Fujitsu LifeBook T4210 Convertible PC reviewed

Fujitsu's tablet PC lineup has been a mixed bag, and the LifeBook T4210 convertible does little to improve on previous attempts. The T4210 gives it to ya both ways, as a tablet and as a traditional notebook, but it's not remarkable at either -- the 12.1-inch device weighs a bloated 4.5-pounds and only managed 2 hours of battery life in testing. Drop the top and you'll find an Intel Dual Core 2.0GHz processor, 1,024 x 768 XGA screen, 1GB of RAM, 80GB SATA drive, DVD+/- RW optical drive, and a wireless suite with Bluetooth and 802.11a/b/g. The legendary Fujitsu build quality is here, and the biometric security features including a finger print scanner are a plus, but the faults of the T4210 literally outweigh the positives. If you have no use for decent battery life and like your ultraportables on the bulky side, then the T4210 is available now for $2,349.

[daschupa @ Jul 14th 2006 12:36PM]

The specs don’t look that bad and the battery life isn't a massive deal (though 2 hours is pretty crappy), I am mainly concerned with the noise level and the heat issue, nothing like having a noisy George Forman grill in your arms.

Does anyone know how well these things work at drawing, like in Photoshop or illustrator? I want to get one for use with drawing like with a Wacom tablet. I was looking at the Toshiba Tecra M7.

[dave95 @ Jul 14th 2006 12:38PM]

What's the point of a 'portable' laptop/tablet pc if it's only going to last 2 hours and weigh 4.5 pounds?

Am I missing something?

[Korey @ Jul 14th 2006 1:02PM]

i just built a compaq with the same specs and it was under 700 bucks but no tablet and no duo core but i would never use the tablet feature its dumb and the 2 hour battery life is a joke wow 2400 dollars for this is rediculous

[Sean D. @ Jul 14th 2006 1:25PM]

The joke is the 1024x768 resolution. I could use the tablet capabilities, but my programs all require a much higher rez, and a larger screen size as well.

I'm waiting for a 15" or larger convertable with a Wacom digitizer. Or maybe one of these days I'll pick up a Cintiq...

[Jeff Foster @ Jul 14th 2006 1:41PM]

gotta love those ugly-ass stickers they slap all over PCs...

and the terrible thing is that many people just leave them on there! eeww!

i dont really understand the whole "convertible" moniker. it's a tablet that swivels. whatever. always comes across as a lame auto-industry reference.

[Robert @ Jul 14th 2006 3:03PM]

Virginia Tech’s engineering department apparently thinks they are good enough. All incoming freshman will be requires to purchase a T4000 series lifebook.

http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2006&itemno=300

They’ll also be able to get wifi on the bus ride home.

http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/campusnotice.php?item=1014

[Jack @ Jul 14th 2006 3:51PM]

Why would someone want this tablet? Simple. It may seem bulky compared to other laptops, but that's an unfair comparison. By my count, it's the smallest tablet with a core duo processor (yes, Lenovo may very well change that soon). The added bulk is because of the sturdy hinge (you don't want your display falling off) and the digitizer behind the screen. 2 hours? Okay, you can swap out the optical drive and put in a modular bay battery. I don't think I'll be doing much DVD burning away from home. Resolution? Whatever. I'm mainly going to use this for taking notes, not watching movies. It's only a 12.1" screen, people. Buy a Qosmio for that. It's the best convertable available--yes, convertables are nice--If you want to type, you can. Besides, slate tablets have much slower processors. It IS expensive, but you get what you pay for, just ask Lenovo users (oh and don't try to tell me you bought one and it got messed up--no company is perfect, some are just better/more reliable). So in summary, it isn't "rediculous" to buy this. I don't want to deal with spiral notebooks anymore, no matter whether a compaq is $700 or not. I have a compaq now, and it's litterally falling apart. Screws just fall out on their own--what is that? Oh and don't try to say I'm wrong about compaq/HP... go ask consumer reports. You get what you pay for, people.

http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,118514,pg,5,00.asp
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,118514,pg,4,00.asp

[John @ Jul 14th 2006 5:15PM]

I've been using my old Averatec c3500 tablet for Photoshop lately and it's hell of a lot better and convenient. It's not necessarily easier but, for example, using mask layers feels better since you're using your hand and stylus instead of a mouse especially when making precise coverups. The convertible feature is really convenient in designing as well because you can turn the tablet sideways as if it were a book and use keyboard shortcuts (granted, sideways is slightly awkward) with your left hand and stylus in the other, or vice versa if you're left-handed.

Small screens are an advantage because you can actually take it around with you to class or something when taking notes. The drawback would be when you're designing on it and Adobe's tool windows take up half the screen.

But I'm relatively happy with my convertible tablet but I went cheap and got an Averatec, NOT a good idea. IMPORTANT: If you want to get a tablet, invest in one that has good support from its manufacturer. Tablets, by nature, are high maintenance since we're dealing with additional components (the screen digitizer, stylus, the swivel necks, additional--often 3rd-party--software for handwriting/stylus/screen functions, and an edition of Windows XP that isn't avaialble at retail). So don't go cheap with these things, because I'm really feeling the pains of doing so right now especially with an expired warranty.

[Kris @ Jul 14th 2006 6:40PM]

I can't understand a portable with a battery life below 3 hours :|

[starpause @ Jul 14th 2006 8:30PM]

fujitsu's legendary build quality? i'm not sure what the legend states but my fujitsu lifebook 7000p is built like crap. plastic holding the case to itself has cracked and it feels flimsy--if i put my wrist near the touchpad i can hear the hard drive whining as it's being touched.

granted i toured europe with it and am always playing gigs in bars, but other musicians i know using laptops don't have the same problems.

[Jack @ Jul 14th 2006 9:55PM]

Recently posted in a forum on the website that put out the review:

"...As for the battery life, after reading the review I was kind of shocked to see how low it scored. I'm not sure whether it was just the testing environment or something of that sort, but when I first got my tablet, I charged it to full. Afterwards, I unplugged it and ran on the battery. I had the screen adjusted to about mid-brightness and had wi-fi on. I was basically surfing the web and doing things that are not too demanding. Also during this time, I had a wireless mouse plugged in ocassionaly. I managed to get about 3 hours 45min on battery.

As of right now, i'm on my full charge/discharge and i've been running for almost 3 hours and my battery meter says I still have about an hour to go... so i'm quite satisfied with the battery life. (Better than all my other laptops at least)."

Another poster said:

"BATTERY ISSUE...

...is not a big concern (I have the T4210 1.83GHz). I fully charged my main and modular battery 100% and then drained to below 5% then fully recharged again. Although I haven't done specific timed tests, with both batteries in I get about 7-9 hours of use. Granted, I have the screen at about 50% (the indoor-only is fine at this brightness) and turn off the wifi sometimes when not required (which is so easy to do with the actual swith on the side of the unit - nice touch). I'm sure you could be more conservative and get more battery out of it."

http://forum.tabletpcreviewspot.com/showthread.php?t=2369&page=3

[Jeff Myers @ Jul 15th 2006 7:17AM]

I've had the Fujitsu T4020 for about a year now, and I still love it. I use it for class presentations, grading my papers (submitted electronically) and note-taking in meetings (innumerable and interminable). I've had no problems at all.

As for the battery. I got the supplemental battery in the optical drive slot. It's never run out, and I've used it for as long as 6 1/2 hours without a charge. I have an external optical drive at home for anything I can't install via the wireless network. Also, a thumb drive for everyday use. With this configuration, it's light enough to carry back and forth to work, but I must say their P1500, at 2.21 pounds, is very tempting. I just like to have a larger screen for grading papers. Otherwise, I'd get that machine in a minute!

[Ron Lisle @ Aug 2nd 2006 6:23PM]

I just received my T4210 and I love it so far. Of course a convertible is a compromise between a tablet and a laptop. But it provides a nice blend of both.

I love the ability to write directly on the display, coupled with OneNote 2003, it replaces the spiral paper notebook that I used to carry to meetings.

I use a tablet PC to display sheet music, and annotate my music. But I also create the programs that do this. Without a convertible, I need 2 separate systems to do both. Now I can use a single system.

[Rafael @ Jan 27th 2007 12:55PM]

Whatever you do, don't let an EnGadget review sway you one way or another. Engadget reviews are among the worst and least accurate. I really don't know what the problem is over there but please, do yourself a favor, consider other reviews before making a decision.

[Tamara @ Apr 8th 2009 9:28PM]

I have have a T4210 for 2 1/2 years now and use it very heavily for university classes. All my notes are on it so it gets a lot of use every day since 95% of my work has something to do with the computer.

I love being able to draw diagrams and take notes, it would be impossible to fully take notes without the tablet. 4.5 pounds isn't that much, I think my binder would be more if I had to print off all the powerpoint slides.

The only problem I have with it is the batteries. The one that came with my computer lasted 4 1/2 hours with the contrast halfway, playing on the internet and checking email. It only lasted about 1 1/2 years which is fine because I use almost half the time on battery power (basically only plugged in when it needed to charge). It was only lasting around 35 minutes which isn't long enough for my classes without plugins so I bought another one. This one only lasted 2 1/2 hours with contrast halfway and started to die a couple weeks ago and now it won't even boot my computer up without dying. I believe now there might have been something wrong with the replacement battery but the problem is that replacement batteries only have a 90 warranty so lucky me is on my third battery. I just put it in and it's saying there is 3 1/2 hours with the brightness on full so we will see ....

Other than the battery issue I have, this computer has been awesome and I am completely addicted to tablet PCs.

[cheapbatteries @ May 7th 2009 9:29PM]

Fujitsu T4210 laptop is power,but its battery have a short life.So most of the time we need to buy another battery.Maybe a replacement battery is not bad choice.You can buy it on http://laptopsbattery.us/fujitsu-lifebook-t4210.htm