Fujitsu N5010 - Another Brief Review

thanks for review

About the fan noise... you say its no louder then a desktop... thats pretty loud no?

im really close to getting one of these mamma's the screen just seems so damn sweet, i wish they offered a 128 video card.... i would be sold no doubt.. but love the screen and dont' care much about portability... unforunatly, you can't have the most powerful and lightest, not yet anyway...

good luck and keep us posted on how its running

thanks again

the truth is out there

for300 bucks

on the fujitsu web site, you can get the 3.2processor, 1GIG memory and get it direct from factory...

food for thought, as the link above to laptopsinc.com has them from 2199 but only 3.o processor and only 768memory which is an odd amount lol anyway... i for some reason prefer to just order from them direct ...

any thoughts, something im missing?

laptopsinc.com has a 1 dead pixel return policy... So you get 1 dead one and they will take it back. Absolutly the best policy I have ever seen...and this isnt pie in the sky they actually do take the machines back. Do a search on the forums and you will find topics that address this.

Is it worth the shipping? You can do the same with Sager and keep buying, returning laptops till the sun dies in a massive supernova...

Is it worth the shipping costs?

imokruok, you made an excellant choice for your laptop purchase!!!

After extensively researching notebook computers, I bought a Fujitsu N5010. I researched for several months before buying this. I have had it for 10 days now and am more impressed with it every day.

I bought each of my daughters a notebook computer last fall, one a 15" SXGA+ (wide viewing angle), 2.8 Ghz P4, Compaq and the other one a Sager 5680 with 15" UXGA (wide viewing angle), 2.8 Ghz P4. Both are nice powerful desktop replacement machines, but IMO, neither are nearly as nice as the Fujitsu N5010. I have researched a wide variety of notebooks and looked at the nice Toshiba 5205-S705 and Sony Vaio Xbrite computers and a lot of others. None of them have as good a screen as the N5010, which was the deciding factor in my purchase. I wanted the best possible LCD screen and I got it. I have yet to see a desktop LCD as clear as this screen. The clearest movies and photos that I have seen to date on any computer have been on this notebook computer. If anyone needs a notebook computer with the best screen this is the one to get. NOTE: This is a powerful desktop replacement and is heavier than most notebook computers, so if you need something small or light, this is not the computer to get.

Specs:

16" SXGA+ wide angle LCD screen (16 million colors) Images appear sharper and better than the ones on the UXGA screens I've seen.
64 MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 (M10) video card (wanted 128 MB 9600 PRO, not available for this notebook)
Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz HT 800 Mhz FSB CPU (wanted 3.2 Ghz but did'nt want to wait any longer - 4 week lead time)
1 GB Memory (2 GB max)
60 GB 7200 RPM Harddrive
(High speed) DVD-RW/CD-RW drive
Built in floppy drive (nice for those who use it like me)
Two PCMCIA type II or one type III PC cards
SD/Memory Stick slot
4 USB 2 ports and a firewire port
Ethernet 10 base-T/100base-TX and V.90/92 fax/modem
Fast 802.11 a/b/g integrated wireless (worked well when I tested it)
Two stereo speakers (I think that notebook speakers in general are too small and quiet so I carry and use Jazz J-SP30 notebook speakers which sound vary good)
6800 mAh battery (get about 70 mins playing games, 2 hours for normal non-game/non DVD computing)

Windows XP Home OS
MS Works and some other useable software (Fujitsu does not install a bunch of useless software like Sony, Dell, HP, Toshiba and others do). More like Sager in this area.

Build Quality: Excellent

I bought a Targus Universal notebook bag to fit the notebook and all of my junk in. (printer, game controller, 2 speakers, mouse, headphones, etc.)

Bought from Portable One, Inc. (Laptops, Inc.)- Excellent service, quick ship time (shipped within 2 hours of placing the order) and I got a perfect screen (no dead or stuck pixels). Requested a perfect screen. Would diffinently order from them again.

This is my first posting on this forum. Hope this info helps future buyers.

If you don't have $150 to spend on a laptop bag, check out the Michael Graves notebook case, found at Target for $30. LeeT has found it to fit the N5010 perfectly, although he doesn't use the included sleeve. It has a sturdy hard shell and enough bottom padding to protect the case much better than many more expensive and uglier bags. It doesn't look like your ordinary briefcase either, but may be too eye catching for some--if you don't want to attract attention to your laptop. My problem was minor, but the strap is too long for me, and the shoulder pad limits how much it can be shortened, so the bag banged uncomfortably against my hip when I carried it. Also, it won't carry much beyond the laptop and a few accessories.

I travel and like to take a few extra things, so I picked the Samsonite Convertible Shoulder Bag, $44 at amazon.com. The shoulder strap is great, with solid metal clasps and a comfortable spongy rubber pad. All the hardware is nice, except the cheap plastic clasps that convert the bag to a backpack. I don't know why they had to skimp on the clasps that really count. One of them broke as soon as I touched it. I had to exchange the bag for another. There is plenty of room in the bag for a couple of books, clean underwear, and other travel paraphenelia. There is a side pocket for my tightly closed water bottle (ok, its for your cell phone, but I leave it off when I travel, so it doesn't have to be that handy.) There are a lot of little pockets, but none fit the CDROMs. Or maybe I haven't found them yet--lots of pockets within pockets. What I liked about the bag is that it doesn't scream "Steal my laptop," since it looks like an everyday messenger bag carry-on.

Anyway, I'm not as discerning as imokruok, and I've never heard of Spire USA since they're out of my price range, but for some of the rest of us who are poor after shelling out for the N5010, these bags are worth looking at.

I've found that the best product for cleaning the screen and the rest of the computer for that matter is a good quality micro-fiber towel. The elite ultra sold at http://www.microfibertech.com/ is probably the softest towel you will find. Micro-fiber attracts dust and is easy to maintain.
I love my fujitsu screen and only use the best on it. I've noticed that it is easy to scratch the black magnesium lid. Another reason to use micro-fiber. You can also find them in the auto detailing department of your local auto supply store.

Fujitsu N5010-extensive use

I have been using my N-5010 for about 4 months now, and would like to mention a few things about the computer, in case anyone else has come across them.

I had a major problem from day one being able to connect with the wireless unit. Sometimes it would connect automatically within the first 20 seconds following boot-up. However, most of the time it had to be manually connected through the Atheros utility or through Windows. The other thing that I noted was that the touch pad did not work properly until the wireless connection was made or I turned off the wireless switch. Once the connection was made, the touchpad worked normally. Until that point, it would move, then stop, then jump to where it would have been had it not stopped moving. I must have contacted Fujitsu Tech Support several times a week about this, and each time was given different advice. I began believing that I had a hardware problem. I even backed up my entire hard drive, then formatted it and started over re-installing windows and then all of the rest of the software I had previously. I had downloaded and installed all of the Fujitsu driver updates, and I was continuing to have the same problem. The Fujitsu tech support staffers said they had no idea how the touch pad could be interfered with by the wireless connection, but there is no doubt this was causing the problem. Anyway, the problem was solved recently when I downloaded the newest Atheros software update from Fujitsu. After that download, the wireless network connects almost immediately following boot-up, and I have not had a single time where the touchpad is not working flawlessly. What doesn't make sense is that I have seen no posts about this problem, and Fujitsu seemed unaware of it, yet the driver upgrade was only available as of a couple of weeks ago. I had been getting quite frustrated with the computer, but now it seems like I have a different machine.

A few other problems I've noted:

Sometimes after the computer has been on for a long time and I'm away from it, I'll come back and find it frozen, with just a blank, black screen. Nothing short of a shutdown will get the computer working again. Since I generally use the laptop plugged in (since I find the battery life is about long enough to get from one plug to another) I have the power saving options set so that the machine does not hibernate or in any other way change when left for a period of time. This has not been a big problem by any means, but has occurred on several occasions.

The other problem I've encountered on occasion is what I refer to as a stuck bootup. The computer boots, but apparently locks itself up before you can do anything. I know this has happened when I go to the taskbar at the bottom and find the cursor turn from the normal arrow to an hourglass. I've waited 10 minutes without any change. And I've tried to use the computer when this happens- without any response. The only solution is turning it off and booting up again- which usually ends up being normal.


Other minor annoyances:

The left side palm rest area heats up a bit too much for my liking. It's certainly not painful, but it is noticable. Speaking of heat, this machine is not much of a laptop, unless you like your left thigh well-done. I'll offer my solution-don't rest it directly on your lap. I found an accessory worth its weight in platinum-it's a laptop pad made by LapLogic, and is made of a heat absorbing material that really works and insulates you from the heat coming from the guts of this notebook. It also is highly rubberized on both sides, and therefore makes it nearly impossible for the notebook to slide off your lap.

When the fan goes into high gear, which is a lot for me, - it IS loud enough to be rather annoying.

The volume wheel/speakers- in short, hook the computer to a pair of cheap speakers with their own power supply and volume control. I think they put the speakers there just to fill the space on both sides of the keyboard so there was something beneath the screen when it was closed. A high end computer like this should have better speakers.

For a high end computer like this, I think Fujitsu should have offered a faster hard drive. It seems to be the one bottleneck in speed. I know there was a 7200 60GB drive available, but I needed the extra 20 GB because of the size of many of my image (MRI) files. With that said, with a few exceptions, the majority of the applications I use the machine for are probably not much influenced by speed of the hard drive. But, I have seen computers with half of the memory of mine (1GB) and a slower processor than mine (3.2) appear to have more horsepower.



Now....on to what I love about the computer.


There's really not much more to add about the screen. I bought this computer for its screen, as I need to look at MRI images, and the clearer, and the more contrast, the better. I haven't seen a screen out there that can compare, and because of the screen, I would buy this computer again tomorrow.

The keyboard.....I haven't seen much written about it, but it has a great feel, with good travel and a firmness that in my opinion is the most pleasing tactile keyboard I've come across. It also is nice and quiet unless you're trying to set a speed typing record.

The sturdiness of the computer is well beyond most of what is out there. It doesn't creak or squeak when picked up or opened like a lot of notebooks I've used in the past. You can tell when you open it up that it is put together well, and if it doesn't melt itself into a pile of gooey plastic, it should last until it is dropped. (Hint: protect it well, and ALWAYS use TWO hands when carrying it out of a case.) Speaking of cases, I bought a Briggs and Riley case that works great with this laptop, and I would highly recommend. It's a bit pricey, but when you spend 2500.00 for a computer, you shouldn't go on the cheap with the protection you're getting it.



Lastly, a few notes about my experience with Fujitsu tech. support:

In short, their support rivals the screen on the 5010. With a few exceptions, I have been able to get someone on the phone within a minute or two. On a few occasions, the wait time was a bit frustrating, but it's nothing like some of the other notebook companies where you can begin pulling your hair out. I've also found that you don't get transferred from one person to the next. The person that is going to help you answers after you've gone through a couple of menu choices. On the occasions when the first level support tech. needed someone else, I received a call back as promised. The tech. support is also available around the clock, and if your problem is not urgent, it's best to call when most others are sleeping. The response time is nearly immediate.
In summary, Fujitsu tech. support is in my opinion unbeatable.


All in all.....I guess the best endoresement is that if I needed a notebook with a fabulous screen and a great keyboard, I would go right back to www.fujitsu.com for another N5010. If your needs require superspeed and superportability, well.....you wouldn't be looking at something like this anyway.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at [email]baltovet@comcast.net or leave a message through the forum.

i have been running my 5010 for several weeks now, and i'm pretty happy with it.

the only major issue was that it came with a dead pixel, despite the fact that i had specifically stated that i was "extremely concerned about dead pixels", both verbally and in email... i sent it back immediately, asking for a refund, after which ivan@portable one returned it to me with a new screen... i would buy from portable one again, but the only person there that i would do business with is ivan... dead pixels on laptops from the factory is a vendor nightmare, but from an end-user standpoint, it's unacceptable to spend that kind of money and get a defective product.

btw, portable one has a brushed aluminum case that fits the 5010 like a glove, it's really nice, be sure and check it out! yes, it looks so good that it screams "steal me", lol, but there is no way that i'm letting this high-dollar item out of my sight to begin with.

i have not used the wireless connection yet, but i have swapped out the hard drive, because the 4200(?) rpm drive that it came with was too slow for the video editing that i do with it.

the term "desktop replacement" is a joke when it comes to laptops... trying to seriously use any laptop keyboard and touchpad is an invitation to carpal tunnel, and it's way too slow of a way to interface with a computer... the 5010 has a ton of usb ports that will plug in cheap keyboards and mice, so take advantage of it.

since i come from a video editing and pc tech background, i was concerned about the picture quality of the fujitsu screen... if anything, i found that it's too bright for the work that i do! i'm still looking for the perfect gamma settings, but overall, a high-quality crt will always be a better bet than an lcd at this point in time.

the only advantage i can see with an lcd is the quality of the small fonts... the drawbacks include noticeable refresh artifacting, from the 20ms(?) response time of the screen... and few lcd's at this time are much quicker than that.

wrt people using laptops on their laps... that's a good way to crash the hard drive... you really don't want to be banging your laptop around while it's turned on, there is no padding inside the 5010 that will absorb the jolts before they hit the hard drive.

so far, tho, i like this laptop!