS, FL... 561-630-3660
Proprietor:
DanaBorders
Manny’s
MINNEAPOLIS,MN...................612.339.9900
MIAMI, FL..................................305.938.9000
Proprietors:
Phil Roberts, PeterMihajlov
&KevinKuester
Grill 225
CHARLESTON, SC ..................843.266.4222
Proprietor:
NickPalassis
ExecutiveChef:
DemetreCastanas
McKendrick’s SteakHouse
ATLANTA, GA .........................770.512.8888
Proprietors:
Claudia&DougMcKendrick,
RickCrowe
Malone’s
LEXINGTON, KY......................859.335.6500
Proprietors:
BrianMcCarty &BruceDrake
MetropolitanGrill
SEATTLE, WA ..........................206.624.3287
Proprietor:
RonCohn
Gene&Georgetti
CHICAGO, IL ...........................312.527.3718
Proprietors:
Tony &MarionDurpetti
