Laptop Thoughts: News & Reviews on Laptops, Netbooks, Slates, and More.

"Fujitsu's LifeBook T580 convertible notebook caters to a niche market segment looking for the functionality of a standard ultraportable notebook with the slick interface of a tablet PC. The unit's rotating 10-inch display folds flat over the nearly full-size keyboard, providing users with a dual digitizer display that can be used with an active stylus and up to four fingers"

If you like tablets, but do not want to give up your keyboarding skills, convertible notebooks still exist. Fujitsu has just released their LifeBook T580 to the masses and while it is not quite as light or cheap as a tablet, it offers much more punch than your typical slate. In the same size as a netbook, it is a bit beefier, but do not expect workstation performance for such a wee device. I would also question the tablet mode's utility. While Windows 7 does have support for touchscreens, including multi-touch, the whole Windows 7 interface is much more appropriate for traditional use, and some links are bound to be tiny on the small screen. Does anyone use a convertible like this? Is it worth the cost?

"Every once in a while a design comes along that challenges traditional thinking about notebook computers: one might be the Acer Iconia that opts for two touchscreen displays rather than one display with a conventional keyboard and pointing device. However, another might be a design concept from Yanko Design for a Fujitsu Lifebook X2."

If you mention the word "Origami" to certain mobile geeks, they will probably look at you with disdain and disgust. You see, Origami, while being a wonderful art of folding paper, is also the codename behind a failed attempt by Microsoft to introduce ultra-mobile computing with handheld sized PCs. While the project failed, apparently, the original meaning for Origami lives on with the folding computer that is the Lifebook X2.

It looks slick and interesting and fortunately, it is just a concept. The inner geek in me loves the idea, but I doubt the device would be practical in the real world. The ultra-mobile mode may have too small a screen for a traditional OS to be easily used, and the larger, laptop-mode is no different than any other laptop. I personally would favor a laptop/smartphone combination, or even a laptop/tablet setup instead. What about you? Fancy toy or practical computing device?

"Regular reader Acerbic, in following up my review of the Fujitsu Lifebook T900, ran across a new product listing tucked into the Fujitsu site over the weekend: the Lifebook TH700..."

Full-featured, a bit chunky, and considered to be an "entry level" Tablet PC. Fujitsu appears to be positioning this PC as a direct competitor to the HP TouchSmart TM2, at a slightly higher price point, but with slightly better specifications.