First Thoughts ? Fujitsu LifeBook P7010D

When I bought the Fujitsu LifeBook P5020D about six months ago, I told everyone it was the best piece of technology I had ever purchased. Amazingly the new Fujitsu LifeBook P7000 series has gone beyond the basics with their refresh, creating a machine that is vastly better in many areas. There aren’t a ton of major upgrades, CrystalView screen aside, but the big wins lie in the details.

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I’m going to post a number of comments and pictures. I’ll go more in-de<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1ersonName w:st="on">pt</st1ersonName>h with my full review, which should be coming in 2-3 weeks. Many of my comments will be surrounding the improvements over the P5020, but don’t worry; I’ll cover the virtues of the ultra portable class in the full review.

Side-by-side, the most obvious change in the P7000 series is the new black casing. It looks very nice, but it fingerprint prone. The internal parts like the wrist pad are a little different, so they don't have the same problem. Are you ready for this? The fingerprint issue is my biggest complaint about the notebook. Moving on...

The bottom is pretty different. The RAM has been moved from under the keyboard to a much more user friendly spot. Fujitsu has covered the plate with suede to help keep the heat from being a factor. There are now two RAM slots, but the RAM is smaller, so you can't use the same chips as the P5000 series. The battery is also a new size. I haven't tested officially yet, but it feels like I'm getting an extra 30-60 minutes out of the battery.

Some of the best improvements have come with the ports. On the right side of the machine, the optical drive has been replaced with (left to right) a microphone, speaker out, two USB 2.0, ethernet, firewire, S-Video and VGA ports. The port cover doors are substantially better. Gone are the plastic parts, replaced with a rubbery joint. I broke off four VGA out port covers on the P5020. Notice also that the S-Video and VGA out are full size now, previously they required special dongles for the conversion to full size.

The optical drive has migrated to the left side now. It's so slimI had to look hard to locate it. Those calling for a slot load will appreciate how thin this drive it. The tray is more sturdy than the P5000 as well. Above the tray are the CompactFlash and PCMCIA ports. Both have plastic inserts as placeholders. Be careful, they're easy to lose. The P5020 has doors that pushed in with the PCMCIA card, I'm disappointed that mechanism is gone. To the left are the AC adaptor and phone line ports.

The front of the notebook is much improved. Gone is the bomber-style bulbous nose, replaced with a more refined flat front. To the left is the WiFi on/off switch. I went with the Atheros a/b/g/ wireless card. To the right of the switch is the Secure Digital/Memory Stick reader. The plastic you see in there is my Memory Stick Duo adaptor. My digital camera uses that form factor, so the converter lives in the reader so I don't lose it.

The touchpad has been replaced with a new unit that seems easier to use. It's more slick than the prior edition. The action buttons are much different. Where the P500 had knobs on the buttons, these are flat and flush with the wrist rest. I'm having mild trouble getting used to them, new buyers will get along fine. The up/down rocker has been replaced with the optional biometric scanner. So far the scanner is hard to get working properly, but the software offers a lot of promise.

But what about the display? As you can see from above, it's very bright. I didn't like, nearly hated the XBRITE in Sony's TR series. The CrystalView from Fujitsu is much better though. It's reflective, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. You can see in the top picture a little bit of the ambient light reflecting from the window. The reflection issue is more minor than I thought it would be, and a fair trade for the brilliant colors and improved brightness. The colors on the P7000 are more blue and white where the P5000 tends to be more yellow. I'm now a CrystalView convert.

Last but not least is the keyboard. It's the same as the P5000, which is a good thing. The keys are responsive and nearly full size. Of course some like page up and page down require the function button, but those are the sacrifices with ultra portables. I took this zoomed up picture of the Shift key to illustrate the near translucent properties of the keyboard. It makes for a nice effect.

The other "big" improvement is the bump in processor from a PM 1.0 to a 1.1. I'm not feeling the extra power yet, it's more to show a progressive improvement from a marketing perspective than anything else. My config is as follows; 512 RAM - single chip, 7200 RPM 60GB drive, XP Home, biometric scanner. Everything else is pretty much stock. I'll be back in 2-3 weeks with the full review. Please post any questions you have or issues you want to see me cover in the review in the forums.

 

Hey Brian thanks for the initial look, I'm literally just a few days away from ordering this myself just waiting on the DVD writer option to see what it will cost. I'm a university student and this seems to meet all my needs, lightweight, good battery life, optical drive, I was just wondering about the processing power. I know the 1.1 ultra low voltage M will be good on power but how does it perform with some hungry apps like photoshop. Also when i'm writing research papers it isn't uncommon for me to have 10 IE windows, 2 or three word documents and a few PDF's going at the same time, how's your P7000 doing in terms of processing power?

 

Oh just 1 more question, on latopsinc.com they have three hard drive upgrade options

Upgrade to Fujitsu OEM 80GB (4200RPM) Hard Drive $50


Upgrade to 7K60 (7200RPM 60GB) Hard Drive $150


Upgrade to 5K80 (5400RPM 80GB) Hard Drive $150

I was noticing the different RPM's, does this have a significant bearing on performance? I noticed you got the 7200 RPM 60 gb.

Thanks!

 

Hey Brian, where did you get yours from? I checked out laptopsinc but they didn't have the config I wanted (or I just didn't look hard enough). I ordered directly from Fujitsu but it doesn't look like I'll be in 7th000 heaven until August.

 

I went back to Laptops Inc and did notice the line that states if they don't have the exact config, you could call and order it. But since it would be coming from the manufacturer any way, I decided to cut out the middle man. I chose the 7010D with 512mb (256x2), fingerprint sensor, and 80gb drive. Once the superdrive is released, I want to pick that up with one of the additional batteries.

 

Laptopsinc should have all configurations I believe (other than teh DVD writer which isn't out yet).

Does anyone else thikn the P5020 screen looks better than the P7K's in those pictures? If you don't think about the "Yellow" or "Blue" (since either doesn't look entirely correct anyway), the P5K just looks easier to see.

ELmO

Getting a P7K at some point.

 

keyboard scratching on LCD
Fan noise

Hey brian, thanks for the mini-review and pictures!

From browsing leog.net, It appears some users have had a few small problems, i was wondering if you had noticed the same.

First of all, a couple users stated that if the notebook is closed abruptly or with force, that the keyboard will scratch the LCD. It was also stated that if you were gripping the notebook [while closed] with a tight grip, that the rubber stoppers wouldnt do anything, and that the keys would scratch the LCD.

Secondly, another user stated that sporadically the P7K seemed to heat up and the fan was going loud enough to interupt conversation, and forced him to move to a cooler room. Even after he moved rooms however, he stated that the fan was still going loud enough to annoy him etc.

What are your stance on these 'problems', have they occured etc, thanks a lot! [ ]

 

I'll try to get these in order:

1) The processor will handle everything on this list. You might try Firefox for easier web window management though.

2) I ordered from Laptops Inc.

3) The 7200 is noticable over the 4200 speed drive. There are tons of topics on this already, try searching for more info in the forums.

4) The screen on the 7k is better than the 5k. That's not my opinion, that's a fact. Of course the pictures won't translate as well as real life.

5) Keys often rub the LCD. That is a problem is the 5k, and looks to be less of a problem in the 7k. Buy a leather buffer and you'll be fine. I haven't tried, nor do I plan on trying, slamming it closed to see what happens. It's mine, not a review unit.

6) That fan complaint sounds bogus. Mine hasn't turned on all day or is so quiet I don't hear it. Probably just a bad unit.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

Big Calhoun, I hope yours arrives fine. Laptopsinc has a very very liberal policy that I really shouldn't mention, but I will anyway - their dead pixel policy is amazing (compared to directly from fujitsu).

I would go with laptopsinc if you haven't already done so.


Getting a P7K at some point.

 

Thanks elmalloc. The dead pixel issues really don't bother me. I own quite a few machines and each one has a couple of dead pixels here and there. Honestly, after I use the machine for about a week or so, I no longer notice them unless I don't use the machine for an extended period or I'm looking hard at the screen. My eyes are so bad anyway, I could care less unless they were all in a cluster. In any event, I look forward to machine. I honestly feel that it's everything I was hoping my Libretto would be.

 

Thanks a lot for the quick replies Brian!

As for the key-rubbing on the LCD problem [if you consider it], i was primarily curious for a situation like that. I plan on using my P7K [if so] for college, and its going to be traveling with me through classes and whatnot in a backpack. If some books or other stuff in my backpack was putting slight strain on the notebook compartment of the backpack, would it be enough to cause the keys to rub on the LCD? Or would it take excessive force

Thanks again!

 

Does anyone know if you can get the P7000 with the new PM 1.1 Dothan yet? Intel released it on Monday. The new Dothan 1.1 will have even better battery life than the older PM 1.1. The old 1.1 is around 10 watts and the new Dothan ULV 1.1 is only 5 watts! Not to mention 2MB cache. Not too bad[ ]

It would be nice to know this.

 

You'll likely get moderate rubbing, so like I said, a thin piece of leather will prevent this.

Fujitsu has been slow to adopt Dothan and I doubt this will be any different. I really don't want the chip...it's going to be expensive and really doesn't provide any value for the way I work. If it ends up that battery life is better, then fine, but that would have to be weighed against cost.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

Anyone know anywhere to purchase a thin piece of leather that will fit the P7K [ ]

 

Hey Brian, thanks for the excellent detail in your post. I purchased a my P7010D last week from Fujitsu. They need 2 weeks to provision the order so...it's waiting time. Your updates are keeping me going until mine arrives.

Can you give a bit more detail on the difficulties you are having with the scanner? Also, can you tell us if you purchased the extended life battery? I need it for international flights. I'm hoping it produces close to the projected 11 hours.

Thanks...BSB

 

Instead of having to always put the thin piece of leather in between the keyboard/screen, is it possible to get some larger rubber stop pads (and more) on the screen? Mabye that will stop it from even being able to warp and touch the keyboard.

-ELmO

Getting a P7K at some point.

 

With the rubbing issue, I would imagine that even a clear, removable screen protector could do the trick. Even better, use a micro fiber cloth between the keyboard and screen when closed. This way, you always have something around to clean the screen and take care of those fingerprints!!

Afterthought: I did have one additional question, did it come with any type of soft carrying case? I'm probably going to carry this and my v505 together and am wondering if I should start shopping for a soft case now.

 

I'm still using the styro layer that comes with the machine to buffer the screen from the keys. You can use just about anything to protect the screen though, like BigC suggets. Any crafts store will have a few options for you. Larger rubber feet might work, but there could be implications on the hinge.

The fingerprint scanner is not faulty, they're just all a bit tempermental. If you don't do your scan the exact same every time, it won't work. I think it's a nice feature, but I'm coming close to disabling it.

I did not get the extended battery, the base is just fine. I'm concerned about weight more than battery life.

BigC, get the Case Logic DVD Shuttle case. It's a neoprene that fits the P like a glove. best part, it's $15 or so from Circuit City.



Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

Good look Brian, I'll probably pick one of those cases up before hand.

With respect to the finger print readers, they are all jittery and very sensitive. I disabled mine on my IPaq 5555 not because it didn't work, but it just wasn't convienient in alot of situations. What I learned from those experiences were:

a. you have to find the right angle to scan your finger so all of the details are captured.
b. can't press too hard, nor too soft.
c. can't have sweaty/wet fingers, should be dry.

Of course, trying to retrieve a telephone number while in your car in the dead of summer, in the middle of Georgia doesn't make for a pleasent experience with a fingerprint reader.

 

At this point, would you guys suggest the scroller in the place of the fingerprint reader?

 

I think I'll end up liking the scanner, but the up/down button is nice to have as well. If I had to pick one...I'd go with the up/down.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

This P7000 is a very cool Ultra-light. I would be more happy if it had the 1.1GHz Dothan. It looks as if it doesn't cost any more than the older 1.1GHz Banias. There is alot to gain from it, 5 watts from 7 watts and 2MB cache from 1MB.

 

Brian:

The Sony TR series has a loud, clicking hard disk with a very noticeable red activity light at the keyboard's front edge...very annoying.

Does the Fuji have the same problem?

(The new Sony S Series appears to be suffering from a loud fan, so cool choices are diminishing instead of increasing!)

 

No, I have the 7200RPM drive and while it's louder than the 4200RPM, the difference is very small and generally inaudible. THe fan never turns on, just like me P5020. The Sony TR is more flash and name brand than performance if you ask me.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

Anyone here tried the version with the standard scroll button? I asked P1 about getting a 7K w/o the fingerprint sensor and they said the scroll button is very 'clunky/clumsy feeling', thats why they stock the models with the fingerprint sensor.

 

It's the same as the P5000 I think. It's kind of s ahrp knob if that makes sense. I'll agree that it's nto perfect, but I like the page up/down function for the web. That said, I'm starting to get the feel for this scanner, so it's becomming more useful for me.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

Brian, thanks for the overview -- looks like a great machine!

My Toshiba Libretto L5 has served me reasonably well for a year now, but it's a little slow so I'm looking to replace it. My highest priorities are small size and light weight, but I also need decent processing capabilities. After quite a bit of research, I've narrowed down the field to a handful of notebooks. They include:

Sony VAIO TR5AP ($$$)
Sony VAIO X505 (small HD, no CD)
IBM ThinkPad X40 (short batt life, no CD)
Panasonic ToughBook CF-W2 (slower CPU, less RAM)
Toshiba Dynabook SX (poor review, batt life)

After posting on Usenet, a couple people suggested the P7000--I've checked out the information available, and am starting to get excited about it. I have a couple of questions, if that's okay:

1) Does the P7000 suspend and unsuspend quickly?

2) Will a 7200 rpm HD shorten battery life over a 4200?

Thanks!

 

Another L5 User...WOOHOO!!!! We seem to be few and far between. In the ultralight class, I've given up my L5 for the Fujitsu P7. Stronger processing power, and an optical drive. I've not made up my mind whether I'm going to sell it or keep it to toy around...probably toy around.

I'm not sure on the suspend/unsuspend...mine is due today and I should have it in my hands in hours. I've seen posts that a 7200 rpm drive will shorten battery life, but it doesn't seem by much.

 

1) Yep...less than a few seconds. Of course longer if you hibernate, roughly 20-30 seconds in that case.

2) No. The impact is minimal if any.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

Alright, alright...finally!!! Geesh...quick hits cause I'm still playing.....and helping a friend whose HP just came today (it's his first... [} ])

Shabby construction...nawwwwww. People probably unhappy with the front panel/palm rest and there's no latch on the LCD door. I actually like not having a latch...one less moving part to worry about.

Screen...bright and clear. I might not even enable ClearType. Haven't thrown in a DVD or had it out in sunlight.

Keyboard...I gotta start keeping my nails cut short again. Small...past ultralight users will adapt quickly. Newbies have a learnining curve.

Sound...sounds standard so far. Ask me tomorrow after a little David Banner and some Barrington Levy.

Heat..yes, front bottom corner panel is noticeable (through jeans no less)...there's also a vent there. Centering the laptop on one leg increases comfort.

Coolness Factor...remember the IBM commercial for the T series thinkpads a few months back.....well, THIS is a laptop for playas. If ya serious about your pimpin, baby, this is the machine that makes it look clean...play on podna!!

Speaking of clean...yeah, the fingerprints and smudges are a 'B'!!!....but you can still pimp...

EDIT: Wanted to add some stuff....Like the DVD restore feature and last minute decision not to do backup on HD. Wish they would have reformatted HD though. Also like the fact that they have drivers available on seperate disk...should make clean installs a breeze...OK...I'm leaving....gonna play with fingerprint scanner.

EDIT..err...DISCLAIMER: No I'm not a pimp...just kidding...it's a swell laptop!!

 

Big Calhoun: How's the processing power compared to the L5?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by theise

 

Well, I hope it's all good news, as I just ordered mine from laptopsinc. Thanks to all for the reports, by the way!

 

theise: let us know what you think about it once you get it.

*******************************************************
Fujitsu S6210: 1.6Ghz PM ~ 768MB RAM ~ 60GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
*******************************************************

 

Will do. I ordered the unit with 1GB of RAM and the 7200 rpm 60 GB hard drive. They told me it would be August 13 before it shipped. Hope I can wait that long.

 

I've been looking to purchase my first laptop and have been doing HUGE amounts of research over the past three or four months. I had just about settled on the P5020D when I learned about this new model!

Does anyone know when the DVD writer will be available?

 

theise: I was in the same boat...agonizing. It'll be worth the wait!! Let us know what you think and how you like compared to the Libretto.

fiizok: Seems like the Super-Multi is still up in the air. No one has been able to come up with any new information and Fujitsu removed most references of it from the P7 pages. So far the rumor mill is saying that the Super-Multi is delayed, PortableOne is seeking alternative upgrades, and someone did stumble across a compatiable model made by Panasonic; but it doesn't look like it's for consumer purchase. The wait goes on....

 

There is a standard battery, an extended life one that replaces the main battery, and a modeular battery that replaces the optical drive.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

"I did not get the extended battery, the base is just fine."

this might be a newb question, but i don;t think i fully understand the battery options with the p7. this is my understanding: the laptop ships with the main battery, which is the one mentioned in the post i quoted above. in addition, you can order an additional battery and/or the modular one. my worry is that the stock battery is _not_ the extended battery and that i will need to buy the extended one _and_ a modular one for the best battery life.

i might be complicating what is a simple issue (namely, that there are two batteries: the main one and the modular one), but i want to have this straight before i order.

thanks in advance.

 

Brian, i just ordered my p7k with the 7k60, and was wondering what your opinion was on it. Is it really any noisier than the 5k80? Does it vibrate more etc. Did i make a worthwhile decision purchasing the 7k60 over the 5k80 basically [ ]

 

If you want speed over storage space, you made the only choice you had. The disk is barely louder than the 4200 RPM drive I had in the P5.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

Hey Brian, P1 notified me today that they would be shipping my P7K I cant wait. I just had a quick question, do you know how i can identify i have a 7K60 and not the 4200RPM Fuj 60 GB Drive. When they called i was still very drowsy [had all 4 wisdom teeth pulled this morning] and couldnt quite understand what they were saying, but they said something like the packaging/label would say it had the 60GB drive but it actually had the 7K60. Im still confused. Haha, how can i tell its 7200RPM?

 

Go to device manager and do a Google search on the HDD name. You'll see what it is pretty quickly.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

Wow you respond quick. Thanks again Brian, all your help / questions answered have been very useful! Much appreciated. Cant wait to recieve my P7k [ ]

 

where should i purchase my fujitsu p7010d from?

 

www.laptopsinc.com

They have good prices, nice return policy and great customer service.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

sorry, my reference to portableone is www.laptopsinc.com

 

I read on fujitsu homepage that the ram is maxed at 1 gig (option), portableone has it offered with a 2 gig ram option, is this possible?

 

Yes, 2GB is possible but very expensive and won't add much value.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com