In this day and age, when notebook manufacturers seem eager to cram way-beyond-XGA resolution into the smallest LCDs, we're happy that Fujitsu kept this subnotebook's wide-aspect-ratio, 8.9-inch display to a sensible 1,024 by 600 pixels (with the ability to pan or scroll, following the mouse pointer, if you select 1,024 by 768 or a higher setting).

This keeps icons and menu text from getting too tiny, letting you enjoy the screen's crisp colors and bright backlight -- turning the latter down one or two notches to help stretch battery life proved perfectly adequate, unlike laptops that leave us searching for a brighter-than-brightest setting. Our test unit's display had no bad pixels to be found.

We also like the P1510D's keyboard, or at least like it as much as we can given its scaled-down size: The keyboard's 16mm pitch means it's barely wide enough to accommodate your hands, but once you adjust to having your fingers crowded together you can take advantage of a smooth typing feel and decent layout. Like many laptops, the Fujitsu uses a Fn key to piggyback Home, End, PgUp, and PgDn on the cursor arrows, but the Fn key doesn't usurp Ctrl's rightful place in the bottom left corner, even if the Delete key is edged out of its ideal top-right-corner placement by the never-used Pause/Break.

By contrast, we're not wild about the ThinkPad-style pointing stick embedded in the keyboard: Unlike a touchpad, it takes both finger and thumb (if not two hands) to handle the joystick and mouse buttons. After some practice, you learn to master its at-first-too-slow-then-suddenly-fast motion, but it makes us wish there was room for a touchpad.

In other finger-related news, the LifeBook joins the growing trend of providing a fingerprint sensor for user and password log-in or biometric security -- indeed, a full-fledged TPM security setup for corporate users. The sensor's located in the bezel beside the display, while two USB 2.0 ports; VGA, modem, and Ethernet connectors; CompactFlash and Secure Digital flash-card slots; and headphone and microphone jacks are found around the edges of the system.

Less Speed Than Stamina

The P1510D's benchmark performance is pretty much what you'd expect from an ultralight, battery-miser notebook: fine for everyday work with office applications, no chance of demanding image or video editing or gaming. We saw a BAPCo SysMark 2004 result of 92 (Internet Content Creation 102, Office Productivity 83), with a Futuremark PCMark05 score of 1,211. Graphics-wise, the little LifeBook managed 70 frames per second at XGA resolution in Quake III Arena, but barely staggered through 3DMark05 (score 199) and AquaMark3 (5 fps with a graphics score of 543).

By contrast, we think getting the 6- rather than 3-cell lithium-ion battery would be the best $45 a system buyer ever spent. Even rigorous work sessions with the DVD burner (the latter plugged in, the LifeBook not) lasted for four and a half hours, and we twice managed five hours of unplugged productivity.

In the category of super-easy-to-carry subnotebooks, the LifeBook P1510D delivers as much price/performance value and ease of use as any rival ultralight, even if you never swivel the screen and reach for the stylus to take advantage of its pen-input mode. Its tablet functionality is less than an active-digitizer Tablet PC's and more in line with Fujitsu's earlier vertical-market slate solutions, but so what? It's a free bonus.

Pros:

• Barely two pounds, with great battery life -- and oh yeah, it's also a convertible touch-screen tablet

Cons:

• Compromise for size: small keyboard, external optical-drive option
• Neither pen input nor pointing-stick control is very precise

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