Video Hands-On: Fujitsu’s LifeBook MH380 Netbook (Verdict: Looks Better Than It Feels)

Fujitsu’s latest netbook, the 10-inch MH380, was announced two weeks before CES, but tonight was the first time we got to see it in the wild. Amid all the company’s new laptops, many of which have the same staid, buttoned-up look that Fujitsu’s had for years, the MH380 stood out, not just because we’re netbook people, but because of its glossy red finish and flat black keyboard (as opposed to the pillowy white keys we’re used to seeing on Fujitsu laptops).

The netbook, which costs $449, has the same specs as every other released recently: Windows 7 Starter Edition, Intel’s new Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB The storage device that holds your OS, programs, and data.
Learn Morehard drive, a 10.1-inch display with 1366 x 768 resolution, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a webcam. Its weight of 2.97 pounds is pretty typical for a netbook.

As it turns out, we liked the look of the MH380 more than the feel. On the one hand, the red glossy finish is a surprising, modern twist for Fujitsu, as are the metal accents. Then again, the lid picks up fingerprints pretty easily. Inside, we like the look of the keyboard, although the touchpad and twin buttons are much to small. The reason the touchpad is so cramped is that next to it there’s a circular groove in the palm rest that’s meant just for scrolling through Web pages, a feature that Fujitsu says is ideal for people who want to puruse content on the Web without actually clicking. Personally, we would much rather have seen a larger touchpad with an integrated (and not-too-sensitive) touch strip. Instead, there are two touch compartments and yet, the user doesn’t gain anything.

Check out our walkthrough video starring our editor, Mark Spoonauer, and take a look at some stronger netbooks we’ve seen at CES.