Fujitsu launches three new Lifebook E series laptops, we go hands-on

We may not love the austere devices that are foisted upon us for our daily 9-to-5, but at least Fujitsu's trying to make our late-night commutes a little less unpleasant. The company has outed a trio of 20mm-thick Lifebook E series laptops that hover just outside the entrance to Intel's exclusive Ultrabook club. The first to try its luck with the guest list is the 13.3-inch E733, weighing in a 1.7kg with a screen resolution of 1,366 x 768. If that doesn't succeed, then perhaps the 14-inch E743, with its 1.9kg body and 1,600 x 900 screen might get past. Of course, bringing up the rear is the 15.6-inch E753, which weighs 2.1kg and a choice of 1,366 x 768 or 1,920 x 1,080 displays -- but since none of them meet Intel's latest mandated requirements to bear the Ultrabook name, it's highly unlikely they'll be let in. Naturally, as we're here at CeBIT, we indulged in our favorite hobby, which is smearing our paws all over this hardware to bring you our first impressions. %Gallery-180376%

The company has strived for consistency throughout the lineup, so what goes for one generally goes for them all. We found the build quality is pretty strong, thanks to a solid aluminum chassis and palm rest, along with a cold magnesium lid. While we found the backlit keyboard to be well-spaced with lots of travel, the keys themselves were a little on the crunchy side. Internals-wise, you can max out the hardware with a Core i7 vPro CPU and 8GB RAM, but naturally, you'll only be able to hit that high note if your procurement budget can stretch to it. You'll also find full VGA-out, HDMI, USB 3.0, Ethernet and an SD/MMC slot to cover any eventuality you might find in your business-y life.

While the matte displays aren't very reflective, without IPS technology they're saddled with some pretty narrow viewing angles -- although that's good if you don't want your fellow passengers reading your confidential documents. On the security side, in addition to the vPro CPU, you'll also find TPM and a fingerprint reader baked into the hardware. One more selling point is the modular drive bays, which are the same size across all three devices. As such, you can swap out an optical drive and replace it with a pico projector, spare battery or a spacer to reduce weight. The new range should be meandering towards the retail channels in Europe, the Middle East, India and Asia soon, with prices starting from €1,249 ($1,625).

Dana Wollman contributed to this report.

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Fujitsu Optimizes Enterprise Mobility with New Premium Notebooks

News facts:
- New notebook family is business-ready, debuts at CeBIT
- Notebooks designed to satisfy demanding employees and IT managers
- Companies can reduce both lifecycle and acquisition costs with LIFEBOOK E Line
- No compromise on enterprise mobility management

Munich/Hanover, March 5, 2013 – Fujitsu today announces its new LIFEBOOK E Line family of business notebooks, designed to optimize enterprise mobility. The stylish and lightweight premium notebook PCs are ideal for demanding business users and help secure cost savings in ICT (Information and Communications Technology). The LIFEBOOK E Line makes its debut at CeBIT in Hanover, Germany, starting today.
As CIOs would expect from a leading enterprise notebook provider like Fujitsu, the new LIFEBOOK E Line includes rich features for enterprise mobility. These help ensure that corporate ICT departments can enjoy cost savings from the use of standardized components and accessories such as mainboard, modular bay drives, AC adapters and mainboards. Fujitsu was recently named a Leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Global Enterprise Desktops and Notebooks (source: Gartner, published November 2012).
While businesses of all sizes continue to extend the reach of "bring your own device" programs, they are also counting the cost in terms of ICT support for a wider variety of devices. These include use of the same mainboard and BIOS, plus internal components, as well as the port replicator and external power supply. Not only does this reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) in administration and system management but also means that users can share accessories between different models in the LIFEBOOK E Line.
Better professional tools
As business users have become accustomed to using consumer ICT devices in their personal lives, so they have higher expectations for their professional tools. Fujitsu designed the LIFEBOOK E Line family to combine the best of both worlds. All three new LIFEBOOK models offer full business functionality, and include all the flexible and convenient working functions that are expected in today's premium business notebooks, such as a large touchpad, an optional backlit keyboard, and Fujitsu's popular modular bay capable of hosting a second battery, a second hard disk drive or the pico projector.
The new LIFEBOOK E Line models are built to last, with an aluminum palm rest, solid magnesium lid and strong hinges to ensure that the screen stays in place even after being opened and closed many times a day.
Supporting Quote
Joerg Hartmann, Vice-President, Workplace Systems, at Fujitsu Technology Solutions:
"The consumerization of ICT is a trend that has passed its peak. While users wanted the personal benefits from using their individual devices for work, businesses are no longer prepared to put up with the heavy trade-offs – firstly the cost of supporting a wider pool of devices, as well as softer factors such as reduced productivity due to diminished equipment functionality and of course the serious security issues. With the new LIFEBOOK E Line, Fujitsu is delivering a no-compromise business tool that will satisfy even the most demanding of users."
About the Magic Quadrant
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Fujitsu Technology Solutions March 5, 2013

warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.