Fujitsu LifeBook N3530 Notebook

Fujitsu LifeBook N3530 Notebook a multimedia powerhouse featuring Intel Core Duo Mobile Technology for maximum performance, and an amazing viewing experience delivered by a Fujitsu Color-Enhanced Crystal View Display. The Fujitsu Lifebook N3530 is marketed as a mainstream 15.4" widescreen desktop replacement and is one of the first in the Fujitsu line to carry Intel's Core Duo processor. Fujitsu is well known for its fantastic CrystalView displays and solid design. Today we'll find out if the Lifebook N3530 lives up to this reputation.

With a high-speed graphics processor and Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 for the best in home entertainment, the LifeBook N3530 notebook is the ideal desktop replacement for stunning multimedia on the go. With a 15.4-inch Color-Enhanced Crystal View widescreen display, the LifeBook N3530 notebook generates astoundingly bright images with details that are difficult to produce with typical LCD technology. The rich detail, saturated color depth, and subtle shadows and shading deliver an exceptionally pleasing viewing experience. A complete entertainment center, the LifeBook N3530 notebook can be ordered with an optional built-in TV tuner and remote control with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.

The N3530 notebook shares the same design as the previous Lifebook N3520 and the N3510. It is constructed of very solid ABS plastic and magnesium alloy around the LCD. On that count I believe the somewhat excessive weight of the N3530 is partially justified as it is built like a tank. The lid is very sturdy and I can detect only the slightest give when more than average pressure is placed upon it at any point. At that the screen displays no distortion or ripples whatsoever. There is however a fair amount of give on the inside of the bezel on each side, inward toward the screen.

The screen hinges are very solid, almost to the point that they may be considered a little too stiff when opening and closing the notebook. After using it for a couple of weeks though it has seemed to loosen up just a bit. On this particular notebook the screen latches very securely when closed without too much effort. Once closed all bumpers along the top edge of the screen appear to make contact with the forward edge of the notebook and there is minimal gap all the way around. Once open the screen exhibits only the tiniest hint of wobble, even when shaking it roughly.

“With the LifeBook N3530 notebook, watching movies, playing games or viewing photographs becomes truly satisfying entertainment,” said Paul Moore, director of mobile product marketing, Fujitsu Computer Systems. “By combining outstanding performance with a sleek design, extraordinary detail, and true color rendered in every image, the LifeBook N3530 notebook is a standout among the new generation of desktop replacement notebooks.”

Powered by the Intel® Core™ Duo processor, the LifeBook N3530 notebook rivals the power delivered by a sophisticated desktop. Graphics, advanced games and movies run at peak performance with PCI Express graphics, high-speed ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 with 128 MB HyperMemory1 technology, and DirectX 9.0 support. the Lifebook N3530 has an Intel Core Duo T2300 processor running at 1.66GHz. Boot times are acceptable, averaging about 36 seconds from the time I press the power button until I reach the log in screen. Performance seems very snappy even with a single 1GB DIMM, which is how I deliberately ordered it to facilitate future expansion, so I'm obviously not running in dual channel mode. The Radeon X1400 graphics card more than suffices for the types of tasks I perform on this notebook, which are typically multimedia and office tasks for work. I leave games strictly to my desktop on the odd occasion I actually play them. I have not and don't intend to install any games on my notebook, but for those of you interested in benchmarks I have run 3DMark05, with the results shown below. The hard drive installed is an 80GB 5400rpm Fujitsu SATA drive, which to my surprise actually turned in a little better benchmark in HDTune than its big brother the N6410. Not sure what to attribute this to, but I am pleased with the result.

With a fast Serial ATA, 100 GB hard drive and up to 2 GB of dual channel DDR2 memory along with Dual-Layer Multi-Format DVD Writer, there’s plenty of room to download digital media. Transferring files is a snap with a choice of four USB 2.0 ports, a 4-pin IEEE 1394 port, or the dedicated MS/SD/XD card slot. The LifeBook N3530 notebook also comes with an ExpressCard™ slot—the latest generation in PC card format. Connectivity is reliable and secure with the integrated Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network connection.

The close interaction between Fujitsu design, manufacturing, and service engineers creates some of the highest quality products offered in the PC market. The LifeBook N3530 notebook delivers the performance and reliability mobile users expect from Fujitsu, recently rated tops for reliability among Microsoft Windows-based notebooks in PC Magazine’s 18th annual Reader Satisfaction Survey.

Idle temperatures for the processor typically range from 49C-51C when idle. During tasks such as encoding video I have yet to see it break 60C. The hard drive idles at around 42C-44C and I have seen it approach as high as 50C when being accessed heavily. Neither the palm rests, touchpad nor the keyboard area heat up appreciably and leave the notebook quite comfortable to use even after several hours.

I find this somewhat remarkable as the hard drive resides almost immediately beneath the touchpad area. The underside, however, is a different story. As with most Fujitsu notebooks, turning it over and looking at it makes the hot spot immediately apparent. The area which generates the most heat is covered with felt as is Fujitsu's practice with nearly all of their notebooks. This area does get very warm, but not burning hot. Probably enough to make your hand begin to sweat mildly in about 20 seconds if you were to hold it against it.

I would not recommend using this notebook on a bare lap, but it was not intended for such use in the first place and could be quite uncomfortable due to its size and weight alone, heat issues aside. For those still interested in doing so anyway, I will tell you that I have used it with a Super Lapinator for a few hours at a time and have not experienced any significant discomfort while doing so. Your mileage may vary dependent upon your stature and tolerance.

Input and Output Ports

This is another one of the N3530 strong points, in my opinion. It offers a fairly generous amount of ports, with the notable exception of a DVI out port which I don't need anyway. It comes with four USB 2.0 ports, with three along the back next to the VGA out port, and one on the left side. This is perfect placement for me as I prefer to have all my peripherals plugged into the back, out of the way, while still being able to access one on the side for my thumb drive. I do not use an external mouse, but I suppose those who do may prefer just the opposite. Also along the left side is a Firewire port, headphone jack, microphone jack, MultiMedia Card reader which supports Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Secure Digital and xD Picture cards. The real kicker is that the N3530 also has both a Type I/II PCMCIA slot and a 34mm/54mm ExpressCard slot so your older cards won't get left in the trash bin. I have not done any extensive research, but it has been my casual observation that this is a unique feature as most new notebooks come with only the ExpressCard slot, making your PCMCIA cards obsolete. The right side is bare save for the optical drive, which I also appreciate as there are no cards or peripherals to get in the way.

Customer Support:

I have not had the occasion to use customer support as of yet. Judging from comments made by others in the Fujitsu section of NotebookReview.com forums I don't see that as a serious concern should the need arise. I opted to upgrade to a 3 year limited international warranty. It cost an additional $100 and seemed to be a good deal comparing it to the cost of upgrading other manufacturers warranties. The warranty coverage is typical to most others in that it covers defects in workmanship and hardware, but does not extend to software. This includes both the operating system and software preinstalled by Fujitsu. Something else of particular note regarding warranties is to always implement a good back up program. Notebook manufacturers, with rare exception, guarantee to safeguard the integrity of the data stored on your hard drive at the time it is sent in for service. Back up software and media cost a little extra, but in the long run better safe than sorry. So now you not only have a review, but some free, friendly, and unsolicited advice.