Fujitsu LifeBook S6510 (Core 2 Duo T7700 Processor 2.4GHz, 1GB RAM)

There's a definitive business laptop style. Black, tiny speakers that are nothing better than functional, integrated graphics, some legacy components and, lately, a fingerprint reader and low-resolution Webcam are the stereotypical design for a corporate notebook. Fujitsu, and many others, have this formula down pat.

Editors' note : This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com.au. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.

Design

This presents a challenge: How to differ the product other than cost and service. Ancillary features, ease of use, battery life and design are about it and, as far as dour business notebooks go, the Fujitsu actually does a good job at being attractive within the usual constraints.

The most interesting feature in this regard is the glossy LED screen--which, although it bleeds white light from the top and bottom of the screen (a common ailment of most laptop screens), looks nice and colorful, cuts down on weight and will save more battery life than your standard LCD.

The front of the laptop is riddled with little activity LEDs, more than just power and hard drive--it lets you know when there's a wireless network available, when your power cord is plugged in, when your battery is charging or flat and, if you've opted for a secondary battery that replaced the modular DVD+-RW, it has indicators for that, too. If you're concerned about weight, an optional weight-saver module can sit in the bay, saving, well, weight.

The trackpad is quite coarse but pleasant to use, and the buttons are responsive. The decent-sized keypad (thanks to the 14.1-inch form factor) means that typing is a breeze as well. The usual smattering of media shortcut buttons (does anybody use these?) are at the top of the keyboard, while the air vent sits on the left hand side--lefties using an external mouse will certainly feel their digits warming.

Features

Business users will likely be lulled by one other key feature, though--the built-in HSDPA. Throw in an appropriate SIM and you're online without the need for a bulky dongle.

In terms of outputs, there's only VGA--despite the virtual domination of LCDs in the workplace, digital outputs such as DVI or HDMI are still annoyingly rare on business laptops.

Fortunately what's not rare is connectivity, and the Fujitsu has it all--Bluetooth, 802.11n (with on/off switch), Gigabit Ethernet, 56k modem, SD/xD-PictureCard/MS card reader, three USB ports, a single FireWire port, audio out, headphones and microphone ports. A positively crusty Type II PC Card slot is present, but considering the lack of Express Card peripherals particularly in the business segment, this is no great sin.

On the software side, Fujitsu bundles its own shock sensor which parks the hard drive heads when a jolt is detected, a display manager for quick resolution setting (ideal for those using projectors), 3G Watcher for your HSDPA connections and the hardware diagnostic tool built on PC Doctor.

Performance And Battery Life

Apart from the usual less-than-stellar speakers, performance wasn't too bad. Although it was never going to win accolades on 3DMark06, scoring an abysmal 427, thanks to its Intel GMA X3100 graphics, PCMark05 was just fine at 4,181. And considering its business focus, 3DMark06 is pretty much moot anyway--this laptop was never intended for games.

Turning off all power-saving features, setting screen brightness to maximum and playing back a DVD, the battery lasted a decent 1 hour 43 minutes.

Service And Support

Fujitsu LifeBook has a one-year international warranty with second-year and third-year local warranty. At Fujitsu's support Web site, LifeBook owners can register their warranty online as well as download the latest drivers. For simple problems, the company offers a helpline and email address for troubleshooting. Should the unit require further diagnosis or repair, the customer will have to send the unit to any service center worldwide during the first year. Subsequently, Fujitsu will only honor the notebook's warranty for the subsequent two years at the original country of purchase. For users who use their laptops for time-critical work with no margin for downtime, it must be noted that most Fujitsu service centers in Asia Pacific operate only during office hours. There is no option to upgrade the warranty terms.