Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 Tablet PC Review (Video)

Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 Tablet PC Review

Fujitsu has made many users happy with the release of their newest Tablet PC, the LifeBook T4220. The LifeBook T4220 steps in to take the place of its predecessor the LifeBook T4215. Both contain many of the same features, but the T4220 is built on the Santa Rosa platform. The T4220 is the perfect travel companion considering in only weighs a little over four pounds and its bi-directional hinge will definitely have heads turning.

Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 converting into tablet mode. (view large image)

The Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 Tablet PC specs as reviewed (tested price $2,099)

Design and Build

The T4220 has a solid chassis. Right off the bat I noticed how sturdy the design was and how there was no flex in the screen or wobbling from the hinge. The great thing about the hinge is that it is bi-directional as well, meaning users have the option of turning the screen both ways, which comes in handy for those presentations or meetings.

The T4220 in notebook mode. (view large image)

It may be a little on the heavy side for some users, weighing in around 4.3 pounds, but it's still small enough to take with you to class or on those business trips. I didn't have any problems carrying it around in Tablet mode and the display automatically changes once you rotate it. The matte black lid and silver accents around the keyboard are a nice touch that help hide those annoying fingerprints as well. Overall it has a very solid design that maintains a simplistic, but functional feel.

Display

The T4220 has one of the best displays I have seen and I have tested quite a few tablets. The 12.1" XGA screen has an active digitizer and wide viewing angles. The colors were bright and bold, I hardly noticed the graininess that comes standard with Tablet PCs. I mean the screen was almost comparable to your standard notebook.

The brightness can be adjusted to your liking, which helps save battery power and enhance viewing depending on your location like if you are outside in the sun or in your dimly lite theater room. If you plan on using the T4220 outside though, I would recommend spending the extra money for the indoor/outdoor display.

The T4220 in tablet mode. (view large image)

Processor and System Performance

The Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz processor has no problem running multiple applications. I didn't experience much lag during boot-up or while surfing the Web either. The T4220 I reviewed came with 1GB of memory, which handled Vista okay, but you can get up to 4GB if you are interested. It also had a 100GB (5400 rpm) hard drive, which leaves you plenty of space to store those media files or documents.

Comparison Results for PCMark05

PCMark05 measures the systems performance as a whole: The LifeBook T4220 takes home the gold in this competition with its 2.2GHz processor.

Super Pi

In the below results of Super Pi, where the processor is timed in calculating Pi to 2 million digits:

Comparison Results for 3Dmark05

3DMark05 tests the overall graphic capabilities of a notebook, and overall the T4220 didn't do bad considering it has integrated graphics.

HDTune Results

Below are the results from running the HD Tune benchmark that tests hard drive performance:

Keyboard/Touchpad/Pen

The keyboard is white which looks nice, but doesn't hide dirt very well. It is full size and none of the keys are shortened except for the Fn key. I like that the keys are flat because it makes less noise when tying, but there is a good amount of flex. I don't like that the keyboard feels mushy under heavy usage, but some users may like their keyboards not as stiff. The numbers and letters on the keys are bigger than my Asus R1, which I must say makes it very easy to read.

The T4220 keyboard. (view large image)

The touchpad was responsive. It has a nice feel to it as well. It isn't all smooth and slick feeling, in fact it has a textured feel to it, which helps keep you finger in place. Besides that there is nothing too fancy about it. It is of normal size for the keyboard and it does its job. The right and left click buttons didn't give me any problems either.

The T4220 pen on top and the X61 pen on the bottom. (view large image)

The pen worked great. You can program your own pen flicks for shortcuts and regularly used programs. It is much like the pen on the Lenovo X61, which I liked as well. It is made of hard plastic, so it feels durable and it's easy to write with since it is the size of a standard ink pen. The silo is on the side of the screen too, which is very convenient and kind of a Fujitsu trademark.

Tablet PC Features

The T4220 has a great display even in tablet mode, so users will enjoy taking notes on it. The bi-directional hinge is solid, gives great viewing angles and helps convert into tablet mode in seconds. The screen locks into place once in tablet mode and it automatically changes orientation. You can also change the screen's orientation yourself with a push of a button. The tablet shortcut buttons also come in handy when you are using the tablet as a slate.

The bi-directional hinge. (view large image)

The display window. (view large image)

Although, the T4220 isn't a touchscreen like the Lenovo X61, it does have Wacom. The pen is accurate and your screen doesn't get full of fingerprints this way. I had no problems carrying the T4220 in tablet mode, but I liked working with it in notebook mode as well since the screen can be turned both ways. It also has a neat digital display window that shows what is going on with your tablet, like the battery power, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and more.

Video

Check out our hands-on video of the LifeBook T4220 below:

Ports

The T4220 has a nice array of ports including three USB ports, one VGA-15 pin, one microphone and one headphone (both conveniently located on the front), an Infrared eye, a Modem port, power jack, a Smart card slot, an SD card slot and an expansion slot on the bottom for a docking station.

Front view of the T4220. (view large image)

Right side view of the ports. (view large image)

Left side view of the ports. (view large image)

Back view of the T4220. (view large image)

Under side view of the T4220. (view large image)

Battery

The T4220 I reviewed came with a 6-cell battery. I have to say it really impressed me. It lasted a good four hours in balanced mode, which is your standard default setting. In high performance mode it only lasted about three hours, but if you put it in power saver, you can get close to five and a half hours. It fully recharges itself in about an hour as well, so you don't have much down time.

Heat and Noise

The T4220 produced a good amount of heat when running the benchmark tests, but besides that not much. During normal (surfing the Web) usage the heat was hardly noticeable and it does have some nice suede patches on the bottom to reduce the heat on your lap. It wasn't very noisy either, but it did make some noise when running the benchmarks. I mean the fan sounded like a hair-dryer on low. Besides that though, the fan didn't kick on much.

Speakers

The speakers have decent sound quality for a tablet. I like that they are located on the front of the T4220 as well. This way you still get clear sound when working in tablet mode.

They aren't entertainment oriented like the HP tx1000's Altec Lansing speakers, but they do put out clear sound and I enjoyed rocking out to them. Not much bass though, but the sound does stay crisp at louder volumes, which I wasn't expecting since most tablet speakers usually get distorted.

The LifeBook T4220 on the left and the Lenovo X61 on the right. (view large image)

Software

The T4220 didn't come with much bloatware. It did have Norton, but don't they all. Microsoft Office wasn't included or any other trial programs, but it did have Picasa2 for those of you who are interested in photography. It also has EverNote Plus, which is great for taking notes and staying organized. If there is any programs you don't want, it just takes a few minutes to uninstall them.

Wireless

The T4220 has Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n). I connected to my office's wireless with no problems. In fact the Intel Wireless was fast and responsive. I also connected to the wireless at my house with no problems. The Bluetooth comes in handy for those users who may want to use a wireless mouse or any other wireless device.

Conclusion

The LifeBook T4220 is an impressive notebook. As I mentioned earlier the display is bold and clear and it has great viewing angles thanks to the bi-directional hinge. The chassis is solid and there is no wobble from the screen. The design is kind of plain-Jane, but it out-performs many of its contenders, which the benchmarks prove. The keyboard showed a lot of flex, which I am not a fan of. I would rather have a solid keyboard with stiffer keys. Overall the T4220 is a durable tablet that can be used anywhere. It's great for note-taking or office work because it isn't too heavy and it has Wacom.

Pros

• Solid chassis
• Bi-directional hinge
• Great Display with bold, crisp, vivid colors
• Full sized pen with eraser writes like your standard ink pen

Cons

• Keyboard has a lot of flex
• Pen can be awkward to get out of silo

Pricing and Availability

The LifeBook T4220 can be purchased directly through Fujitsu, where you can also customize it to your liking. Many other retailers are carrying it as well.