Comments on: You Grade The Brands: Fujitsu Notebooks

By: mcsouth

mcsouth — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:04:50 +0000

I have used a lot of different laptops over the years, starting back in the late 90’s – IBM Thinkpads, Toshiba, Dell, HP and Fujitsu. Most of these have been for work; I have only had two personal laptops that I have spent money on – both have been Fujitsu.

I started with a Fujitsu 7020D, which I used for 1-1/2 yrs; my wife used it for a year, and now my kids are using it.
Pros
– fast Pentium M processor
– lightweight
– great screen
– easy to upgrade
That laptop has generally been very durable; the casing is sturdy in all areas except for just over top of the PC card slot, where the casing flexes.
Cons
– battery life was average when new
– unit was quite noisy when working at 100% processor load
– unit exhausted very hot air from left side, especially when working at 100% processor load
After 3 years of use, the fan started making a lot of noise; I have investigated replacing it, but it looks as if entire laptop needs to be disassembled to get to it (no where as convenient as my wife’s old Dell was to service).

My next (and current) laptop is a Fujitsu T4215 convertible tablet PC, which I have upgraded several times with more RAM and bigger hard drive.
Pros
– powerful C2D processor
– lightweight, even with DVD drive
– terrific screen (I got the outdoor screen option)
– solid performance
– good selection of ports
– DVD drive can be removed to reduce carry weight
I am still using this laptop today; it is my primary personal PC.
Cons
– battery life average at best when new; replacement battery direct from Fujitsu does not last as well as original battery did when new
– keyboard is slightly “springy”, so occasional typing errors do occur
– touchpad is very small

Overall, I have been very pleased with the two Fujitsu laptops I own. I do agree with the author, however, that Fujitsu has not been very innovative with their designs. As much as I like my T4215 tablet, I am looking to upgrade to new laptop, with either a C2D CULV processor and discrete graphics, or possibly with a new Core i3/5/7 processor. However, the recent designs that Fujitsu has announced have been uninspiring, and don’t come close to meeting my criteria of ultra-portable weight, 13″ screen, switchable graphics and long battery life. As a result, the new Sony Z Series or Asus UL-VT series laptops are more likely to be my next laptop.

By: mcsouth

mcsouth — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:47:33 +0000

I have used a lot of different laptops over the years, starting back in the late 90′s – IBM Thinkpads, Toshiba, Dell, HP and Fujitsu. Most of these have been for work; I have only had two personal laptops that I have spent money on – both have been Fujitsu.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:57:55 +0000

I have a Fujitsu Lifebook S6520. When I was shopping for a notebook last Spring/Summer, I was looking for something business-oriented that would be rock-solid reliable, that would offer fantastic performance, and that would be portable. Did I make the right choice? It hasn’t been long enough to weigh in on reliability, but the components and build quality seem first rate compared to Dells and even Apples that I’ve owned previously. My take on the machine:

Pros:
(1) Small footprint for a 14″ notebook.
(2) Lightweight. Under 4lbs with DVDRW, less than that with modular bay cover, and slightly more than 4lbs with the bay battery.
(3) Fast P9700 processor. The first notebook I saw that offered that CPU
(4) No bloatware. It boots Windows 7 Pro (x64) in 25-30 seconds.
(5) I added the Intel X25M SSD myself – no credit to Fujitsu there. Except that it was easy.
(6) Discrete GPU allows for light gaming (plays Left4Dead, for example). Uncommon in ultraportables
(7) Intel 5300 WiFi chip standard

Cons:
(1) Would have preferred HDMI and VGA ports instead of s-video and VGA ports
(2) Won’t turn any heads at Starbucks. I couldn’t care less, but for some this is a drawback.
(3) Fairly expensive for a Windows machine
(4) The new model (S760) has a slightly better discrete GPU, optional i7 CPU, HDMI port, and weighs even less. That’s not a strike against Fujitsu, though. Just a strike against my model now that its replacement is available.

By: C.Brooks

C.Brooks — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:27:02 +0000

I have had 3 Fujitsu Laptops and am on my first Black Macbook now.
I also have a 24″ iMac with a 2.4 processor. I love it to bits and have no real need to upgrade.
Laptops are a different story and find I need to replace after 2-3 years from so much use on my travels.
The build quality of Fujitsu is outstanding and all my Fujitsu Laptops have been problem free except the DVD player. This died after 2.5 years & replaced with a non Fujitsu and still goes very well with a family member.
The only other problems have been what I created.
Vista & the lack of a decent graphic card encouraged me to try out a Mac. The build quality on the plastic Mac is not so good and the DVD unit had to be replaced after 8 months (under guarantee).
Snow Leopard is great (but with Office for Mac on board of course) and the Macbook works seamlessly.
I have my eye on the new generation Fujitsu laptops & will await their full reviews.
I like the extremely portability of Fujitsus and their excellent build quality. The improved processor with turbo
will be boon when editing photos. I am no gamer so so have no use for the fancy add-ons required for gaming.
The only decent comparison for me is the Lenovo T400 with the switchable graphics, except its weight.
There is bloatware to remove but that is not a problem.
Windows 7 seems to be worth a try and I consider Fujitsu a more reliable with better build than the plastic Mac.