The good: Very portable; long battery life; economy mode conserves battery; good speaker position; wide range of display brightness; strong security features; fanless design.

The bad: No ExpressCard slot; integrated graphics chipset; no Gigabit Ethernet.

The bottom line: For users unwilling to sacrifice features and yet demand a diminutive notebook, the Fujitsu LifeBook P7120 fits the bill perfectly.

Read full review of the Fujitsu LifeBook P7120 »

By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
Dec 19, 2005

Most miniature notebooks tend to sacrifice features and comfort in a bid to get smaller. Like supermodels going on a diet, this results in a beautiful machine which is not suitable for hard work. Though not the smallest thin-and-light notebook, the LifeBook P7120 distinguishes itself by being exceptionally portable, yet packed with a comfortable-sized keyboard and strong biometric security features. Users with a need to carry sensitive data around need look no further than this sleek and black notebook from Fujitsu.

Design
Like the Sony Vaio VGN-TX17GP, the first assumption is that the LifeBook P7120 is an ultraportable notebook as it seems too small to fit in an optical drive. However, despite its tiny 271 x 209.5 x 24.3mm footprint, the internal DVD writer which pops out from the right is the first clue that this portable does not skimp on features to maintain its 1.38kg figure.

	The optical drive seems to take up all the internal space.

Made from magnesium alloy, the black color scheme of the LifeBook is attractive and scratch-resistant. Considering the thin profile of the screen, mere plastic would probably not be able to withstand too many open and close cycles. Due to the limited space, the speakers sit astride the battery behind the display which causes it to be slightly wider than the Vaio TX17GP. However, the lack of a securing latch may result in the unit opening in the unfortunate event of a drop.

The headphone and microphone jacks fit at the front of the unit. This is a good position as it avoids the problem of the wires being tangled when typing. Besides the optical drive, the right flank holds a USB port and memory card reader. The port side consist of the rest of the ports. All the connectivity options are easily accessed without having to turn to the rear of the machine.

One of the main problems of ultraportable notebooks is the small keyboard. Unless you have the hands of a child, long typing periods may result in your digits cramping into the claw position. Though not full-sized, the LifeBook P7120's keyboard is surprising comfortable to use. In addition, the punctuation keys are not reduced to little chicklets. This machine is obviously designed as a working machine first, and lifestyle product second.

Features
Conceived as a corporate laptop, the LifeBook p7120 is chock full of the standard connectivity options as well as strong security features. To save space and weight, the optical drive is made from titanium and aluminum for durability despite its thin design. Using a modular design, the optical drive can easily be replaced with a weight saver or a second battery which, according to Fujitsu, gives 11 hours of battery life. The unit generously offers three USB ports, FireWire and PC Card slot for adding peripherals. Both monitor and S-video ports permit external displays to be used when larger screen real estate is required. Ethernet ports and modem are available for wired networks, though we were disappointed that the former is not Gigabit-capable. From 802.11a/b/g to Bluetooth, this notebook offers a complete suite of options for linking up to almost any network.

Data is secured with a combination of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip and fingerprint sensor. Using the Softex OmniPass software, all 10 fingers can be mapped for access. With a single swipe, you can log into the system, automatically input passwords on Web sites and encrypt sensitive data. This is an invaluable feature for businesses which depend on secured information for work. If biometric access is not your cup of tea, the fingerprint sensor can also be configured for scrolling long documents instead.

Despite its diminutive size, there is no lack of connectivity ports for this LifeBook.

Making its maiden appearance in the LifeBook series is the "ECO" button. When battery life becomes an overriding concern, pressing the button will activate the economy mode which switches off the optical drive, reduces screen brightness and cuts off power to non-critical components like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to conserve battery, though there is already a dedicated switch for the wireless connection. From our tests, this mode gives an extra hour before requiring a recharge. Though it is possible to do the above manually on almost all notebooks, it's little touches like these which greatly improve the mobile computing experience.

Due to its fanless design, the LifeBook relies on conductivity and ventilation to cool its internals. The Pentium M Ultra Low Voltage processor reduce the heat signature, though it still gets rather hot after long periods. A velvet-like material is stuck to the bottom of the unit where the hotter components are located to prevent lap burns.

The 10.6-inch display uses a transflective LCD for better illumination. The backlight is powered by LEDs which not only use less power, but do not give off much heat. The screen has eight levels of brightness and, unlike most notebooks, the lowest setting is just bright enough to be readable in pitch brightness without lighting up the entire room. For airline travelers who want to work on overnight flights, the LifeBook P7120 will not disturb your fellow passengers.

The position of the speakers allows audio to be heard even if the notebook is closed. Loud enough to be used in noisy environments, the laptop offers virtual surround sound through the High Definition audio chipset. Various settings optimize the audio quality depending on the effect desired, though it does lack bass.

Performance And Battery Life
Due to the need to keep the heat signature to a minimum, the Fujitsu notebook uses the same Pentium M 753 processor running at 1.2GHz as the Samsung X1 and Vaio VGN-TX17GP. However, longer battery life comes at the price of lower performance. Giving a score of 159 in the MobileMark 2005 benchmark, the economy mode slightly improves performance for a result of 165. This is a surprising result as one would expect the economy mode to reduce power used by the processor and hence decrease computing speed.

Portability is more than weight and size. Long battery life is essential for a notebook to be truly mobile. The LifeBook P7120 does not disappoint with an unplugged time of 6 hours 27 minutes. In the economy mode, battery life is extended by a whopping 59 minutes for an amazing 7 hours 26 minutes away from an outlet. Unless you are working deep in the jungles or desert, there should be no need to carry extra batteries.

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.

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