14 DAY TRIAL // At the beginning of the month, Fujitsu unveiled what it touted as the world's first Windows 7 UMPC (ultra mobile personal computer) with multitouch capabilities. The product in question was named the LifeBook UH900 and was initially set to only come out in January 2010. Still, it seems that time moves a bit faster for Kong Kong, where the UH900 is already in stores.
The LifeBook UH900 is powered by the Intel Atom Z530 processor and has 65GB of storage space. The device is built with a sunlight-readable, 5.6-inch WXGA display, which is capable of displaying a full-width web page, and also features built-in thumb-glide point and buttons besides the multitouch technology. The screen can recognize and manage touch input from two sources simultaneously and a pen can be used for more precise handling.
There was one major downside to the device, however, one that doesn't seem to have been alleviated. The actual problem is that supporting all the above features, as well as a webcam and connectivity options such as 3.5G and Bluetooth, requires a hefty amount of power. The LifeBook UH900 either does not have a strong-enough battery or the actual configuration eats up more energy than it should, because the device can run for, at most, three hours on battery power even in ECO mode.
The model spotted on sale in Hong Kong, however, is, according to Engadget, even less long-lived than suggested, with a maximum battery life of two hours. This means that, even though it is designed as an ultra mobile laptop, it won't exactly perform well on-the-go, unless actual trips take only a couple of hours. This means that end-users who travel often might choose to buy a different mobile computing device, which, although not as feature-rich, will be able to stay on as long as required.
The LifeBook UH900 found on sale in Hong Kong was priced at $1,415.