A great Ultraportable notebook/laptop!
Written: Mar 12 '04 (Updated Nov 04 '06)
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Pros: full featured, small size and weight, great battery life
Cons: expensive, smaller keyboard size, small(but sharp)screen
The Bottom Line: If you think smaller is better, this is as good a notebook as any. A pretty good value for your money.
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| carlwu's Full Review: Fujitsu LIFEBOOK P5020D (FPCM20206) PC Notebook |
Portability is a key feature for many of today's electronics: mp3 players, pda's, pagers, cell phones, etc. Laptops are no exception. In general what small size gives you is usually balanced by the negatives of higher expense, shorter battery life, lesser processing power and few features. You have to weigh the negatives with the positives to help you decide what is right for you. Recently however, a new class of laptops dubbed "Ultraportables" possess an excellent combination of size and a full feature list--the P5020D is among the top of this class.
The P5020D from the factory has choices of operating system (XP home vs pro), hard drive size (40 gig vs 60gig) and system memory (256mb vs 512). The "D" in the name affords you a 502.11b/g wireless adapter whereas the standard P5020 gives you a 502.11b only. The 502.11b is fine for internet use but if you have large files to transfer to a desktop or other network PC, the 502.11g functionality affords much higher bandwidth/speed.
Here is the core feature list for my P5020D:
1GHz intel M processor, 256mb DDR SDRAM, 60gig HD, 10" wide format TFT screen (1280x768), DVD player/CDR burner combo drive, smaller than full size keyboard, firewire port, ethernet port, 502.11b/g adapter, multple memory card readers, integrated intel graphics, WinXP PRO.
I will comment on a few features below:
Processor: PLENTY GOOD. Not the fastest kid on the block but extremely efficient at conserving power and is plenty fast for productivity software and internet use. A laptop is not intended for workstation-class performance so a tradeoff in this area is hardly noticeable.
Memory: GOOD. 256mb is pretty good for my purposes. I know of some budget systems coming with 128mb but 256 should really be considered the bare minimum with Windows XP. Any less will involve heavy hard drive use and noticeable system slowdown. Given that the P5020D has only one SODIMM memory slot, if you anticipate the need, get the 512mb upgrade right off the bat. The P5020D can also handle the newer 1 gig SODIMMs although Fujitsu does not mention that in support documents. A 512mb DDR SODIMM will run you just under $100 if you plan on upgrading yourself.
Hard Drive: GOOD. Get what you think you will need and then some. Basically, I am recommending the 60 gig option because in this day of information, hard drives fill up fast. It is a minor pain to upgrade the hard drive mainly because imaging the old drive is sometimes less than fool proof. To Fujitsu's credit, a copy of the original HD contents is available on a separate partition in image form so that if you installation gets messed up, you can restore the laptop to it's original condition without much fuss. The HD included is 4200rpm and is not the fastest but higher rpm hard drives will consume a good deal more power and produce significantly more heat (which may shorten life). Just something to consider when you are given other aftermarket upgrade options.
Power: PLENTY GOOD. Though it's battery is only 4 cell and not as big as some, it powers the P5020D for almost 4 hours. The CDR/DVD drive can be hot-swapped with an additional battery (optional) for close to 11 hours of battery life. This is achieved though the power-thrift M processor and power saving features such as shutting down unused ports and a screen-dimming mode.
Keyboard: OK. The smaller keyboard took time to get used to for my average sized hands. If you have large hands, you definitely want to try this keyboard out before you buy. Even still, I cannot type as fast as with my full sized desktop keyboard and am more prone to typing errors.
CDR/DVD: GREAT. To me, a laptop without a DVD player is not an option. The ability to burn CD's is a big plus in this age with no floppies. Someday, DVD burners will be in the cards but for now, the P5020D has got the goods.
Screen: PLENTY GOOD. It is small but extremely sharp and bright. For older users or far sighted users, the small size may mean that text is too difficult to read. I don't have any problem with it. The resolution is 1280x768 so even though it is smaller, it packs a lot of resolution in the size. The widescreen format is ideal for DVD movies. The power saving mode dims the screen, making it hard to see but that option is defeatable. The integrated Intel graphics is not workstation class but again, an acceptible tradeoff for a notebook.
WiFi: GREAT. 502.11b/g. You need it and if you don't, you will some day. Ethernet port is also available to use at venues where that is the only way to get internet access. As mentioned earlier, 502.11b is adequate for internet use but the "g" shows it's value in the transfer of large data to and from network PC's.
Multi-card reader: GREAT. This is no gimmick. Memory cards are something just about everyone is starting to have. Photographers on the go no longer have to buy multiple expensive memory cards but can upload their pics to the laptop. MP3 players can get their playlists on cards updated easily. PDA's can have info transfered to SD card without fuss. Etc, etc. To have multiple memory card readers on board is a huge plus in my eyes. The fewer add-ons for the laptop the better.
Ports: GREAT. Firewire, USB2.0, Ethernet. Headphone jack up front. You can't ask for better. OK, no parallel port but that is really a legacy port. I don't miss it.
Size: GREAT. This, after all, is an Ultraportable-class notebook. It lives up to the bill. Easily the smallest FULL FEATURED notebook extant. The small size makes it easy to carry anywhere. Small notebooks that are not full-featured will ultimately rob you of portability when you start adding peripherals, ie. external DVD player, external card reader, HD, etc. The more function you get built-in the better. The only thing I added to my Fujitsu is a notebook mouse.
Price: OK. Has everything I want in a notebook but is still relatively pricey in absolute terms. Not an issue if you have a laptop as a corporate benefit--not so good if you are like me and are paying out of pocket. Stacked against the competition, it's still a pretty good value. The IBM X series ultraportable is equal or better but at a HUGE premium. BTW, Fujitsu is a huge computer juggernaut. Easily the japanese version of IBM.
Update: 11/06
OK, the Fujitsu is still doing great. No problems whatsoever. I did decide to upgrade the HD to an Hitachi 7200rpm model--man what a difference! I can't believe how slow the 4200rpm drive was. It makes a huge difference! Also, the battery apparently is included among the Sony manufactured problematic batteries--Fujitsu says they intend to replace it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1750
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 10 inches
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
carlwu
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Location: cle, OH
Reviews written: 22
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