Fujitsu-Siemens Lifebook Q2010 review

Can this status symbol justify the price tag?

2 October 2006 11:00 GMT / By Stephen Patrick

There is an important fact you need to know about this notebook: it isn’t a notebook, it’s a status symbol. Fujitsu Siemens has designed it in collaboration with a number of executives, who are it’s target market here, asking them what they need and want to see from a tool they’d willing pay the best part of £3000 for. The result is the Fujitsu-Siemens Lifebook Q2010, a 1.1kg machine that is as light as you’ll find in a fully-fledged notebook.

One of the major selling points for this laptop has to be the inclusion of 3G, in the form of an integrated SIM card and controller software from Sierra Wireless and allows you to keep in touch with the office regardless of your location.

Considering the weight, the screen hasn’t been compromised, as you’ll find a 12.1kg panel, which is larger than the Sony VAIO TX2XP that weighs in at the same weight. Being widescreen it’s comfortable to view and image quality is adequate. The lid has a piano lacquer for tough protection with no added weight but fingerprints can quickly build up, so you’ll need to wipe it down regularly. Open the lid and you’ll find a compact keyboard, which takes a little time to get used to but the keys are well mounted and have a reassuring click as you type.

With such a weight you’d be expecting to have this laptop as a constant companion but we found that with an average life of less than two hours we were forced to opt for the extender battery, which delivers a far more appealing five hours, helping you get through most of a working day. To keep prying eyes away from you files, you’ll find a Biometric fingerprint scanner built into the chassis. Backed by Smartcase security software and a TMP chip, it’s as safe as you’ll find on any mobile solution.

Powered by an Intel Core Solo U1400 (ULV), which runs at 1.2GHz, we found it a quick machine, especially thanks to the 1024MB of DDR2 memory it’s shipped with. Continuing with the theme of innovation, you’ll find the hard drive isn’t a standard size but the smaller 1.8-inch variety. The only downside is the capacity but 60GB is large enough for most people, though.

To help make this your work machine in the office you’ll find a docking station is supplied. Holding a DVD rewriter drive as well as four USB2.0 ports, users will also find a VGA-port, you can send you’re docked notebook image to a larger screen. We’d like to have seen the inclusion of a hard drive in this docking station, that way you could have a permanent backup of files but sadly it’s been omitted.

Verdict

So, does the Fujitsu-Siemens Lifebook Q2010 justify the asking price? Only a limited number will be made and as status symbols go, it’s an appealing choice.

It’s not the most cost-effective notebook out there but if you’ve money to burn you’ll enjoy spending it on this notebook.

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Review Recap

Made by: Fujitsu-Siemens
Price as reviewed: £2838
Latest price: Compare prices
The good: Super light, stylish
The bad: The price, poor battery life
Quick verdict: Fujitsu Siemens has put together the ultimate executive toy but you’ll need a good bonus to be able to afford it
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