Electronics company Panasonic recently decided to update one of their oldest ultra-compact laptop models. Called the Let's Note, its design mostly sticks to traditions, which resulted in a device that looks blocky and thick— a reminder of early 2000s laptop aesthetics. It even retained its optical disk drive (ODD), which is a rarity on slim laptops released lately.

However, appearances are the only thing that looks dated for the Let's Note. The reason why Panasonic still maintains this line is that it remains to be one of the most versatile compact PCs on the market today.

The Let's Note CF-SV7, for instance, has all the bells and whistles one might expect from a 12.1-inch productivity laptop. But with the upgrade it now also supports Thunderbird 3 connectivity and an optional LTE modem for faster connection speeds. It is also fitted with three USB-A ports.

The laptop runs on an Intel 8th Generation i7-8650U processor, and is one of the first ultra-compact PCs to do so. The battery life is nothing to sneer at; Panasonic claims that the SF-7 can last up to 21 hours with an extended battery.

Panasonic's Let's Note CF-SV7 still takes design cues from its predecessor the CF-SZ-6, from the 12.1-inch display to the long battery life. However, it does not mean that the company just took the old laptop casing and shoved new parts in it. They actually built a new chassis from the ground up. The company claims that the new chassis has an improved cooling exhaust, which promotes more efficient airflow.

The laptop may look bulky, ODD and all, but it remains relatively light for a device of its design. It weighs just under a kilogram but with the extended battery, it can weigh up to 1.124 kilograms. They achieved this by making plastic as the main material for most of the components. Despite this, the device remains durable and can reportedly withstand falls from up to 76 centimeters.

The Panasonic Let's Note CF-SV7 is available now and costs around $3,000, depending on the retailer.