PC makers go ultraportable

Fujitsu is joining a growing list of major PC vendors offering ultraportable notebook PCs with a new line for business and home office users. Meanwhile, Toshiba is also adding a new model to its own ultraportable Protege line as well as its Satellite and Tecra lines.

Fujitsu's new LifeBook 600 will sport a more rounded contour and a midnight blue case to distinguish it from other notebooks on the market. It packs a 133-MHz Pentium processor with 256K of level-2 cache and 16MB of EDO RAM on a 32-bit PCI and PC CardBus architecture. A 1.3GB hard drive and an integrated 28.8-kbps modem come standard, while a 12.1-inch active-matrix color screen, Zoomed Video support, and 2MB of VRAM round out the offerings in a package 1.2 inches high that the company says weighs only 4.2 pounds.

To turn the LifeBook 600 into a multimedia notebook, the company sells a separate Enhancement Unit which includes an 8X CD-ROM, stereo speakers, and a 3.5-inch floppy drive. The optional unit will have an estimated street price of $399, while the street price of the LifeBook is expected to be $3,999. The new model will be available in mid-December, according to Fujitsu.

Toshiba, on its own, is upgrading several lines of notebooks with faster processors and CD-ROM drives.

The Portege 660CDT ultraportable will now include a 10X CD-ROM drive and a 150-MHz Pentium to go along with 16MB of EDO DRAM, integrated 28.8-kbps fax-modem, and 11.3-inch active-matrix display. The 660CDT will have a suggested list price of $5,299 and is expected to be available in January of 1997.

In the Satellite series, the new Toshiba Satellite 200CDS will include a 100-MHz Pentium processor, 810MB hard disk, and 11.3-inch dual-scan display along with a 6X CD-ROM drive. The Satellite Pro 430CDS will come with a 120-MHz Pentium processor, 16MB of EDO RAM, and 10X CD-ROM drive. Also included is a 1.26GB hard drive and 11.3-inch dual-scan display (active matrix in the 430CDT). Both new Satellite models will have Zoomed Video support.

The Satellite 200CDS will have a suggested list price of $1,999 and will be available in November 1996. The Satellite Pro 430CDS will have a suggested list price of $2,499 and the Satellite Pro 430CDT will have a suggested list price of $3,399. Both of these models will be available in early December, according to Toshiba.

In the flagship Tecra line, Toshiba has added the Tecra 510 series, which will have 133-MHz Pentium processors and 256KB of level-2 cache, a 10X CD-ROM and a 1.23GB or 2.1GB hard drive. Other features include 12.1-inch dual-scan (510CDS) or active-matrix (510CDT) display, integrated 28.8-kbps fax-modem, and Zoomed Video support.

The Tecra 510CDS will have a list price of $3,699 and the 510CDT will be priced at $4,999, according to Toshiba. Both models are expected to be available in December of 1996.