DailyTech - Fujitsu Intros 2.2-pound, $1,750 LifeBook P1620 Tablet PC

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Gadgets Fujitsu Intros 2.2-pound, $1,750 LifeBook P1620 Tablet PC
Brandon Hill (Blog) - January 18, 2008 1:19 PM

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32 comment(s) - last by mlambert890.. on Jan 22 at 4:16 PM

Fujitsu soldiers on with its Tablet PC lineup

Ever since Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air Tuesday at Macworld 2008, the whole Internet has been abuzz about the 3-pound notebook. Within hours, every sub-notebook from the past and present was compared to Apple's ultra-thin "halo" product.

Although Fujitsu doesn't have the massive advertising budget or sex appeal of Apple's line of products; the company recently introduced a tablet that is worthy of attention.

The new Fujitsu LifeBook P1620 makes use of a 1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo processor (U7600), 512MB of DDR2 memory (Micro-DIMM, upgradeable to 2GB) and an 8.9" WXGA touch screen display. Like the MacBook Air, the LifeBook P1620 has to make do with a 1.8”, 4,200 RPM HDD; albeit a 60GB unit.

Other features include an integrated fingerprint reader, two USB 2.0 ports, a PCMCIA slot, Secure Digital (SD) slot, 802.11a/b/g wireless, GbE, a docking connector and a 3-cell battery. With the included 3-cell battery, the LifeBook P1620 weighs just 2.2 pounds -- opting for the 6-cell unit will boost weight to a still manageable 2.5 pounds.

When it comes to operating systems, Fujitsu gives customers the choice of Windows Vista Business, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 or Windows XP Professional.

The Fujitsu LifeBook P1620 starts at $1,749 with 512MB of RAM and a 60GB HDD. Stepping up to 1GB of RAM, 60GB HDD and a 6-cell battery will set you back $2,094. Opting for the top of the line model with 1GB of RAM, 80GB HDD, Bluetooth and a 6-cell battery will cost you $2,224.

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I'd Prefer...

By noirsoft on 1/18/2008 1:30:19 PM , Rating: 3

I'd prefer a true slate tablet rather than a convertible, and an option for 2 gigs of memory.

RE: I'd Prefer...

By amanojaku on 1/18/2008 1:39:37 PM , Rating: 4

I'm not sure if people would accept the slate since it most likely would not have a keyboard. Maybe a USB keyboard would work, though.

On the other hand, 512MB of RAM?!? WTF was Fujitsu thinking? That pretty much boots Windows. I know a tablet isn't meant to play games, but seriously why would I pay $2K for a bulky electronic notepad?

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By bhieb on 1/18/2008 5:11:08 PM , Rating: 2

Funny I have 70+ computers that I support here at work and very few of them have more than 512, we are on XP of course but the average business person simply does not use more than 300MB or so once you clear off all the crap programs that don't need to be running. Heck right now I am only using 407.

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By dcalfine on 1/18/2008 1:45:23 PM , Rating: 2

lighter and better featured than the macbook air
but not as thin

tough choice

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By noirsoft on 1/18/2008 1:46:26 PM , Rating: 4

No choice for me. I'll take features + windows over thin + macOS any day.

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By headbox on 1/18/08, Rating: -1

RE: I'd Prefer...

By Naviblue on 1/18/2008 2:04:33 PM , Rating: 3

Why do people even want thin anyways? To pick up chicks or something? This tablet pc is kind of cool but I think I'd rather go with a G series Asus over this.

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By akugami on 1/18/2008 2:33:38 PM , Rating: 3

Ever try to lug one of those things? Sure 6lb's doesn't sound like a lot but even after a 15 minute walk between classes (I just started school again after a decade of lazing around) I can tell you that it gets pretty heavy. Add in one textbook and it's a strain on your back. A sub 3lb notebook is very welcome. I'm seriously tempted to get a Eee PC.

And yes, it is a G series Asus I was lugging around.

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By jimbojimbo on 1/18/2008 3:51:59 PM , Rating: 2

You could just lose 3lbs.

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By elpresidente2075 on 1/20/2008 10:58:04 AM , Rating: 2

Your mom could lose three pounds!

Now that we've dispensed with them, no more cheap shots please.

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By Vanilla Thunder on 1/21/2008 5:33:28 PM , Rating: 2

Start working out girly man. Oh no, 6 lbs. of notebook and a textbook!!! I'm surprised you have the energy to type after all that heavy lifting. Insert MANPON and try to make it through the day.

;)

V.

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By Polynikes on 1/18/2008 2:34:08 PM , Rating: 1

Thinner = more breakable. Sounds like my kinda gear.

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By jimbojimbo on 1/18/2008 3:51:20 PM , Rating: 3

That's what Apple's hoping for. Break it and then send it in for repairs that ONLY Apple can do charging whatever they want to.

The thinner that display the less protection it has. Once the display's gone, it's a goner.

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By tayhimself on 1/18/2008 3:32:26 PM , Rating: 2

Better featured?
512 MB vs 2 GB
1.2 Ghz vs 1.6 Ghz
60 GB vs 80 GB

They're different products for different people. Stop hating and get what you want.

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By winterspan on 1/18/2008 6:08:16 PM , Rating: 2

Yea, Apple should certainly get slapped on the wrist for not squeezing in at least an ethernet port, and expresscard. (and FireWire for that matter).
But You have to give Apple credit for being able to work with Intel to get a small form factor (SFF) "Not-quite-standard voltage-Not-quite-low-voltage" Core 2 duo.

Most of the subnotebooks from Sony, Panasonic, et al have these POS Core2 Duo ~1.06ghz "Ultra Low Voltage" chips. God they are miserably slow... I hope at least when the 45nm Penryn small-form-factor chips are out in a few months, All these other subnotebook vendors toss out the ULV chips for good!

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RE: I'd Prefer...

By AnnihilatorX on 1/18/2008 7:24:46 PM , Rating: 2

I agree with the OP

The Fujitsu Stylistic ST5112 with 2GB of RAM should be around $1700 or less.

I have had it for over a year and a half now. It's absolutely brilliant.

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Nice Deal

By AlphaVirus on 1/18/2008 1:31:08 PM , Rating: 2

That is a nice offer but I wonder how much would it be if the touchscreen was not included. I am sure thats about $400 of the cost. Take that out and include the extra options and you have a great competitor to the MBAir

RE: Nice Deal

By KristopherKubicki

(blog) on 1/18/2008 1:37:36 PM , Rating: 2

Once you go tablet you can't go back ...

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RE: Nice Deal

By PB PM on 1/18/2008 2:38:51 PM , Rating: 2

Maybe, I mean there are some nice aspects about a tablet, such as for drawing, but if you don't do that what is the appeal? I suck at drawing/art, so I'm not drawn to tablets one bit. I watch my manager at work use one, I think I've seen him use it in tablet mode maybe three times, to draw a circle around some important text... what a waste of money.

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RE: Nice Deal

By deeznuts on 1/18/2008 5:50:01 PM , Rating: 2

I had an HP tablet for a few months and never used any tablet functions, which one did you use? I'm curious because I like this tablet.

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Vista

By Shawn on 1/18/2008 1:47:47 PM , Rating: 2

Does Vista Business support all of the tablet features that are included in XP Tablet Edition?

RE: Vista

By Brandon Hill

(blog) on 1/18/2008 1:53:13 PM , Rating: 2

AFAIK, yes.

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RE: Vista

By SectionEight on 1/18/2008 2:03:17 PM , Rating: 3

Yes, and probably better. I've only used Vista business on my tablet, but others with the same model (Lenovo X61t) report better recognition with Vista than XP.

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Unclear on screen type. Active or Passive Tablet?

By VooDooAddict on 1/18/2008 2:49:46 PM , Rating: 2

Is this a Waccom based active digitizer? or a passive touch screen?

Passive touch screen is fine for navigation, but for handwriting notes I'll take an active digitizer. (Unless passive touch screens have gotten a LOT better. I tend to stay away from them on anything other then my Treo.)

RE: Unclear on screen type. Active or Passive Tablet?

By Brandon Hill

(blog) on 1/18/2008 3:09:25 PM , Rating: 2

Passive

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RE: Unclear on screen type. Active or Passive Tablet?

By agentjka03 on 1/18/2008 5:31:54 PM , Rating: 2

Wiimote IR-PEN for the win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5EvhHy7eQ

(work-safe, just tell your boss you are researching productivity tools. haha)

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Starting Price of $1599

By deeznuts on 1/18/2008 5:48:27 PM , Rating: 1

Engadget is reporting a starting price of $1599

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/18/fujitsus-lifebo...

RE: Starting Price of $1599

By ET on 1/18/2008 6:07:22 PM , Rating: 2

Thanks for the link. A lot shorter, but more important information for me, which is the difference from the P1610.

The lowest I can get on Fujitsu's site is $1689, and that's with a 40GB disk and no WiFi. Though if you factor the $100 discount currently available on the site, then $1599 would get a 40GB machine (with WiFi). That may be what Engadget is referring to, but I think that's misleading (since the $100 is a limited time special offer).

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RE: Starting Price of $1599

By ET on 1/18/2008 7:04:06 PM , Rating: 2

BTW, what bugs me with the pricing is that upgrading from 512MB to 1GB costs $300, while upgrading to 2GB costs $450. Makes no sense that the second GB would costs half as much as the 512MB upgrade. With 1GB being a reasonable minimum (and absolutely necessary for Vista), I'd have wanted a less costly upgrade for that.

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Not in the same category as the MB Air

By psychobriggsy on 1/21/2008 7:50:36 AM , Rating: 2

This has more features, but the common features are worse - slower CPU, far less memory, smaller hard drive, quite thick. What's the battery life like with a 3 cell battery?

It's ugly to boot. Tiny keyboard and screen (but it does make it very light). A decent specification ramps the cost up. Nice that there is an option to reduce the specification to get something cheaper, but $1599 for 1.2GHz, 40GB, no WiFi, etc ... I'd seriously look at the MacBook Air as an alternative.

If you need lightness for lectures (I remember when writing notes by hand was popular), get an EeePC - same cramped keyboard but more than adequate for note taking and won't break the bank or make you cry so hard if you sit on it and break it. If you need a larger keyboard and a light device this isn't what you want. The 9" EeePC coming out later this year is rumoured to have a touch screen (a passive 9" touch panel adds $15 to the material cost apparently).

RE: Not in the same category as the MB Air

By mlambert890 on 1/22/2008 4:16:45 PM , Rating: 2

You say the P1620 "isnt in the same category as the Air" and then mention the EEPC?!?!? The EEPC isnt in the same category as the P1620 (or the 1610 or 1510 before it - this line has been around a long while even though the press and folks like you have just discovered it)

I've used the 1510 and 1610 and EEPC and its a ridiculous comparison. The EEPC is more like a UMPC/PDA type device. The Fuji 1xxx line is an ultra portable.

There most certainly IS WiFi, so not sure where you're getting that from. To me, and I would think most travelers, weight and footprint are THE things that matter. The gigantic air, with a very near Mac Book level footprint, isnt going to open in a coach airplane seat - sorry, thats just physics.

So once again, Ill be happily working on my next plane ride while another smug, Mac elitist sits next to me grumbling about how much better and more thin their "Air" is.

I really believe that the vast majority of folks spouting opinions on threads and comment sections really just do so based on bias and photos. Apple is the "can do no wrong" company and every one of their designs (which are all nearly identical and, to me, boring at this point) are DEVOURED by the masses.

In practice (you know, actually USING computers on the road) I have NEVER found any of Apples products to deliver ANYTHING I cant get better and cheaper from a PC based notebook.

The fact is that Apple doesnt produce ANYTHING as small, light and full featured as the P1610 and all of its contemporaries (Fuji isnt the only one making this form factor - the rest go even MORE ignored by the press since they're not Apple). And Apple doesnt make a touch screen to boot.

They've made a very thin laptop though. That looks like every other Mac. And has a non-removable battery. WOW! Lets break out the awards now! When Sony did pretty much the same thing but better YEARS ago with the X505 NO ONE paid attention.

THey mass Apple hypnosis is amazing. And I am by no means a "fan" of anything. I've had many Macs and still have one since I am a technophile and like to keep up on all of the relevant platforms (hey, I even still have my Amiga). I think unless you really ARE objective, you can just never see how ridiculous the Apple fanaticism is. Whatever passes for fan fervor on the PC/Windows side is nowhere NEAR as rampant or obnoxious. ONLY Linux comes close. But Apple is also the press darling, so its no contest.

ANYTHING SteveJ holds up at MacWorld these days will be hailed as the "greatest invention of the century" no matter how boring or derivative.

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