Fujitsu Lifebook P3110 review

Following the end of its joint venture with Siemens in 2009, Fujitsu has relaunched itself with a refreshed laptop range. The Lifebook P-Series offers a slim, netbook-like chassis, but with more power hidden inside.

The Lifebook P3110 is the latest entry in the range, and a lack of features doesn't detract too much from the strong build, detailed screen and impressive portability.

One of the stand-out features is the crisp 11.6-inch display. Images are highly detailed thanks to the 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, and also pleasingly bright. This goes some way to countering the reflectivity of the Super-TFT coating, which would otherwise hinder outdoor use.

Solid build

Build quality also impresses, with a glossy lid that proves firm enough for life on the road, despite being relatively thin. The chassis itself is similarly slim and shows little flex under pressure, although the plastic palmrest looks a little cheap.

The mostly flat keyboard stretches the width of the chassis and proves user-friendly, apart from the cramped directional keys. The touchpad is smooth and responsive, although not as spacious as we'd like.

The compact chassis size and 1.5kg weight mean the laptop can be carried around all day with ease. With 314 minutes of battery power on offer – which surpasses our expectations – you can easily work for more than five hours.

Despite being not much larger than a netbook, the unit is powered by a dual-core Intel Pentium processor with 4096MB of memory onboard. As a result, most applications can be run without issue, although multi-tasking with more intensive programs does bring things to a halt.

Graphical performance is provided by an integrated Intel GPU and, while this produces considerably less power than a dedicated graphics card, you'll have no trouble with basic photo editing and running office applications such as Microsoft PowerPoint.

Wireless connectivity is handled by 802.11n Wi-Fi – the fastest currently available – and Bluetooth support is also included for quickly sharing files with compatible devices such as mobile phones. Connection to wired networks is possible through standard 10/100 Ethernet.

The 320GB hard drive will provide ample storage for most users and a 4-in-1 card reader is also on hand. However, there's no optical drive because of the compact size, and no other features beside the standard three USB ports and a VGA port.

The Lifebook P3110 is a well built and highly portable machine. Anyone looking for a laptop to carry around every day, but which has more power than a netbook, will not be disappointed.

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