Fujitsu - M2010 review
smart-looking netbook, but the keyboard is its downfall
Review date: 16 October, 2009. Review by: IT Reviews Staff
As with the majority of recent netbooks, it comes with a 10.1-inch display with a native resolution of 1,024 x 600 pixels. Thanks to the screen's glossy coating, video and photos look great on it, but this also means it attracts reflections like there's no tomorrow. And while horizontal viewing angles are good, we weren't so impressed with the vertical viewing angles. This was especially noticeable when viewing a text document; if the screen wasn't tilted at just the right angle, the text looked washed out.
As far as dimensions go, it's on a par with other 10.1-inch netbooks, at 258mm wide, 205mm deep and, at its thickest point, 43mm tall. There are also no surprises with the weight, with the M2010 tipping the scales at a handbag-friendly 1.33kg.
Powering the M2010 is an Intel Atom N280 processor. This runs at 1.66GHz, which is a measly 60MHz faster than previous netbook-favourite the N270. It does, however, have a faster front side bus of 667MHz; the N270 has to make do with 533MHz. Does this make a huge difference? Well, no, not really, but the N280 is less of a drain on the battery compared to its predecessor.
A total of 1GB of DDR2 memory backs the processor up, while graphics are handled by Intel's GMA 950 chip. Ample storage is provided by the 160GB hard drive (this ticks along at 5,400rpm), while both Bluetooth and WiFi are also included; sadly the latter doesn't support 802.11n. There's also a 1.3-megapixel webcam built into the screen's bezel.
As far as ports are concerned, you get three USB (one on the left side, two on the right), Ethernet, VGA-out and a multi-format card reader.
When we first laid our hands on the M2010's keyboard we were quite impressed. The keys have a good amount of spring to them and there are no surprises in terms of the layout. However, when we tried a bit of high-speed typing, things started to go wrong.
The main problem is that the keyboard is just too cramped. Had Fujitsu made full use of the space available for the keyboard, we would have been more understanding, but the fact is there's room above and to either side of the keyboard that's effectively wasted. You have to look no further than our review of the Samsung N310 to see a netbook that allows its keyboard to take centre stage.
Those who type with the very tips of their fingers may find it easier to rattle out documents on the M2010, but despite extended testing we never felt comfortable with it.
Another issue we have with the M2010 is the noise generated by the trackpad buttons. Quite why Fujitsu had to make them so raucous is a mystery to us, but the loud clunking noise that accompanied each button-press soon began to get on our nerves, as well as those of people nearby.
In terms of performance, the M2010 didn't surprise or disappoint. The installed Windows XP Home ran smoothly and it coped admirably with a bit of multi-tasking.
However, despite the six-cell battery, it didn't last as long away from the mains as we were hoping. The three hours and forty minutes we achieved with the M2010 running at full pelt isn't to be sniffed at, but there are netbooks that can last much longer. Try dimming the screen, turning off WiFi and dabbling in little more than editing documents, and the M2010 should provide you with around five hours' usage.
Verdict
When shopping for a netbook, most people will have portability and price at the top of their list of requirements, but usability is just as important. It's no good having a pocket-sized laptop with a small keyboard that's impossible to type on. And this is where the M2010 falls down. Fujitsu should have spent more time on the design and allowed the keyboard to take up more room on the chassis. As it stands, it's hard to type at speed on the M2010.
Company: Fujitsu
Contact: 0870 242 7998
