Fujitsu Netbook Goes The Distance

Fujitsu has finally joined the bandwagon with the launch of its M Series of netbooks. The M2010 has the same features as any other netbook but comes with a couple of interesting features that makes it stand out.

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The Fujitsu M2010 is available in three colours (Black, Red, and White) and comes with a microphone and headphone jack, 4-in-1 card reader, Ethernet port, three USB ports, as well as a D-Sub port. It also comes with Bluetooth for connecting input devices or mobile phones wirelessly.

Its 10.1-inch WSVGA screen (native resolution 1024×600) is bright and produced crisp images. The keyboard is cramped, with us having a hard time pressing some of the buttons (like the Tab and Right Shift key, for example). It could have been better if Fujitsu used a bigger sized keyboard for this netbook so that it would be easier for users to type on it. The touchpad was responsive and the two buttons were easy to click. The onboard web camera and microphone will allow users to conduct web conferencing or VoIP calls without the need for external accessories.

Specifications-wise, the M2010 uses Intel’s N280 Atom processor running at 1.66 GHz with a Mobile 945 Express Chipset as its video card, comes with a gigabyte of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and runs on Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 3.

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Pre-installed programs include Arcsoft (a webcamera software), Atheros Client Utility, Roxio Creator for creating audio CD or data discs, as well as a couple of proprietary programs used for creating factory recovery DVDs and updating drivers. It does not have any anti-virus program installed, which for us is a good thing, as it saved us the hassle of uninstalling a 30-day trial software.

One program that we really liked is the ThinkFree Mobile suite that allowed us to create a word document, spreadsheet, and presentation without having to pay for any licensing fees. It even saves the files as DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX, making it compatible with the current Microsoft Office suite.

Since the M2010 has the same processor and RAM as other netbooks in the market, expect it to be limited to opening and/or editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, surfing the Internet, listening to music, watching stored movies, and viewing photos. Users can also stream movies from YouTube but expect slowdowns when watching HD videos.

The six-cell battery lasted for 230 minutes in our drain test. The M2010’s speakers were loud enough to be heard in a small room, making it a good audio and video player.

The M2010 is a solid netbook that performs well. It comes with various programs that allow users to edit documents while on the go and can go the distance with its 6-cell battery. It is available now from $699 and comes with Fujitsu’s 2-year warranty.