Fujitsu LifeBook P8010

Although the LifeBook P8010’s keyboard seemed to have less flex than other Fujitsu systems we’ve tested, it’s cramped, even for those with slender fingers. On the bright side, the touch buttons were quiet and tactile, and the touchpad was smooth and accurate.

Features

The P8010 also has three USB ports, FireWire, VGA, Ethernet, and modem jacks, headphone and mic ports, a combined PC Card/SD Card slot and a 1.3-megapixel webcam. The webcam showed dim images, even under fluorescent lights. Inconveniently, it’s placed left of center in the bezel, so to get the maximum amount of light on your face you have to position yourself off-center, too. The P8010 also has an integrated 6X DVD burner—a rarity for a notebook this small.

The 1280 x 800 display was bright but fuzzy when we watched an episode of “The Office.” Viewing angles were mostly good except for when we tilted the screen back; then again, it’s kind of a moot point when you’re watching movies on a 12.1-inch screen. The speakers were predictably weak. Even with the volume cranked all the way up in a quiet room, the sound wasn’t very loud.

Safe and Secure

The P8010 comes equipped with a fingerprint reader, enabled by Softex OmniPass, but enrolling our fingerprints was frustrating; after swiping seven times, we were told that OmniPass was unable to obtain a usable fingerprint image. In addition to the fingerprint scanner, the P8010’s security features include TPM circuitry, Computrace compatibility, and a security lock slot. To protect your data, there is a shock-mounted hard drive, and Fujitsu’s Shock Sensor Utility, which parks the hard drive when it detects vibration or sudden movement. On the durability front, it also has a spill-resistant keyboard.

Performance

The P8010’s component list includes a 1.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo LV SL7100 processor, Windows Vista Business, 2GB of RAM, and a 5,400-rpm 120GB hard drive. Both our lab and hands-on tests showed mixed results. The system notched just 987 on 3DMark03, which falls about 300 points below the average for the ultraportable category (the ASUS U6S, which costs $200 less, scored a whopping 3,073).

The Fujitsu LifeBook P8010 has almost everything a road warrior could want in an ultraportable—a sleek, lightweight design with a built-in DVD burner, long battery life, and good enough performance for business tasks. If you can live with a slightly cramped keyboard, you’ll be satisfied with this lightweight notebook.

Specifications: