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Fujitsu Launches Green Computer
7th November 2005
The 1 Kilogram PC - for finance professionals on the move
Fujitsu Siemens Computers, has just released what it claims to be the lightest Tablet PC on the market, weighing in at just one Kilogram. This lightweight machine is also very compact being fractionally bigger than an average adult's fully extended hand. Its screen, which is a full 23cms (8.9inches) on the diagonal can be folded completely flat to form a 'slate' or writing surface using a stylus or any hard object under Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. Taking all of these factors together, the Lifebook P1510 is going to be of great interest to senior finance professionals on the move. FSN road tested this exciting new machine all of last week.
Traditional laptop PC's are undoubtedly convenient but despite many design improvements they are still very heavy and unwieldy to cart around between meetings, on public transport and through airports. Even though they are described as laptops they are generally cumbersome and uncomfortable to use on one's lap. However, the Lifebook P1510 is genuinely a mobile device which 'sits' somewhere between a PDA and a laptop PC. It measures approximately 23 long by 17 cm wide by 3.5cms deep, i.e. about the size of an adult male's fully extended hand and weighs the same as a small bag of sugar. So this machine is genuinely notebook sized and can be held comfortably in one hand. Therefore it is one of the first machines that allows the user to take advantage fully of the pen functionality available within Window XP Tablet PC Edition and makes mobile computing a pleasure.
For many finance professionals the ability to literally write their notes and sketch diagrams directly onto the surface of the Lifebook P1510 is a very major advantage. This Tablet PC provides a writing stylus which is stowed away safely inside the machine but also permits notes to be written onto the slate using the point of an ordinary pen. In fact, this reviewer found it easier to use a pen than the stylus provided. A virtual keyboard can be used for more accurate data entry using the stylus. For those that prefer to use the Lifebook as a notebook the screen can be unfolded and rotated on a hinge to reveal a fully fledged Qwerty keyboard.
Once the notes are complete they can be stored just like any other electronic documents and retrieved just as easily. So for users that are constantly on the move between meetings there is no need to gather physical documents or note pads and it is a simple matter to continue note taking on the same document that may have been used in, say, a similar project meeting a week earlier. Also, the ability to record diagrams using Windows Journal or Corel Grafigo, which is included in the package, is helpful to finance professionals in a wide range of settings, for example, process diagrams, organisation charts, systems issues and company structures.
The LifeBook P1510 is powered by an ultra-low-voltage 1.2GHz Pentium M 753 processor. The system comes with 512MB of RAM which is expandable to a maximum of 1GB and a 60GB hard drive. As such the Lifebook has plenty of power and storage to provide support for most standard office and email tasks. However, it would not necessarily be suitable for heavy analytical tasks, for example with very large spreadsheets which would in any case be difficult to view comfortably on a screen the size of the Lifebook.
In addition it has a full complement of communications options such as wireless connectivity, Bluetooth and LAN which are all essential for computing on the move. Fujitsu Siemens says battery life using the standard 3 cell pack is up to 4.5 hours and up to 9.5 hours with the bigger 6 cell pack although FSN has not tested this. The system offers a built in fingerprint sensor as one of the security options available.
The Fujitsu Siemens Computers Lifebook P1510 is a stylish and elegant machine that is easily going to find its way into boardrooms. It is the first combined notebook and tablet PC that in our opinion genuinely offers the excellent portability that is essential to making pen functionality a practical and rewarding option. With entry prices at around, £1300 + VAT it will also quickly find its way into the hands of senior and middle financial management and consultants that absolutely need computing on the move.
About FSN Publishing Limited
FSN Publishing Limited is an independent research, news and publishing organisation catering for the needs of the finance function. The report is written by Gary Simon, Group Publisher of FSN and Managing Editor of FSN Newswire. He is a graduate of London University , a Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the British Computer Society with more than 23 years experience of implementing management and financial reporting systems. Formerly a partner in Deloitte for more than 16 years, he has led some of the most complex information management assignments for global enterprises in the private and public sector.
Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure that the information in this document is accurate and complete some typographical errors or technical inaccuracies may exist. This report is of a general nature and not intended to be specific to a particular set of circumstances. FSN Publishing Limited and the author do not accept responsibility for any kind of loss resulting from the use of information contained in this document.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers, has just released what it claims to be the lightest Tablet PC on the market, weighing in at just one Kilogram. This lightweight machine is also very compact being fractionally bigger than an average adult's fully extended hand. Its screen, which is a full 23cms (8.9inches) on the diagonal can be folded completely flat to form a 'slate' or writing surface using a stylus or any hard object under Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. Taking all of these factors together, the Lifebook P1510 is going to be of great interest to senior finance professionals on the move. FSN road tested this exciting new machine all of last week. 
For many finance professionals the ability to literally write their notes and sketch diagrams directly onto the surface of the Lifebook P1510 is a very major advantage. This Tablet PC provides a writing stylus which is stowed away safely inside the machine but also permits notes to be written onto the slate using the point of an ordinary pen. In fact, this reviewer found it easier to use a pen than the stylus provided. A virtual keyboard can be used for more accurate data entry using the stylus. For those that prefer to use the Lifebook as a notebook the screen can be unfolded and rotated on a hinge to reveal a fully fledged Qwerty keyboard. 
In addition it has a full complement of communications options such as wireless connectivity, Bluetooth and LAN which are all essential for computing on the move. Fujitsu Siemens says battery life using the standard 3 cell pack is up to 4.5 hours and up to 9.5 hours with the bigger 6 cell pack although FSN has not tested this. The system offers a built in fingerprint sensor as one of the security options available.