Fujitsu Stylistic 0550 Review
Tablets demand processors and interfaces designed for the job, but that hasn’t stopped Fujitsu from resurrecting the Wintel tablet. This is a 10,1in-screen model running Windows 7 Pro. powered by Intel’s Atom processor For storage it takes a 62G6 soiid-state disk (SSD), with only 27GB of usable space.
On the bottom is a docking port; along the sides, USB 2.0 and HDMI. plus an SD Card slot. Buttons on the right let you flip the screen orientation and switch off the Wi-Fi.
Given the choice of operating system and absence of a keyboard, Fujitsu has included a dedicated button to invoke the Task Manager. When Windows locks up, this can help get you out of trouble. Missing are buttons to control the screen brightness and sound volume.
The build quality is tough-looking, Fujitsu has bevelled the edges to allow a more comfortable grip of the 16,5mrn-thick frame. At 390gr it’s around 50 percent heavier than an iPad 2 – and it feels it, too.
A netbook in disguise
In essencer the 0550 is a netbook with a stylus-activated touchscreen in place of a keyboard. As such, it carries all the baggage of running Windows on a low-power processor combined with the awkwardness of wrestling with a desktop operating system using a touchscreen.
Fujitsu has applied its own touch-friendly interface, which it calls Infinity Lounge. Activated using the stylus from a drop down tab at the top of the screen, it offers a calendar, calculator, an RSS reader and a notes app.
We applied a patch that added Mail (requires Outlook; not included) and a web browser. Yet there’s nothing here to overcome the problems of running Windows 7 on an insensitive touchscreen.
Let’s focus on the pluses. The screen offers a I280x800-pixel resolution, and is less claustrophobic than a netbooks 1024×600, This panel is semi-mattr so won’t reflect glare like the glass screens of consumer laptops and tablets. Its rough plastic surface isn’t particularly finger-friendly, but the stylus means you won t come into contact with it too often. images are drained of colour -a trade-off of anti-glare screens – but the in-plane switching (IPS) screen is viewable from side angles. The touch-digitiser layer under the surface means the image still gets softer off-axis, however.
The screen is touted as mUEtitouch-capable; we found it barely worked with two fingers, let alone four You can just about scroll using a two-finger drag.
For most operations, you’ll need the stylus. This is tethered to the chassis using string, which Is easily tangled; when not in use, we’d prefer to be able to clip it to the body. The stylus requires an AAAA battery. We needed to be heavy-handed in prodding on files and icons just to invoke a response.
Performance problems
A serious lack of system speed is more troubling than the dull screen, however. The Fujitsu is slowr and not just a little lagging In everyday tasks. Every operation, from opening Windows Explorer to launching an app or surfing a web pager feels as though you’re working through cold treacle wearing welding gloves.
Typing is also an ordeal. The onscreen keyboard is small by default and operated only using the stylus. If you expand it to full-width then it takes over the entire screen and gets in your way. This interface is useless for finger-operation.
Instant-on access is crucial for any mobile device; sleep, and wake from sleep, don’t work well. It took around 10 seconds for the Fujitsu to wake from sleep, and around 40 sees to enter standby mode.
Anticipating that few consumers win desire a slow, expensive, chunky tablet running an operating system that’s unsuited to touch. Fujitsu is pitching its tablet at business. In particular, those tied into Microsoft software deals, such as hospitals and local government.
To help convince these industries that they need an obsolete slab like the 0550, Fujitsu is playing the security card, in a presentation to PC Advisor, it insisted that business users would steer clear of the iPad, which isn’t secure against hardware penetration. Fujitsu has included a fingerprint reader, a SmartCard slot and full-disk encryption.
Two battery options are offered, with two or four cells in a removable lithium-polymer power pack, Fujitsu claims the larger battery lasts up to 9 hours, but our testing with intermittent use found only 4,5 hrs.
Verdict
ft was tablets like the Fujitsu Stylistic 0550 that forced the computer industry to fold on Microsoft’s flawed tablet concept, long before the iPad proved it was possible to have an Intuitive device that loves fingertip control. If you’re a business professional and are issued with a Fujitsu 0550 for your work, we’d advise a change of career to save yourself the stress and exhaustion of battling with this relic of the past.
Tablets demand processors and interfaces designed for the job, but that hasn’t stopped Fujitsu from resurrecting the Wintel tablet. This is a 10,1in-screen model running Windows 7 Pro. powered by Intel’s Atom processor For storage it takes a 62G6 soiid-state disk (SSD), with only 27GB of usable space.
On the bottom is a docking port; along the sides, USB 2.0 and HDMI. plus an SD Card slot. Buttons on the right let you flip the screen orientation and switch off the Wi-Fi.
Given the choice of operating system and absence of a keyboard, Fujitsu has included a dedicated button to invoke the Task Manager. When Windows locks up, this can help get you out of trouble. Missing are buttons to control the screen brightness and sound volume.
The build quality is tough-looking, Fujitsu has bevelled the edges to allow a more comfortable grip of the 16,5mrn-thick frame. At 390gr it’s around 50 percent heavier than an iPad 2 – and it feels it, too.
A netbook in disguise
In essencer the 0550 is a netbook with a stylus-activated touchscreen in place of a keyboard. As such, it carries all the baggage of running Windows on a low-power processor combined with the awkwardness of wrestling with a desktop operating system using a touchscreen.
Fujitsu has applied its own touch-friendly interface, which it calls Infinity Lounge. Activated using the stylus from a drop down tab at the top of the screen, it offers a calendar, calculator, an RSS reader and a notes app.
We applied a patch that added Mail (requires Outlook; not included) and a web browser. Yet there’s nothing here to overcome the problems of running Windows 7 on an insensitive touchscreen.
Let’s focus on the pluses. The screen offers a I280x800-pixel resolution, and is less claustrophobic than a netbooks 1024×600, This panel is semi-mattr so won’t reflect glare like the glass screens of consumer laptops and tablets. Its rough plastic surface isn’t particularly finger-friendly, but the stylus means you won t come into contact with it too often. images are drained of colour -a trade-off of anti-glare screens – but the in-plane switching (IPS) screen is viewable from side angles. The touch-digitiser layer under the surface means the image still gets softer off-axis, however.
The screen is touted as mUEtitouch-capable; we found it barely worked with two fingers, let alone four You can just about scroll using a two-finger drag.
For most operations, you’ll need the stylus. This is tethered to the chassis using string, which Is easily tangled; when not in use, we’d prefer to be able to clip it to the body. The stylus requires an AAAA battery. We needed to be heavy-handed in prodding on files and icons just to invoke a response.
Performance problems
A serious lack of system speed is more troubling than the dull screen, however. The Fujitsu is slowr and not just a little lagging In everyday tasks. Every operation, from opening Windows Explorer to launching an app or surfing a web pager feels as though you’re working through cold treacle wearing welding gloves.
Typing is also an ordeal. The onscreen keyboard is small by default and operated only using the stylus. If you expand it to full-width then it takes over the entire screen and gets in your way. This interface is useless for finger-operation.
Instant-on access is crucial for any mobile device; sleep, and wake from sleep, don’t work well. It took around 10 seconds for the Fujitsu to wake from sleep, and around 40 sees to enter standby mode.
Anticipating that few consumers win desire a slow, expensive, chunky tablet running an operating system that’s unsuited to touch. Fujitsu is pitching its tablet at business. In particular, those tied into Microsoft software deals, such as hospitals and local government.
To help convince these industries that they need an obsolete slab like the 0550, Fujitsu is playing the security card, in a presentation to PC Advisor, it insisted that business users would steer clear of the iPad, which isn’t secure against hardware penetration. Fujitsu has included a fingerprint reader, a SmartCard slot and full-disk encryption.
Two battery options are offered, with two or four cells in a removable lithium-polymer power pack, Fujitsu claims the larger battery lasts up to 9 hours, but our testing with intermittent use found only 4,5 hrs.
Verdict
ft was tablets like the Fujitsu Stylistic 0550 that forced the computer industry to fold on Microsoft’s flawed tablet concept, long before the iPad proved it was possible to have an Intuitive device that loves fingertip control. If you’re a business professional and are issued with a Fujitsu 0550 for your work, we’d advise a change of career to save yourself the stress and exhaustion of battling with this relic of the past.
