Digital Trends

Fujitsu Lifebook P5020

December 3rd, 2003 | by Nabeel Hyatt

Design

Compared head-to-head with the Sony VAIO TR2A the Fujitsu Lifebook P5020 has a sleek if not showy design. The light metal exterior is adequate but in no way groundbreaking and there is a more functional than style oriented approach to most of the finishing. Simply put, the P-5000's understated and more businesslike look won't win any design awards, but in just over an hour at a local Starbucks, four people approached to ask about who made this incredible looking laptop. The combination of its tiny size, industrial metal barrel speakers, and bright wide format screen give it a distinct look that will turn a few heads.

One odd design feature was Fujitsu's choice to not to include a latch for the screen. Although skeptical that the added joint tension would be enough to hold the screen closed, it did stay firmly shut even after significant shaking. Eventually, we came to favor the removal of a cheap and easily broken plastic latch, even if it does turn the opening of the screen into a two-handed operation.