fujitsu lifebook t4220 laptop review

Fujitsu has made many users happy with the release of their newest Tablet PC, the LifeBook T4220. The LifeBook T4220 steps in to take the place of its predecessor the LifeBook T4215. Both contain many of the same features, but the T4220 is built on the Santa Rosa platform. The T4220 is the perfect travel companion considering in only weighs a little over four pounds and its bi-directional hinge will definitely have heads turning.

While the LifeBook T4220 battery orignal battery code fpcbp155 falls in the middle of the weight range for a thin-and-light laptop, it is a bit hefty for a tablet; we were able to cradle it in one arm, clipboard-style, but never for more than a few minutes. Like most tablets larger than a UMPC, the LifeBook T4220 seems best for those who want to take handwritten notes while sitting at a desk or conference table.

The LifeBook T4220's 12.1-inch display offers a native resolution of 1,024x768. That resolution and its standard (4:3) aspect ratio are rather ho-hum compared to the wide-screen displays found on most thin-and-light laptops, but we appreciated the T4220's dell vostro 1720 batttery larger type and icons while we were navigating with the stylus. Our review unit's price includes an indoor/outdoor display that provides excellent off-angle viewing and is readable in a variety of different lighting conditions, including summer afternoon sun. (If you're likely to only use your tablet in typical work environments, you can save $150 by opting for a standard display finish.) While most tablets include a small slot in the base so you can tuck the stylus out of sight, the LifeBook T4220's stylus sits in full view on the left side of the display bezel--a somewhat unattractive design that nevertheless keeps the stylus within easy reach. A number of other features around the bezel help you navigate when the computer is in tablet mode: a fingerprint reader for quick and keyboard-free log-ons, plus buttons for Alt, Fn, page up, and page down.

Like its predecessor, the LifeBook T4220 vgp-bps2c features a bidirectional swivel, which lets you twist the screen in any direction you like. When you rotate and fold down the display, the computer automatically locks the laptop's optical disc drive and rotates the screen 90 degrees into portrait mode. A button alongside the display also lets you manually adjust the screen orientation in all four directions. Because the LifeBook T4220's vents get quite hot, however, we don't recommend orienting the screen so the vent side rests against your body.

Writing on the LifeBook T4220 was comfortable enough for quickly scribbled notes but not ideal for writing a lengthy document: the stylus lacks heft, and we wish the writing surface offered a little more resistance. We found the stylus responsive, however, and loved the eraser feature on top, which works exactly like a pencil eraser; though the eraser isn't unique to Fujitsu, we consider it a key feature for any tablet stylus. When not using the system in tablet mode, the amply sized keyboard and rectangular touch pad function well, although the keys are somewhat loud. We appreciate that even the heaviest key strokes weren't enough to make the LifeBook T4220's display wobble. We also love the scroll button, located between the laptop's two mouse buttons, which let us coast through long documents and Web pages with ease.

The Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 dell latitude d630 battery has a more or less average selection of ports and connections for a thin-and-light laptop, though it does lack a mini-FireWire jack. An ExpressCard slot would have been nice as well, especially if you want to add mobile broadband later on (Fujitsu does not offer a built-in WWAN radio, even as an option). We do like the LifeBook T4220's integrated smart card reader, which lets you add a level of security beyond just passwords. And we appreciate the port covers that keep dust and debris out of some (but, strangely, not all) of the laptop's ports. As would be expected on a work-oriented tablet, the LifeBook T4220's stereo speakers produce extremely tinny sound.

As befitting a laptop built on Intel's latest Centrino Duo platform, the $2,249 Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 performed well on CNET Labs' mobile benchmarks. Its performance equaled or exceeded that of the $2,102 Gateway E-265M and the $1,499 Lenovo 3000 V200. One notable exception: the LifeBook T4220 trailed far behind both systems and even a previous-generation Dell XPS M1210 dell kd476 on our Photoshop test. The most likely culprit is the Fujitsu's paltry allotment of RAM--half as much as the competing systems. If you're likely to do resource-intensive tasks beyond Web surfing and pounding out memos, you should consider upgrading to at least 2GB of RAM, which will add $150 to the price.

The Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 lasted an impressive 2 hours, 41 minutes on our resource-intensive DVD drain test; this test is especially grueling, so you can expect longer life from casual Web surfing and office use. The Dell XPS M1210 managed to last longer than the LifeBook T4220, but the Dell also included a much larger battery. The Lenovo 3000 V200 dell vostro 1000 battery included similar components (with the exception of a slightly slower processor) and lasted only 2 hours, 16 minutes.

Fujitsu covers the system with a one-year warranty. Support is available through a 24-7, toll-free phone line, and technicians can connect to your computer over the Internet to diagnose problems. Standard Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and driver downloads also are available. Adding an extra year of service costs $100, and upgrading to next-business-day on-site service is an additional $50 per year. Fujitsu is also unique among laptop vendors in offering a no-questions-asked Screen Damage Protection Plan that costs $150 for one year and $383 for three years.

The LifeBook T4220 is an impressive notebook. As I mentioned earlier the display is bold and clear and it has great viewing angles thanks to the bi-directional hinge. The chassis is solid and there is no wobble from the screen. The design is kind of plain-Jane, but it out-performs many of its contenders, which the benchmarks prove. The keyboard showed a lot of flex, which I am not a fan of. I would rather have a solid keyboard with stiffer keys. Overall the T4220 is a durable tablet that can be used anywhere. It's great for note-taking or office work because it isn't too heavy and it has Wacom.