14 DAY TRIAL // Computex 2014 came and went, with some PC manufacturers like ASUS being in the center of the spotlight and unveiling several new products.
However, Fujitsu was one of the more passive presences at the trade show in Taiwan. The device maker didn't unveil anything too spectacular, but it put on display one of its characteristic waterproof devices, in the form of a 2-in-1.
But today, Fujtsu strikes back with two new products, by bringing out two new Lifebook E Series laptops aimed at global enterprise customers and running the latest Windows 8.1 Pro operating system.
The two new models arriving today are the E554/J and E544/J, each sporting a 15.6-inch LCD and a 14-inch LCD screen, respectively.
Leaving aside the display difference, the two models are pretty much built in a manner that allows the shared use of not only internal components (like mainboard and BIOS), but also of port replicators, batteries, AC adaptors and more.
In mobile professional working environments, where fixed setting is a concept that has been abolished, being able to share becomes extremely important, not to mention cost effective.
It should be noted that the same port replicators for the E554/J and E544/J could be used for the high-end models from the E-Series, including the E754/H, the E744/H and the E734/H. The current models are marketed as mainstream models of the lineup.
Fujistu is taking advantage of Intel’s current chip standard, by embedding a 4th Generation Intel Core i5 processor with the new models, in order to bring about power conservation benefits.
Both laptops support the latest wireless LAN standard, IEEE 802.11ac, but on the E554/J, an optional serial port is also being offered, so customers can make use of what they have in terms of peripherals.
Fujitsu has added encrypted hard disk drives, encrypted solid-state drives, fingerprint sensors, smartcard slots and security chips in these enterprise-bound devices.
Some optional accessories are being offered, although not many details are given by the company. Fujitsu is making both models available globally and the first models will start making their way to customers towards the end of June.
However, the laptops are quite expensive, so expect the Lifebook E554/J to arrive with a price tag starting at $2,053 / €1,513, while the Lifebook E544/J can be yours for $2,393 / €1,763 a pop.
Pricing its devices ridiculously high is characteristic of Fujitsu; for example, it Stylistic Q702 tablet that ran Intel’s previous Ivy Bridge chip platform was sold for $1,049 / €762.