Fujitsu Siemens Computers NV has fleshed out its notebook range with three new entrants to its Lifebook range, including what it claims is the world’s lightest Pentium III laptop. Representing a new-entry level machine for the range, Fujitsu Siemens introduced the Lifebook C-Series, with either a 400 MHz Mobile Celeron or 366MHz Pentium II processor. With bundled features such as a modem and a DVD drive, the C-Series retail price is expected to start at 1,299 euros ($1,321), and weighs in at 2.7kg with either a 12.1-inch and 14.1-inch screen.
The latest addition to the company’s featherweight B Series mini-notebook range, the B2130, weighs 1.4kg with a 10.4 inch screen and is driven by a 400Mhz Intel Celeron chip. With built-in V.90 modem 10/100 Ethernet port and 6Gb hard drive the retail price starts at 1,999 euros ($2,033), the company said.
Most interest may focus on the company’s new 450MHz Pentium II-based S Series machine, an A4 (US letter size) format notebook designed to balance weight against feature support. for the so-called ultra-portable market segment. This model, which starts retailing at 2,599 euros ($2,643), has a bay option for a camera, second battery or other device and, given that it is aimed at the corporate market, a docking station for use as a desktop.
All three machines are part of the LifeBook range from the company’s Japanese parent, and are being launched in tandem with Fujitsu’s unveiling of them for the Asian and American markets. They also follow on from two other models announced in late October to coincide with Intel’s announcement of the Pentium III: the E Series, a mainstream corporate notebook and the X Series, also known as the LifeBook 800.
The latter is a high-end machine with maximum performance, multimedia features and multi-layer security factored in, and is also the only one in Fujitsu Siemens’ range not to originate in Japan. It comes from the Siemens side of the marriage and is produced in the latter’s Augsburg, Germany factory, whereas all the other machines are manufactured in Japan and, at most, customized in Europe. It is, in fact, built on the same platform that forms the basis for the Celsius portable Intel workstation unveiled by Fujitsu Siemens last month (CI No 3,763).
As a non-Fujitsu machine, the X Series will initially at least be available only in Europe, which is the remit of the joint entity. However, the company’s VP for mobile business, Nick Stacey, said there is no equivalent machine in the Fujitsu range, and talks are underway with the Japanese parent regarding global sale of the machine, under a Fujitsu logo. The Siemens originated Primergy Intel-based server is are already marketed worldwide by Fujitsu.
Fujitsu Siemens has set an aggressive targets for its notebook business. It wants to rise to number one in the overall European computer market by 2001 (up from number two right now), which means 40% annual growth between then and now. In notebooks, it presently ranks sixth in Europe (behind Toshiba, Compaq, IBM, Dell and Acer), and for 2001, is aiming for the number three slot. This, said Stacey, means increasing annual sales from the current 300,000 to 350,000 units to 800,000 to 900,000 and achieving 60% annual growth.
