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        Fujitsu UMPC is first with 2.0GHz Atom

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Apr 28, 2009 | Comments: 1


        Fujitsu has reportedly become the first PC manufacturer to adopt Intel's recently released 2.0GHz Atom. The company's FMVLUC50N UMPC (ulta-mobile PC) includes a pivoting 5.6-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth 2.0, hard drive or SSD (solid state disk) storage, and an integral fingerprint sensor, according to specialist retailer...

        Conics.net.

        (Click here for a larger view of Fujitsu's FMVLUC50N)

        Intel announced its Atom Z550 earlier this month, touting "the fastest performance in a handheld," thanks to a clock speed of 2.0GHz. Like the original Atom Z5xx processors, which have become widely used in MIDs (mobile internet devices), COMs (computer-on-modules), and UMPCs (ultra-mobile PCs), the Atom Z550 measures 14 x 13mm, and relies on a single northbridge/southbridge companion chip, the 22 x 22mm "Poulsbo," for overall savings in board real estate and power efficiency.

        Usefully, the Z550, which has a 2.4 Watt TDP, is also faster than the Atom N270 that's so ubiquitous in netbooks. Now, while it's obviously too soon to talk about a "horsepower race," Fujitsu has put the new, faster Atom in a convertible UMPC, according to the Japanese exporter Conics.net.


        Fujitsu's LifeBook U810
        was just 6.7 inches wide
        (Click image for details)
        Fujitsu's FMVLUC50N is the latest iteration in a series of devices that has been previously sold, for example, as the LifeBook U820, with a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, and the LifeBook U810 (right), with an 800MHz A110 CPU. Resembling a convertible laptop that shrunk in the wash, the device again measures approximately 6.7 x 5.3 x 1.5 inches.

        Along with its miniaturized QWERTY keyboard, Fujitsu's UMPC sports a 5.6-inch touchscreen display that packs 1280 x 800 pixels. The screen folds down over the keyboard, and allows the device to be used as a stylus-driven tablet (below).


        Fujitsu's convertible UMPC (U820 shown) in tablet mode
        (Click to enlarge)

        In addition to a "Glide Point" pointing device, Fujitsu's convertible UMPC has a fingerprint reader on the right-hand side of its screen bezel. The reader is designed to operate with the bundled Softex OmniPass software, letting users enter securely stored IDs and passwords with a single touch, Fujitsu says.

        Apart from having a 2.0GHz processor and being offered in six different colors, the FMVLUC50N is apparently very similar to the existing LifeBook U820. Conics notes that the GPS receiver and HDSPA (high speed downlink packet access) cellular model that are available on the U820 are not offered on the FMVLUC50N, though there seems to be no reason they couldn't crop up in the future.

        Once again, the device has a non-expandable 1GB of DDR2 RAM. Purchasers can select either a 1.8-inch, 4200rpm hard drive in 60GB or 120GB capacities, or SSDs (solid-state disks) in 32GB and 64GB capacities. Flash storage can also be added via the device's CompactFlash and SD slots.

        Wireless interfaces include Bluetooth 2.1 and optional 802.11a/b/g. The FMVLUC50N has a 10/100 Ethernet connector and a VGA output, both provided via a special LAN/VGA cable adaptor. The UMPC also offers two USB connectors and jacks for audio line/mic in and line out.

        It's said that the FMVLUC50N can operate on batteries for more than seven hours, at least when equipped with SSD (solid state disk) storage and a four-cell 5200mAh battery. The standard two-cell 2900mAh battery provided up to 3.5 hours of use on the LifeBook U820, according to Fujitsu, and should do equally well here.

        Features and specifications listed by Fujitsu for the U820, and by Conics.net for the very similar FMVLUC50N, include:
        • Processor -- Intel Z550 clocked at 2.0GHZ
        • Memory -- 1GB of DDR2 RAM
        • Display -- Pivoting 5.6-inch touchscreen, with 1280 x 800 resolution and 300-nit brightness rating
        • Camera -- 1.3 megapixel
        • Storage -- 60GB or 120GB hard drive, or 32GB or 64GB solid state drive (SSD)
        • Networking -- 10/100 Ethernet
        • Wireless:
          • WLAN -- 802.11a/b/g (optional)
          • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.1
        • Other I/O:
          • 2 x USB
          • Audio line in, mic in, line out
          • Docking connector
        • Expansion:
          • CompactFlash slot
          • SD slot
        • Battery type/life:
          • Four-cell, 5200mAh battery offers up to 7.5 hours or operation
          • Two-cell, 2900mAH battery offers up to 3.5 hours of operation
        • Size:
          • 6.73 x 5.31 x 1.46 inches with two-cell battery
          • 6.73 x 6.14 x 1.46 inches with four-cell battery
        • Weight -- "Starting at approximately 1.32 pounds"
        Availability

        The Fujitsu FMVLUC50N is apparently available now, with the choice of Windows Vista or Windows XP operating systems. Conics.net prices the device at 122,500 yen (approximately $1,272) with a 60GB hard disk drive and the wireless networking option.

        For further information, see the retailer's website, here.


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