Careless confidentiality agreements with the FCC leads to leaked images of products, as we've noticed at least more than once. Notebook giant Panasonic is certainly not exempt from this rule, as demonstrated with three new Toughbook designs.
What information is available in the FCC documents shows that Panasonic is preparing Toughbook models CF-Y7, CF-W7 and CF-T7, certified for sale in the United States.
Public documents show the notebooks will have WLAN, Bluetooth and EVDO modems and that is about it. Images from the FCC tend to be hastily shot, and in this case, the image is a poorly lit picture of the bottom of the notebooks.
From the images of the CF-W7 and the CF-T7, the IMEI number needed for a mobile cellular based broadband modem is clearly seen. No such label appears on the CF-Y7 meaning that particular machine likely will not have a built-in wireless broadband modem. Hard facts will have to wait until the official announcement of the notebooks from Panasonic, which could be any day now.
A new PS3 model that hit the FCC not too long ago and turned out to be the infamous 40GB PS3 model. That was the first time anything near official was known about the lower cost PS3 version, months before any public disclosure.