Fujitsu LifeBook C1320D

Fujitsu designed the LifeBook C1320D as an affordable high-production notebook for business users. This speedy 6.4-pound system mostly succeeds, with only a few road blocks slowing it down.

A fast 2-GHz Intel Pentium M 760 processor powers the C1320D, blowing through demanding tasks like MP3 encoding, file compression, and data encryption. A full gigabyte of RAM would have been a nice complement to such a powerful CPU, but the 512MB of 533-MHz DDR2 memory installed in our test system got the job done. You can customize the C1320D with 1GB of memory for an additional $140.

Even with only 512MB, the C1320D put up a remarkable score of 241 in MobileMark; most mainstream notebooks can barely hit 200. Adding to the system's performance is a 5,400-rpm hard drive that offers a healthy 80GB of storage capacity. This drive is accompanied by a DVD burner that can write to dual-layer discs.

The LifeBook C1320D features a 15.4-inch widescreen with a WXGA resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. This LCD easily displays two applications side by side. The anti-glare coating is more conducive to productivity apps than the glossy finish found on entertainment laptops.

Business users might wish this notebook had some kind of hard-wired security, like a TPM chip. However, with a PC Card slot and an ExpressCard/54 slot, you can easily add a fingerprint scanner or Smart Card reader.

Otherwise, the LifeBook C1320D has the standard array of interfaces. Business users will appreciate the parallel and serial ports for legacy peripherals. We're not crazy about three of the USB ports being on the back of the chassis, however, where they're hard to reach. That can be a pain if you'd like to plug in two portable devices at the same time. The rest of the ports are located on the right side of the notebook.

We appreciate the tri-mode Wi-Fi adapter, but we think Fujitsu should have stuck with Intel's Wi-Fi adapter rather than go with Atheros. Not only did this strip the C1320D of its Centrino badge, but it cut nearly 45 minutes off the system's battery runtime. Fortunately, there's a hard-wired On/Off switch for the Wi-Fi radio; we only wish it was a little larger. Instead, it's a tiny switch that measures less than 0.3-inches high, stuck in the back corner of the base.

On the upside, the keyboard is very spacious, with an intuitive layout. We found it very comfortable to use for extended periods. The scroll rocker below the touchpad is a nice  touch, but we don't understand why it uses a 4:3 aspect ratio instead of 16:10 to match the display.

Installed applications include InterVideo WinDVD and Intuit Quicken 2005 New User Edition, as well as the Fujitsu LifeBook Application Panel to configure the five one-touch keys above the keyboard that double as multimedia controls. On Fujitsu's S series LifeBooks, these buttons work with the Fujitsu Security Application Panel to serve as a keypad for securing your system, but unfortunately this feature doesn't extend to the C series (an odd omission for a business notebook).

This system is designed for work, not play. With the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 embedded into the 915GM chipset, the C1320D was able to play Far Cry at 1024 x 768 only when we had all the detail settings cranked down as far as they'd go, and even then it was really choppy. The 3DMark03 benchmark test served up expectedly low results, giving this LifeBook a score of 900.

Along with a standard one-year warranty and optional three-year warranty, Fujitsu includes 24/7 toll-free tech support. Considering its very fast processor, beautiful screen, and cornucopia of external interfaces and networking options, the Fujitsu LifeBook C1320D is a good value.