Anyone Have The S760? And Other First Time Fujitsu User Questions...

I've been looking for an 13" portable i7 notebook but have always been a lifelong Dell user.
Dell has got nothing in that category right now, so I'm thinking of buying a customized S760 with the following specs from shopfujitsu:

-Intel Core i7-620M Processor 2.66 (add $130)
-Windows 7 Pro
-NVIDIA N11M-GE1 512 MB dedicated graphics DDR3 memory (add $100)
-13.3" WXGA HD display with webcam
-4 GB DDR3 1066 MHz SDRAM memory (add $160)
-500 GB (7200 rpm) hard drive (add $240)
-Modular Dual-Layer Multi-Format DVD Writer
-Atheros XSPAN (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth wireless
-Integrated Security Panel and embedded TPM
-ExpressCard® Slot
-Free Edge 250GB HD
$2,052-15%=$1,744

Do people like their Fujitsu's? How do they compare to Dells? Does anyone have the S760?
Do my specs look OK? Am I right to go with the Atheros over the Centrino?
Is it worth getting the extended warranty/screen damage protection?
Is there are way to stack a student discount on top of the 15% coupon code I received?

Thanks!

 

Fujitsu's upgrades are still overpriced, I see.

Don't get me wrong - I like mine. But those prices remind me why I ordered mine with the minimum RAM and HDD. Upgrading wasn't difficult at all. I'm more of an Intel person - I got the 5300 on my notebook - but I don't have any expert advice on Atheros v Intel wifi.

When I ordered, I couldn't stack discounts.

As for build, there's a bit more plastic than I expected on a machine with that pricetag. I wouldn't want to drop it. Still, the chassis is sturdy enough to prevent internal components from being bent or stressed. And you can't argue with the weight of the 760 (or 6520).

In short - I'd spring for the S760 in a heartbeat. Really nice upgrade from my model. But I had to buy a machine last summer; I couldn't afford to wait for the arrandale refreshes...

 

Well I got my S760 and I'm somewhat underwhelmed.
The touchpad does not some close to my old Dell. The curser just seems to drift off after I let go of the touchpad.

In general it feels very "plasticy" for the price. And the white keyboard...what were they thinking?

 

Well I like the white keyboard...makes it a little easier to see the keys in reduced light...I saw the synaptics touchpad drift effect on an nh570 at Fry's running win7...but I run XP right now on my s760, and it doesn't do the liftoff drift, so there must be a setting to disable it in win7. I got the 620m also, and the usb 3.0 port with the nvidia graphics is a real bonus....

A little more plasticy (I suppose) than the q2010 that it replaces for me...but as long as it's durable enough (like the q2010) then all will be fine with me...there aren't many other loaded 13.3s that weigh in at less than 4 lbs. Right now I'm runnung a small Intel SSD...but I'm going to get a larger one soon and set up to boot win7 32 and win7 64 also....

I hope they release a new BIOS that controls the fan duty cycle a little better...the q2010 had the same issue on the original BIOS release....

 

White keys get dirty fast. Why not to opt for a backlit keyboard systems?
You don't have to stick to this model just because of this.
Also be careful with the i7s in 13" ultra-thin systems - there's a risk of overheating. It can ruin the whole experience. i7s are known to run hot.

 

Well if it's easier to see the dirt on the keys, then I'll know when to clean them right....

The i7 620m has the same tdp as the i5 520m, 35w...the i7 720qm has a tdp of 45w though...anyway, the fujitsu s760 has a nice big copper heatsink and a removeable filter that allows you to clean it...no problems at all with heat so far for me....

 

What are your temps (idle&load)?

 

A quick test shows CPU core temps are a little less than 45c idle and almost 75c for 100% load with the fan set to "Silent" mode in the BIOS...I haven't tried the "Normal" fan mode setting yet...the s760 has a pretty nice medium sized 5v blower fan (bigger than I've seen on many small notebooks) and a lot of copper fins to blow across...not bad for a sub 4 lb notebook I'd say....

 

Your system still has some reserves. Nice!

 

touchpad drift should be easy to turn off in the control panel. I like it, but I can see how it might be unnerving.

Along the same lines, I can see how the plastic-y look and feel might be disappointing. I'm much more concerned with cooling, and in my experience the Lifebook S notebooks excel in that area. I push my notebooks hard, and I've never had a problem with heat with the Lifebook S. Not so with the metal-framed MBP, which gets unacceptably hot both beneath the surface and on it.

 

How can I turn off the drift In Win 7?
I can't find any option to turn it off and it's driving me crazy!

 

Can anyone tell me where the Fujitsu S760 is made?

I know Fujitsu used to make some of their machines in Japan, but I am not sure if they do that any more.

 

Here's how:

1. Go to the control panel. Choose "mouse"
2. At the "mouse properties" dialogue box, click on the far-right tab (Device Settings)
(see screenshot 1)
3. Click on the [settings] button to bring up the synaptics touchpad properties dialogue box.
4. In the menu tree on the left, expand the "pointing" option.
5. Next, expand the "momentum" option.
(see screenshot 2)
6. Kill the "drift" by unchecking the "enable momentum" box. Or...
7. Adjust the "drift" by tinkering with the "glide" setting...

 

The S760 is made in Japan...mine was shipped direct from Japan, and the box it comes in says "Made in Japan" on it....

 

Notebookcheck reviewed this laptop here.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Fujitsu-Lifebook-S760-Notebook.29309.0.html

I notice that Fujitsu pretty much stick to the same forumla with their notebooks.

I do like though the MG series in Japan which looks like the North American and EU version of the S760 to me.

 

I saw that. Disappointing review, to put it mildly. Either they got a bad unit, or build quality seems to have taken a step backwards. Not to mention battery performance.

Reading that review makes me like my 6520 a little bit more.

The 6520 isn't a tank by any means, but it doesn't suffer from any of these issues. At least mine doesn't. And this is after almost a year of heavy use.

 

It hasn't been a great week for the S760, with that notebookcheck review.

Now for some good news: PC Authority did a full review of the notebook, concluding that it is "outstanding," and rating it 5/6. So much for consensus.

http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Revie...rong-build-quality-and-great-performance.aspx

 

Anyone knows if this computer with the dock station can run a 27" 2560x1440 monitor(dell u2711) ?

 

I would guess no. That's well beyond the external resolution listed on the tech specs page on Fujitsu's US website. I doubt the dock makes a huge difference, but it might be worth a quick call to tech support.

OK, no such thing as a quick call to tech support.

 

This is another review for the S760. I know that the OP has bought their laptop now but others might be interested in buying one still.
I would agree that the design is a bit dated.
However, apart from that it is a very decent laptop.
Fujitsu LifeBook S760 Review - A Review of the Fujitsu LifeBook S760

 

Quite the comprehensive review! Thanks for the link!

A friend of mine recently bought one and I thought he was kind of crazy for spending that much on a laptop. Fujitsu's quality control seems to be laggering or something because the build quality on his S760 is kind of disappointing.

Battery life is average but that is expected with all the power.

 

Fujitsu was one of the first companies to refresh to i5s / i7s/ ulv i7s. Back in January and February, I thought this machine and the new P series Lifebook were compelling options.

There are a lot of other options by now, though. If Fujitsu want to sell to the general public (as opposed to people like me who buy at discounted organization rates), I think they need to look at changing their pricing strategy. It's one thing to charge a premium when there's no competition. After a few months, though, you have to realize that your prices are getting less and less competitive.

People will pay for reliability, power, and lightweight. But they won't want to overpay for it. And Rachel is right. A new notebook design wouldn't hurt. It's overdue.

 

There is a fujitsu SH760 UB which comes in piano black finish with similar specs above.

Reliability wise, I can't speak for this particular model but I had a lifebook C series and it has served me well for 4 years. Switched to M1330 and it gave me nothing but trouble. Now I'm looking for a replacement 13.3" laptop...