Fujitsu expands into untapped markets

Fujitsu doesn't cover all markets for notebooks, but they are looking to tap the unusual ones.

Blessings come in small packages – especially if you are into the latest fad called tokidoki. (And let’s be honest: if you are into the goofy anime characters from Japan, you will probably not be attending any business meetings this decade anyway, so power and size are not huge factors.)

Fujitsu, a company that has long trailed behind the Dell and HP dynamos in recent years, is expanding into unheralded markets. The first venture: a palm-sized mini laptop that runs Windows Vista, uses a stylus for both a laptop mode or tablet mode, and has a limited edition screen print of tokidoki characters on the lid. The U820 is a remarkable device: it’s fast, has a unique design, and runs just about any app you care to try at that subnotebook size.

A prototype laptop, available overseas but not in the US as of yet, is designed for elderly people or those who have not used a computer before. It has large keys, bigger icons on screen, and is part of a new service called Raku-Raku where users can call in for support and not have to know the difference between an IP address and an IPTV.

Other notebooks include a model with Wi-Max built in (the LifeBook 8020) and the N7010, which has a secondary display above the keyboard. Note to extreme gamers: this model may eventually receive the same treatment as an overseas version where the internal cooling uses a water filtration system. How cool is that?