Fujitsu plans low-end notebooks

Fujitsu today announced plans to ship a new low-end version of its LifeBook notebook family with a price tag well under $2,000.

The Japanese company's North American unit said it will target price-conscious computer users, students, and telecommuters with the LifeBook 420D. Prices will start at $1,799 for the portable computer, which will include an Intel 120-MHz Pentium processor and 8MB of RAM expandable to 72MB.

In addition to the 1GB hard disk drive, the 7.3-pound notebook comes with an 11.3-inch dual-scan passive-matrix screen, a CD-ROM drive, MPEG-1 video support, and built-in 16-bit stereo sound and speakers, the company said.

Fujitsu also said that at the end of February it plans to ship two LifeBook models that carry midrange price tags. The LifeBook 535T, which costs $3,499, and 531T, which sells for $2,999, offer enhancements to the series that was introduced last fall.

The machines are aimed at the needs of professionals who often find themselves out of the office on business. Both systems run on 133-MHz Pentium processors, use 12.1-inch or 11.3-inch active-matrix screens, and boast more hard disk space, RAM, and multimedia support than the lower-end 420.