Digital Journal — When you finally decide that cluttering up your workspace with a bulky CPU box and a massive CRT monitor isn’t the best way to do your personal computing, Fujitsu’s Lifebook N3530 notebook may be just the desktop replacement you’re looking for.
Weighing in at about eight pounds, the N3530 has a footprint of about 14.3″ x 10.5″ x 1.6″ – huge for a laptop, but just right for desktop use. In fact, this Lifebook will give most standard desktop PCs a run for their money.
To start with, the unit’s processing power is nothing to turn your nose up at: The N3530 is equipped with an incredibly fast 1.66 GHz Intel T2300 CoreDuo Processor, or two processors squeezed onto a single chip. While not all software can take advantage of this relatively new type of Intel processor, resource-heavy programs like Photoshop will run faster. Another practical benefit: you can burn a CD in the background and work in other programs like a word processor without any noticeable lag.
The standard 512MB of memory will run the various versions of Windows XP satisfactorily (you’ll get a boost if you upgrade to the full supported 2GB, of course) and the 80GB hard disk provides plenty of storage for your average user. The N3530 also boasts built-in WiFi, an Ethernet port and a 56K modem. Sadly, this model doesn’t offer IR and Bluetooth features that I’ve long felt would promote Fujitsu Lifebooks from great to truly awesome.
The power inside the N3530 also comes with good looks, as the PC sports a gorgeous, wide 15.4-inch screen with Fujitsu’s patented Crystal View WXGA display (1280 x 800 resolution at 16 million colours). The display is driven by an ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics card which might not be a 3D gamer’s dream, but it does provide high quality video playback and long battery life (our tests show the 7200mAh lithium-ion battery will keep you running for about three hours before needing to be recharged).
The unit that Digital Journal tested came with Windows XP Media Center (a different configuration includes Windows XP Pro) which led to the tantalizing idea of using this notebook as a multimedia device — exactly the idea Fujitsu had in mind for pimpin’ this PC.
As a media centre, the N3530 includes all the ports you need to connect various devices, including S-Video out, four USB ports, one Firewire port (for quick transfers of video from camcorders) as well as an optional dual-layer multi-format DVD writer that can slap down 8.5GB on a dual-layer disc.
What was missing, though, was a TV tuner. While there are some models that include a TV tuner inside, the unit we got had plastic paneling along its left edge to conceal the audio and video input jacks that should have been there. As a desktop replacement, a built-in TV tuner is a must.
But all was not lost, as Fujitsu sent us the recommended companion to this PC — an AVerTV USB MCE external tuner. The device (which costs an extra $149 CAN) was easy to set up and Windows Media Center quickly recognized it. And even though the tuner is an external add-on, you can still record programs onto the hard disk. With the pre-installed 80GB drive you’ll get about 20 hours of TV recording at the highest-quality setting.
To complete the multimedia experience, you can also add the optional Remote Control for Windows XP Media Center Edition (another $49 CAN) which makes using the N3530 pretty darn close to using a TV.
The basic N3530 retails for about $1700 to $1800 CAN (depending on features included) making it a remarkably solid desktop replacement for relatively little outlay. Add the multimedia options, of course, and you’re looking at a $2,000 CAN laptop — a little pricier but still not an unreasonable package.
