An onboard battery, integrated Wi-Fi connectivity and small footprint give the LifeBook L2010 convenient mobility within crowded offices and homes.

As funny as it sounds, the Fujitsu LifeBook L2010 looks nothing like a notebook. In fact, the L2010 looks more like a space-saving desktop, where the typical design consists of PC components integrated behind a LCD panel with a keyboard that folds down from the screen. But while the LifeBook resembles a desktop system, its features do not. Besides a mobile processor, the L2010 comes with built-in wireless LAN and a PC card slot. The best part is, the LifeBook features an onboard rechargeable battery, thereby giving the machine the limited mobility of a notebook while at the same time maintaining the look and feel of a desktop system.

The LifeBook L2010 is kitted in an elegant silver finish which has become a trademark of most Fujitsu PC products today. The machine's overall design is stylish, with the screen held sturdily by a heavy base comprising a removable rechargeable battery, speakers and woofer. A built-in handle on the back of the LCD panel makes the L2010 easy to cart around. At 4.5kg, though, the unit is clearly meant for carrying within the office or home rather than on the road.

The L2010 features a space-saving keyboard design that can be folded down to reveal a 15-inch LCD display, and folded back up when the PC is not in use. The LifeBook goes one step further by offering wireless infrared mobility to both the keyboard and mouse, which are found to be relatively reliable up to 1.5m away from the screen. Unfortunately, the keyboard feels somewhat flimsy, making it rather uncomfortable for typing. The keyboard and mouse each require two AAA-sized batteries.

The interesting thing about the L2010 is that while it functions like a desktop, it offers the convenience of notebook features such as two PC Card slots, built-in wireless LAN and an infrared port. What makes it unique, however, is the onboard rechargeable battery which gives the LifeBook more mobility since it can function without being near any AC mains.

Besides wireless LAN, the L2010 offers the standard RJ11 (modem) and RJ45 (Ethernet) ports for connecting to the Web. The device also comes with three USB 2.0 and one FireWire port for linking to peripherals such as printers and scanners, while users with digicams and MP3 players will certainly appreciate the integrated two-in-one flash memory reader (for Memory Stick and Secure Digital media).

While we expected the L2010 to come without legacy ports such as PS/2 and parallel, we were surprised it didn't include video-out connectivity to an external display. Also, as an entertainment system, the LifeBook lacked a remote control as well as the flexibility to swap the optical drive for a second hard drive, a DVD writer or even a TV tuner unit. Having said that, Fujitsu has added several nifty features to the L2010 including automatic system hibernation or screen size adjustment when the keyboard is flipped up, a wireless LAN switch and a user-friendly one-touch access control panel on the hinge holding the keyboard.

Due to software conflicts, we were unable to run MobileMark2002 on the L2010 review unit. However, based on SYSMark 2002 results, it was clear the Athlon XP-M processor is powerful enough to run most common applications smoothly. We were surprised with the sub-1600 scores we got when we ran 3DMark2001 because the LifeBook worked well with several graphics-intensive programs we threw at it.

All in all, the L2010 is fine machine built with the regular user in mind rather than gamers or power users. The LifeBook's bright 15-inch LCD provided crisp and sharp displays throughout our tests. The wide viewing angle of the screen and good volume range of the speakers also made it a good choice for small presentations and DVD movie playback.

In addition to Windows XP Home Edition, the L2010 comes preinstalled with several multimedia software titles such as Cyberlink's PowerDVD, Power Producer and RecordNow DX (for audio management). Other bundled utilities include Norman Virus control, Norman Personal FireWall and Fujitsu's own Hardware Diagnostics tool.

Fujitsu covers the LifeBook with a one-year limited warranty that includes both parts and services. On the manufacturer's Web site, you can also find a well-organized collection of manuals, drivers, a live-chat function, and a remote diagnostic system. Those looking for help can call the service hotline or use the online email support.

Fujitsu LifeBook L2010
Company: Fujitsu Australia
Price: AU$2,999
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 1800 288 283

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