9. Features, Continued

Weight, size and a tablet form factor aren't the only things the Fujitsu P1510D has going for it. It has also been stuffed with most of what we have come to expect in a small laptop.

As the features chart indicates, the 1.2 GHz Intel Pentium 753 processor is typical of the processors in modestly powered laptops like the P1510D. The 753's demands on the computer's battery are limited, accounting at most for around 10% of battery drain. Speaking of battery drain, as the MobileMark tests presented later show, the P1510D's standard battery provides up to three hours of run time. The optional high capacity battery doubles battery life to six plus hours.

Operational specifications for the hard drive in Fujitsu's ultra lightweight P1510D are typical of laptops in its class. However, at 30 GB the P1510D's drive is smaller than the ones in other laptops in our comparison group. The other three laptops have 60 GB drives. A 60 GB drive is available for the P1510D as an option.

As the photo below makes clear, this computer is loaded with buttons and not a few lights. You use the buttons on the left just below the display to control the laptop when it's in tablet mode. Using the middle of the five buttons you can change the orientation of the display from portrait to landscape and even rotate the Windows display 180 degrees in either orientation so the top of the display becomes the bottom and vice versa. This is nice because it lets you orient display so it works best for you depending on whether you're left or right handed. The other four keys on the left are used to open various applications and utilities.

The large button on the right just below the display is the power button. The three icons to the left of the power button show disk access and the state of the battery.

The P1510D's buttons and lights.

Looking at the photo above you might wonder what that thin gold thingy with the red middle on the extreme left of the display is all about. That's the P1510D's fingerprint sensor, which lets you substitute your fingerprint for typed in passwords. The sensor is part of a very good security system built into computers from a number of different manufacturers. Fujitsu is one of the strongest advocates of this technology and includes it with a number of its mobile products. This security system is supported by a special chip. The fingerprint sensor is often installed in all versions of a particular model. However, the chip may be installed only in higher end versions of the model. Without the chip and supporting software, the security system isn't functional. So, before you spring for a computer with a fingerprint sensor, make sure the chip and supporting software are included.

For its size, the P1510D has a very good compliment of connectors. Here's a quick graphical rundown.

On the left side from left to right: the UBS connector, microphone in, headphone out and Compact Flash slot. Note: There is a microphone on the front of the bottom half of the P1510D's clamshell case.

On the right side from left to right: stylus storage compartment, wireless networking on-off switch, SD slot, USB connector and power input.

On the back from left to right: covered VGA monitor output, LAN connector, modem connector, security lock receptacle and heat exhaust port.