Review of Fujitsu Lifebook N6420

Todd Gold harks back wistfully to the eighties, offering his opinion on Palitoy's Millenium Falcon, and more importantly Fujitsu's new desktop replacement laptop, boasting a 2 GHz core 2 duo processor, and High Definition Digital Video Disc (HD-DVD) technology.

Fujitsu Lifebook N6420 Technical Specifications

Processor

2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200, 667MHz FSB

Memory

2GB DDR2, 667Mhz

Harddrive

200GB 4,200rpm SATA x 2

OS

Windows XP MCE

Weight

9.7 pounds (4.4 kg)

Screen

17 inches

Screen resolution

1400x900

Graphic Card

ATI Mobility Radeon X1600

Battery Life

1.5 hours

Full review of Fujitsu Lifebook N6420

It's not often I get stirred about a laptop anymore, but I'll readily admit I haven't been as excited since I traded two Palitoy Jawas, Greedo, Han Solo, a Bespin security guard and a Snow Speeder for a magnificent Millenium Falcon spaceship toy. Ok so the battle alert sound on the Falcon never worked, and I no longer had the Han figure to safely navigate the Kessel Run (my backdoor to the garden shed) - still it was a great deal.....Enough of my hazy 80's sentimental reminiscing, it's time to talk about Fujitsu's impressive new desktop replacement notebook, the Lifebook N6420.

Boasting a 17 inch Color-Enhanced TFT wide-screen display, TV Tuner, and a HD-DVD drive, a piece of tech first seen in Toshiba's Qosmio G35, the N6420 is built with multimedia in mind. It's hefty 10.58 pounds confirms that this lifebook is designed to be parked on a desk in your dorm, front room, or office, not to be slung over the narrow shoulder of a frequent flier or road warrior.

The Lifebook N6420 is also equipped with a 200GB Primary Serial ATA Hard Drive, and a secondary 200GB Hard Drive, for a gargantuan 400GB of combined space. Factor in the 2 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor (4 MB L2 cache, 667 MHz FSB), and the two available DIMM slots which can be packed with up to 4 GB of RAM, and you are looking at a multimedia laptop to be reckoned with.

What else does almost two and a half grand of Fujitsu notebook come with? A fingerprint reader for increased laptop security, remote control (xp media center edition), 5 USB ports, PCMCIA slot, memory stick slot, and to keep all but the most finicky of gamers happy ATI's Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics chip with 512 MB of HyperMemory. Wireless is covered in the form of a PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection courtesy of Intel, a 56K modem and a Gigabit Ethernet LAN are also present and correct - but no bluetooth.

In my opinion Fujitsu have crafted a serious podium contender for the desktop replacement throne, but it does have competition from Toshiba's Qosmio line, and other multimedia core 2 duo, HD-DVD/Blu-Ray notebook makers for that gold medal. If the hefty price tag puts you off, a lesser but still respectable configuration of the Lifebook N6420 without the HD-DVD drive can be purchased from Shopfujitsu.com for under 1500 dollars.

Will I buy one? Well let's just say until Fujitsu's N6420 can attain "point five past lightspeed", and old uncle Bernard's bottom grapes become inoperable, leaving me a few grand in his will, I'm sticking with the laptop equivalent of my Palitoy Millenium Falcon. :)