Fujitsu LifeBook T4020D

Fujitsu has been making notebook-Tablet combos for years, but it is only in recent months that they've upped their game, starting with the groundbreaking P1510D, the first 8.9-inch convertible. Now the company has refreshed its 12.1-inch model by carrying over the unique (for its class) DVD/CD-RW drive and adding a faster processor and graphics. While it's not perfect, the T4020D crams a lot of functionality into a compact 4.3-pound system.

You will pay a hefty $2,149 for this luxury convertible, but the T4020D is one serious speedster. The combination of a 1.73-GHz Centrino CPU, 512MB of RAM, and large 60GB 5,400-rpm drive made every operation we tried snap to attention. Load times were good all around.

Business users get special attention with this Tablet notebook. There's an embedded TPM chip and Smart Card slot, plus Fujitsu's helpful Security Application Panel.

Fujitsu has done a good job balancing functionality and portability. The T4020D is one of only a handful of thin-and-light convertibles that has an optical disc drive standard. Swivel the display and use the reversible lock mechanism to put it into Tablet mode, and the unit is bearable in the crook of an arm for extended periods. Unfortunately, the inclusion of rubber nubs and an oddly contoured battery on the bottom made it a bit uncomfortable to hold. Nevertheless, Tablet mode is not merely a bonus on this convertible.

We've had issues with the Fujitsu stylus receptacle in the past. It's a depression on the edge of the display itself, rather than the customary hole into the side of the base. In this case, a spring mechanism held the pen confidently and, in fact, was easier to access than the common holstered stylus. The pen itself is comfortably thick, but not bulky, and the display responds quickly to inking and gestures. The stylus hover zone is a bit shallow, however, so in order to perform gestures and cursor repositioning the user has to bring the pen closer to the display than we would like.

We were not overwhelmed by the XGA display, which Fujitsu says is optimized for indoor and outdoor use and boasts an enhanced viewing angle. Our unit's LCD looked a bit flat and lacked the contrast and sharpness of similarly priced convertibles and Tablets from Lenovo and Toshiba. Nor did we get the kind of extreme viewing angle versatility of some recent units from Motion Computing and others in the space. To its credit, Fujitsu is sensitive to the different needs of convertible users and it offers alternative displays (an XGA and SXGA LCD with better indoor visibility). Buyers might want to check out the different models to find the right display for their needs before purchasing.

This convertible boasts a good array of five Tablet buttons wisely placed in the upper right corner. Two buttons are configurable; the others control scrolling, the Task Manager, and a Function key.

Because Tablets are well-designed for recording meetings and lectures, the T4020D features a dual-array microphone with noise-cancellation technology. Unfortunately, we had trouble getting the input and output volume we would have liked from voice recordings. Worse, when the external mic channel was open, the speakers let out an unacceptable squeaking, which may be caused by the close proximity of the mic and speakers, especially in Tablet mode. Even in the laptop configuration, the mic channel produced some serious buzzing.

Tablet mode proved a mixed bag, but we have no reservations about the T4020D's laptop performance. The full-size keyboard has excellent throw and good feedback, and both the battery life and wireless performance are excellent. The system lasted nearly four hours on a charge, and the 802.11a/b/g adapter turned in an impressive 13.5 Mbps throughput at 50 feet from our access point. Welcome touches like an SD/Memory Stick slot and Bluetooth support round out this LifeBook's features.

The integrated Intel graphics chipset isn't going to be running Doom 3 well during your downtime, but the display did reposition complex 2D images well enough to handle most image-related tasks.

In addition to Microsoft's pen-friendly OneNote 2003, the T4020D comes with the convenient Fujitsu utility menu, which users can launch by pressing the Function key twice. From there you have one-tap access to a host of settings, including the pen, power options, and the display. This menu is customizable.

There are a few kinks for Fujitsu to work out, but the LifeBook T4020D is your best and only bet if you want a thin-and-light Tablet notebook with a built-in optical drive. It's expensive, but this convertible is unique and fast enough to justify the premium.