Fujitsu LifeBook A6010

Speed, ample storage, and an excellent display are the highlights of the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010, which also packs an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a dual-layer multiformat DVD burner into a six-pound, silver-and-ebony body. Priced at $1,419, as tested, this system has everything notebook buyers are looking for, provided they upgrade to the higher-capacity battery.

 

The 14.1 x 10.4 x 1.4-inch A6010 offers a spacious, spill-resistant keyboard that makes typing a pleasure. Above the keyboard are two handy quick-launch buttons, "My Home" and "Web Search," for quickly accessing a user-defined start page or search engine. Volume keys sit to the right of these buttons, and the speakers embedded in the front bezel deliver surprisingly loud and clear sound. As with most notebooks, loud volume is accompanied by subpar bass.

 

DVDs looked great on the 15.4-inch Crystal View (1280 x 800-pixel) widescreen display. We liked the strong colors and wide viewing angles, which allow more than one person to check out a movie without too much degradation of the image quality. You can use the included 6X DVD burner if you want to make movies instead of just watch them, and a 120GB hard drive ensures you'll have lots of real estate for videos and other large files.

 

We like that the A6010 comes with three USB ports, a FireWire port, and both PC Card and ExpressCard slots. However, we were disappointed in the placement of the three USB ports. Only one is easily accessible; the two others are stacked on top of one another on the back of the notebook. Fujitsu also includes a 4-in-1 memory card reader to accommodate most digital cameras.

 

To help you organize all of your digital media and access it easily, Fujitsu bundles the A6010 with the Media Center OS. You also get a full-functioned remote control that works with a USB-powered infrared receiver. Unfortunately, there aren't any multimedia controls on the system itself.

 

Powered by the 1.6-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of RAM, the A6010 delivered a good MobileMark 2005 score of 238; it even held up under the pressures of playing a DVD and running a virus scan simultaneously. The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 processor managed a scant score of 1,507 on our 3DMark03 tests. But wireless throughput measured a solid 16.8 Mbps from 15 feet and 12.3 Mbps from 50 feet.

 

Unfortunately, you won't be able to work for very long while the A6010 is unplugged. The included four-cell battery lasted for only 1 hour and 36 minutes with Wi-Fi off, which is almost a full two hours less than average for a mainstream notebook. We recommend purchasing the optional six-cell battery ($109), which offers 3.5 hours of battery life.

 

Durability and security are two of the A6010's strong points. Besides the spill-resistant keyboard, the notebook also includes Fujitsu's Shock Sensor technology, which temporarily withdraws the hard drive heads when a fall, vibration, or sudden impact is detected. The security-conscious will appreciate the included biometric fingerprint reader that's nestled between the mouse buttons and doubles as a Web-page scroller when surfing. You can also set the notebook to lock itself with password protection should it sense that it's moving.

 

Our tested configuration came with Roxio Digital Media SE, CyberLink Power Producer, Microsoft's Office applications, and Windows Movie Maker for editing video clips. Fujitsu includes a one-year or three-year international limited warranty with 24/7 tech support.

 

Despite the weak endurance with its included battery, the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 is a solid, Windows Vista-capable notebook.