Hands-on Review: Fujitsu LifeBook Q2010

I unpacked two Fujitsu laptop PCs this week, one (LifeBook N6420) that makes my Dell Inspiron model look downright puny, the other (LifeBook Q2010), so small, light, and slim, I stood there holding it a few moments in disbelief.

Both are candidates in Yahoo! Tech's Last Gadget Standing competition, which culminates at CES in January. Chris takes a look at the Fujitsu N6420 in this post, and he's right when he says the N6420 stands out with its Visual Optimizer feature. You can switch between "PC mode" and "video mode" for brighter, deeper color, a nice perk for gamers and movie watchers.

The glossy 17-inch LCD screen makes the N6420 a nice media machine. But it's not portable. At 9.7 pounds, it's meant to replace your desktop, and the full-size keyboard with a number pad on the right makes that possible. As Chris notes, however, the battery life is poor, as it is on many desktop replacement PCs, and it makes getting through even one movie without an AC power adapter impossible.

The Q2010 is its opposite in many ways. It is the ultimate in portability: 2.2 pounds, less than a foot wide with a nice 12.1-inch glossy display, and 3/4 inch thick.

It's a perfect size for the heavy business traveler. It takes a while for your fingers to get used to the small keyboard, and the half-size period and comma keys don't help. But you're giving up an ample keyboard for true portability, and as long as the Q2010 is not your only laptop, that's just fine. I'd also be playing with font sizes and magnification before too long; the small print is a tad taxing on my forty-something eyes.

And yet, the svelte laptop provides a great way to get work done on the road, in a stylish package of grays and blacks, mixing matte finishes with glossy black trim. It is nice-looking, and it should be: The Q2010 starts at $1,999, and fully loaded and accessorized, it can cost as much as $3,500.

The basic model comes with a 30GB hard drive, an Intel Core Solo processor, a three-cell battery that lasts under two hours, and a one-year warranty. This model is not Bluetooth-enabled, like the upgraded models.

For $3,500, you get an 80GB hard drive, an additional six-cell battery that Fujitsu says lasts up to seven hours, 1GB RAM, a three-year warranty, and a $300 docking station you'll need if you want a dual-layer DVD burner, four additional USB ports (two come on the laptop), and video-out and Ethernet ports.

I can see the Q2010 emerging as a favorite of executives with heavy travel schedules and ample expense budgets. Though self-employed types like me would love to have an ultraportable laptop like this to take on the road, the reality is we'll probably have to trade lightweight style for affordability. A fully loaded and faster ThinkPad X60s can be had for more than $1,000 less.

What do you think? Is there a big market for a trim ultraportable that performs well and looks good while doing it?