Companies that design laptops from the ground up can sustain a competitive advantage over those that buy their designs from other (mostly Taiwanese) manufacturers. Panasonic, for example, is what you could call a core manufacturer, optimizing its Toughbook laptop line with custom-tailored frames and integral components put together by its own engineers. Its latest, the Toughbook CF-Y7 ($2,370 street), owns the distinction of being the lightest 14-inch ultraportable in the market. Its unique pop-up optical drive, the semi-rugged exterior, and a big screen combine to form a system that weighs only 3.5 pounds. If only the price were more agreeable, this laptop would fit any environment, not just the hostile ones.

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