Fujitsu LifeBook B5010 (Pentium M 1GHz, 256MB RAM)

CNETAsia 14 May 2004

Touted by Fujitsu as a notebook that offers the best of both worlds--easy portability and strong computing power--the LifeBook B5010 certainly looks very capable on paper. It's hard not to be impressed by its minimalist footprint which should relieve users from an aching shoulder. However, certain features like infrared which has come to be a default on Centrino machines are unforgivably missing from this setup.

Design
Measuring a petite 268 x 225 x 23.9mm and weighing only 1.25kg (with the smaller 3-cell battery), the B5010 is truly a featherweight champion worthy of the consideration of aesthetically minded mobile professional. Coated with a matt silver finish along with black accentuations, the slim and clean lines of this notebook clearly mark it as a classic Fujitsu. Unlike cheaper notebooks, we find the B5010's construction to be very rigid, and when opened, can be confidently held by the bottom corner without any noticeable sagging or creaking.

For those who insist on deeply tactile and comfy keyboards, they may be well advised to give the B5010 a miss; its shallow keyboard takes some getting used to. The touchpad is just the right size, though, allowing the user cursor mobility across the span of the screen, yet at the same time the touchpad is not so big that unwitting thumbs may accidentally brush against it.

The included port replicator hardly weighs more than an external keyboard and is definitely a suitable candidate for the briefcase. Besides adding an additional parallel, serial, PS/2, VGA, Ethernet, audio line out and two USB 2.0 ports, the replicator raises the keyboard to an ergonomic slant for more comfortable usage.

Extra points are awarded for Fujitsu's thoughtfulness in covering all available ports with a handy rubber lid that springs back easily into place, though the usual gripe that we have for the tying up of certain keys to the FUNCTION button is again manifest in the B5010.

Features
Our test set was a 1GHz Intel Pentium with 256MB DDR266 SDRAM which is upgradeable to 1,024MB. A 40GB hard drive complemented the setup. With an Intel Extreme Graphics 2 integrated chip, gaming is definitely not recommended on this machine.

Powering on, the system fan spins at an alarmingly loud whirl though it lasts for hardly more than a couple of seconds. For a mobile machine, a tangle of wires definitely counts as an organizational heresy, which then infinitely puzzles us when we realize that the B5010 comes with neither an infrared port nor Bluetooth. Besides the missing duo, FireWire is also dismally missing although the B5010 makes up for the lack by including a total of four USB 2.0 ports via the port replicator.

A CompactFlash and a PC Card slot fulfill additional add-on needs while a handy switch on the front panel turns on the Intel Pro Wireless 802.11b dual antenna. Audio-wise, we garnered surprising good performance despite the two tiny speakers. Voice clarity on our test DVD movie came through pretty cleanly although the Hollywood pyrotechnics drew only a jarring distortion. The 12.1-inch TFT screen was plenty bright and good enough to work with during al fresco dining in the afternoon.

Performance
Under MobileMark2002, the B5010 romped home with a score of 144 which was quite credible given that the Toshiba Portege M200 with a 1.5GHz processor scored only 129. All in all, we are confident the B5010 is more than adequate for productivity and content creation tasks.

Battery
Giving up after 142 minutes on BatteryMark2002, the smaller 2,200mAh battery (optional) didn't go down without a fight. With the standard 4,400mAh battery, it went the distance for 289 minutes which placed it firmly on the upper end of Centrino notebooks.

Service And Support
Pickings are a little slim on the software side, with Fujitsu bundling in only a Norman Virus Control and Personal Firewall and PC-Doctor for Windows with Windows XP Professional. Online support is limited to an FAQ section and driver downloads whereas a print manual outlines most of the system's hardware features. A Targus black notebook bag is also thrown in.

A first-year international and subsequent two years' worth of local warranty are all that protects the B5010 from defects which, given the B5010's target audience of traveling business executives, is pretty tightfisted.

Reproduced courtesy of CNETAsia