Fujitsu's summer 2007 lineup
Singapore--At the Red White & Pure restaurant in Vivocity today, Fujitsu launched its first attempt at the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) market--the LifeBook U1010 (previously known as the LifeBook FMV-U Series)--as well as a new widescreen Lifebook S6410 and several models refreshed with the latest Santa Rosa platform.
The stars of the show were undoubtedly the LifeBook U1010 and the S6410. The former is Fujitsu's debut into the UMPC world based on the McCaslin Platform announced at the recent Intel Developer Forum. Weighing just over 600g, the U1010 is a convertible tablet PC similar to the larger LifeBook P1610, only with a smaller 5.6-inch touchscreen display. It runs off an Intel A110 processor which clocks in at 800MHz and offers strong data protection in the form of a fingerprint sensor and TPM security chip. We were a little skeptical over whether this UMPC would suit the mobility crowd, as its battery life of just 3 hours does not inspire enough confidence to leave your power cable at home. However, an extended four-cell battery (S$320 (US$203.59)) is available to push the uptime to 6 hours. An optional port replicator (S$350 (US$222.67)) is also available for those who want additional connectivity including DVI, four USB and VGA. Already retailing in Hong Kong since June 24, the S$1,988 (US$1,264.79) UMPC will be available from this week in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The widescreen display has become popular among business users. Fujitsu recognizes this fact and has made its latest 13.3-inch business portable adopt the 16:10 aspect ratio. Available in two versions, the LifeBook S6410 basic version weighs 1.9kg and offers a strong security suite with Core 2 Duo performance in a slim profile. Its battery life is not too spectacular, clocking in at 3 hours using the standard cell. However, its optical drive can be swapped with a second battery to ramp the runtime up to 4.2 hours. Based on the Centrino Pro platform, it has 1GB of Intel Turbo Memory to boost application speeds, though some reports have noted that the actual performance increase is minimal.
For an even slimmer chassis, a S6410 premium version with an LED backlit screen drops the heft by 300g and cuts up to 4mm from its thickness. It also adds a 1.3-megapixel Webcam above the display. The LED-lit panel is brighter at 300nits, compared with the basic version which has a 250nits display. Strangely enough, despite claims of power savings due to the LED backlight, both versions have the same battery life according to given specifications. We approached the Fujitsu staff at the event and were told that the similar battery life ratings were due to the faster processor on the premium model, which cancels the 10 to 15 percent power savings with the LED backlit screen. The LifeBook S6410 basic model is available from this week starting at S$3,188 (US$2,028.25), while the premium configuration, which will be launched at a later date, will retail for S$3,988 (US$2,537.22).
The LifeBook E8410, A6030, T4220 and P7230 have been upgraded to the new Santa Rosa platform, which offers a faster frontside bus speed of up to 800MHz and an improved integrated graphics solution. The S$2,988 (US$1,901.01) LifeBook E8410 descends from the E8210 and takes over the role as Fujitsu's flagship business model with a 15.4-inch display and Nvidia GeForce 8400M G discrete graphics card. This Centrino Pro system has a bright 300nits widescreen display and strong security features, with 1GB of Intel Turbo Memory installed. An even more portable solution for the cubicle warrior is the LifeBook P7230, which trades dual-core processing and a discrete video card for a handier 10.6-inch form factor. Like its predecessor, the LifeBook P7120, the P7230 manages to squeeze an optical drive into its petite frame.
The LifeBook A6030 and T4220 are Fujitsu's entry-level and tablet PC offerings, respectively. The A6030 starts at S$2,288 (US$1,455.66) and, though it's a little heavy at almost 3kg for a 15.4-inch portable, has Core 2 Duo performance and a spill-resistant keyboard. The LifeBook T4220 is a 12.1-inch convertible tablet PC with a bi-directional digitizer screen, that can rotate 180 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise. Priced at S$4,288 (US$2,728.08), it uses the Core 2 Duo platform with integrated Intel X3100 graphics solution and allows for a second bay battery to replace the integrated optical drive for longer uptime. It has a spill-resistant keyboard and a fingerprint sensor/TPM security chip combination for data protection. All refreshed Fujitsu models are already available in Asia-Pacific markets.
Also unveiled at the show are sneak previews of two upcoming Fujitsu notebooks, the LifeBook T2010 and the LifeBook N6460. Both new models are expected to be launched in August this year. You can read more about them here.
| Model
name |
In a nutshell |
| Wow
factor: Fujitsu's first foray into the UMPC market, the LifeBook U1010 has strong security features and portability on its side but may be hampered by its unimpressive battery life.
Other notable frills:
Intel A110 800MHz processor
5.6-inch display
1GB RAM
40GB HDD Integrated graphics card
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
610g
Expected: Available now
Price: S$1,988 (US$1,264.79)
|
| Wow
factor: Available in two versions, the Centrino Pro LifeBook S6410 now comes in a widescreen format with an LED-backlit screen for the premium edition.
Other notable frills:
Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz processor (basic model)/Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz processor (premium model)
13.3-inch widescreen display (premium model comes with LED-backlit display)
1GB RAM
120GB HDD (Basic Model)/160GB (premium model)
1GB Intel Turbo Memory
Integrated graphics card
Integrated Webcam (premium model)
Spill-resistant keyboard
Windows Vista Business Edition
1.9kg (basic model)/1.6kg (premium model)
Expected: Available now (basic model) / July 2007 (premium model)
Price: S$3,188 (US$2,028.25) (basic model) / S$3,988 (US$2,537.22) (premium model)
|
| Wow
factor: The flagship business model from the Japanese maker combines Santa Rosa performance with a discrete graphics solution in a 15.4-inch chassis.
Other notable
frills:
Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz processor
15.4-inch widescreen display
1GB RAM
120GB HDD
1GB Intel Turbo Memory
Nvidia GeForce 8400M G graphics card
Windows Vista Business Edition
2.5kg
Expected: Available now
Price: S$2,988 (US$1,901.01)
|
|
Wow factor: It may not be as portable as the LifeBook U1010, but the P7230 has a much better battery life and faster computing experience.
Other notable frills:
Core Solo 1.2GHz processor
10.6-inch widescreen display
1GB RAM
80GB HDD
Integrated graphics card
Integrated Webcam
Windows Vista Business Edition
1.33kg
Expected: Available now
Price: S$3,988 (US$2,537.22)
|
|
Wow factor: This entry-level model targets both consumers and business users with a good value to performance ratio. A nice touch is the addition of a spill-resistant keyboard.
Other notable frills:
Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz processor
15.4-inch widescreen display
1GB RAM
120GB HDD
Integrated graphics card
Spill-resistant keyboard
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
2.9kg
Expected: Available now
Price: S$2,288 (US$1,455.66)
|
|
Wow factor: This convertible tablet PC has a bi-directional digitizer screen and a spill-resistant keyboard. Combined with a strong security suite, the LifeBook T4220 is probably the only tablet PC available with the Santa Rosa technology.
Other notable frills:
Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz processor
12.1-inch digitizer display
1GB RAM
120GB HDD
Integrated graphics card
Spill-resistant keyboard
Windows Vista Business Edition
1.98kg
Expected: Available now
Price: S$4,288 (US$2,728.08)
|
|
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