Fujitsu expands into untapped markets
By John Brandon
January 09, 2009
Fujitsu doesn't cover all markets for notebooks, but they are looking to tap the unusual ones.
Blessings come in small packages – especially if you are into the latest fad called tokidoki. (And let’s be honest: if you are into the goofy anime characters from Japan, you will probably not be attending any business meetings this decade anyway, so power and size are not huge factors.)
Fujitsu, a company that has long trailed behind the Dell and HP dynamos in recent years, is expanding into unheralded markets. The first venture: a palm-sized mini laptop that runs Windows Vista, uses a stylus for both a laptop mode or tablet mode, and has a limited edition screen print of tokidoki characters on the lid. The U820 is a remarkable device: it’s fast, has a unique design, and runs just about any app you care to try at that subnotebook size.
A prototype laptop, available overseas but not in the US as of yet, is designed for elderly people or those who have not used a computer before. It has large keys, bigger icons on screen, and is part of a new service called Raku-Raku where users can call in for support and not have to know the difference between an IP address and an IPTV.
Other notebooks include a model with Wi-Max built in (the LifeBook 8020) and the N7010, which has a secondary display above the keyboard. Note to extreme gamers: this model may eventually receive the same treatment as an overseas version where the internal cooling uses a water filtration system. How cool is that?