Jason Dunn
03-01-2007, 10:20 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=P7230' target='_blank'>http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=P7230</a><br /><br /></div><i>"In an all new sleek design, the LifeBook® P7230 notebook offers exceptional performance with its Crystal View display, extended battery life (up to 9.75 hours4), and the latest Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology. The LifeBook P7230 notebook is the ultimate travel companion weighing as little as 2.63 lbs."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/p7230_rightangle_cdout_blk.jpg" /><br /><br />I've been waiting with baited breath for this new P7000 series laptop from Fujitsu, and I have to admit I'm a bit underwhealmed. I've owned a P5000 series and a P7000 series, both 10.6" screened precursors to this new P7230 laptop. The CPU is still at 1.2 Ghz, because we're <a href="http://laptoping.com/intel-core-2-solo-ulv-celeron-m-500-523.html">still waiting for new CPUs from Intel</a>. But if Sony can put a 1.33 Ghz Core Solo in a <a href="http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=lNR1yLrp-2h17P8K7xh_w_X4C6-KNwnKTJY=?ProductSKU=VGNUX390N&Dept=computers&CategoryName=cpu_VAIONotebookComputers_UX_Series">tiny UX series device</a>, why can't Fujitsu get more CPU power on the P7230? They're using 1.8" hard drives, capped at 80 GB in size, which is already the size of the 2.5" drive I have in the P7010D I'm typing this post up on. And apparently even with the secondary battery we're only looking at 9.5 hours of battery life - my current unit will do 11 hours. Oh, and the only two options are Vista Home Basic and Vista Business - why no Home Premium? And why on earth does their post replicator still only have a VGA port? Going from 1 GB of RAM up to 2 GB costs $527. Yuck. And, incredibly, <a href="http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=LifeBook+P7230">buying a 2GB memory stick from Crucial costs even more</a>: $594 USD!<br /><br />On the plus side, this new machine has Bluetooth 2.0, gigabit ethernet, a built-in Web cam, and I think the unit is also fan-free and completely silent. I need to check into that further, because my current machine is <b>noisy</b> and it constantly ticks me off. But I'm not sure Fujitsu has done enough here to earn my repeat business. I'm even considering, <gasp>, a <a href="http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start?CategoryName=cpu_VAIONotebookComputers_TXSeries&Dept=computers">Sony TX series notebook</a>.