1. Surprise, Surprise!

Fujitsu's Lifebook N6410 notebook computer is built for speed.

Editor's Note: The Fujitsu Lifebook N6410 was not yet available for purchase when this article was written. There will be several models in the N6410 line. If you want an N6410 similar to or exactly the same as the one tested by MobilityGuru, compare the specs for the one you plan to buy with the specs presented later in this article.

When Fujitsu offered to send me an evaluation unit of one of the first Centrino Duo notebooks to hit the US market, the N6410, I jumped at the chance. Not only could I get a taste of Intel's Core Duo processor and supporting 945PM chipset, but I would be able to mess with the Windows XP SP2 USB battery drain demon that TG Publishing's Tom's Hardware Guide and TG Daily websites have been pursuing with great vigor.

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In addition to learning more about Centrino Duo technology and looking at the battery drain bug, I also looked forward to checking out what looked like a cool, high end entertainment notebook. The N6410 turned out to be quite a fine machine. I'll talk about all of that soon. But first I need to tell you a little more about my experiences pursuing the Win XP battery drain demon in the N6410.

When Fujitsu's 10+ pound monster arrived, I gently but quickly ripped the box open and removed the N6410. I ran our USB battery drain tests in a variety of scenarios with and without a connected USB device. Wait a minute! It didn't seem to matter if a USB device was connected or not. The results varied little and I hypothesized all kinds of reasons why there were no significant differences.

Then I ran a very good component sniffing program on the notebook and discovered that hardware can have its own Easter egg surprises just like software. A USB device was hidden away inside the N6410. Was it responsible for the apparent failure of my battery drain tests? Read on.

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