Fujitsu Lifebook B1120 review

Fujitsu's Lifebook B112 is a very small computer indeed.

It looks positively Lilliputian, stood next to more conventionally styled notebooks. Its processor too is comes in less than average, but it doesn't lag that far behind. At its heart is a 233MHz Pentium MMX processor, supported by 32Mb of RAM and a 3.2Gb hard disk. Its TFT screen measured only 8.5inches.

Portability is an important issue for those thinking of buying a notebook, and this is something Fujitsu clearly take very seriously. How you weigh up the smaller notebooks, depends largely on whether you expect to carry the detachable floppy and CD-ROM drives around with you all the time. The featherweight Fujitsu weighs just 1.46kg, largely because its floppy and CD-ROM drives are separate external devices. If you anticipate needing regular access to both, you'll want to lug them around too. And when they are added into the equation, the B112 moves the scales on to 2.2kg. This is still very light, though.

Battery life is another important, but often forgotten, aspect of portability. The Fujitsu, despite its diminutive size, has a life span of 3hrs 14mins. This is the most we've ever got from a notebook, and praise must go not only to the inclusion of a LiION battery, but also very efficient power management inside the machine.

In keeping with its tiny dimensions, and its trend for setting records, the Fujitsu has easily the smallest and most compact keyboard we've seen on anything but palmtop PCs. The keys are small and tightly packed, but after a while we found we could adapt to it - though we reckon touch-typing would be very difficult. Happily, the action of the keys is excellent, having a solid feel quite unlike the damp sponginess of certain others.

Instead of a touch pad, it has a fingertip-sized pad that's used like a tiny joystick to steer the cursor. Though not as immediately natural to use as a touch pad, it grew on us, and proved precise and comfortable.

The B112's screen is very small, measuring 8.5in. It was very clear, though, and crisp at 800x600, which is impressive. We felt the surface of the panel was a little shinier than others tested, which made it prone to reflections.

But this is probably explained by the fact that the screen is touch sensitive. Along with the fingertip controller, the Fujitsu also has a pen-like stylus which can be used to control the cursor. You simply point to where you want it to be on-screen. This feature seems a little gimmicky, but is likely to grow on certain types of user.

The Fujitsu Lifebook only sports the 233MHz version of the Pentium MMX, so its performance was by no means blistering. Its NeoMagic MagicGraph 128ZV+ graphics don't help either, though they do improve the battery life - as our tests confirm.

The Fujitsu may not be speedy, but it shows great attention to detail - such as the colour co-ordinated suede patch on the base to stop it sliding about. We felt it was the most ruggedly-built sub-notebook here, and the incredible battery life (over three hours!) finally swung it. If you want to travel light, this is the best notebook to pack. Remember, though, to budget for an extra £105 (£124) if you want the optional external CD-ROM drive.

Author: - Martin Cooper