‘Shipping June 2011’ says the Fujitsu store in the U.S. which means that the Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 (and mass production of Oaktrail) is getting nearer.
The Q550 is a pro-targeted tablet with some interesting features that I reported on back at CeBIT.
A 400-nit screen IPS screen, 2GB RAM, remote security, capacitive/digitiser input, fast-charge, removable battery options, 4 USB ports, Gobi 3G option, SSD, docking port and an array mic are just some of the advanced features you’ll find which indicated a pro-level, industry focused solution. It also gives you clues to the price.
I’m pleased to say that my price prediction of $1000 entry-level was too high. The entry-level Q550 comes in at $730. For that you’re getting the 30GB SATA SSD, Windows 7 Pro, IPS high brightness capacitive touch display with digital pen input and 2GB of RAM. You only get the 19Wh battery ‘quick swap’ battery pack though but for $120 more, you can get the 38Wh battery with a 62GB SSD. That’s a good option.
Don’t forget that there’s the fingerprint sensor, HD video decoder (GMA600), front and rear cams, Bluetooth 3.0 (no H.S. specified) magnesium alloy back cover, strengthened glass. The weight, with the small battery, is only 1.7lbs / 770 grams.
A docking cradle is available but after reading the specs, it looks like it’s a USB/Power unit only.
Full specs and a new set of images available through the Q550 information page.
For Fujitsu, $729 is quite aggressive but there’s one unknown that affects all Oaktrail tablets at this stage battery life. My estimate is ‘up to 4 hours’ on the 19Wh battery which means 2-3hrs in use. With the extended battery pack, it would have a useful 6hrs usage time for under 1KG though.
One final thought, MeeGo and Android are being built for Oaktrail. This could be an interesting product to hack around with later in 2011.
Obviously we’ll try and get hold of a review sample of the Q550 if possible. (Any EU suppliers / importers out there care to help support a live review session?)
I´ve been waiting for “this” machine for years: a reasonably light, quality Windows tablet, with active digitizer, that thanks to Oak Trail won´t get neither noisy nor hot (hopefully!). A perfect replacement for my old, hot, noisy, TC1100, which is a great machine, but the most annoying thing to read ebooks in a quiet room ever.
If it delivers what I´m expecting, there has to be something else VERY wrong with it for me not to buy it…
Please Chippy, let us know when/where we can find it here in Europe as soon as it becomes available.
Cheers.
The only thing I would say is “wait for performance tests.” The 1.5Ghz Atom isn’t going to be powerful and the new GPU needs good drivers; something that was a problem on the previous generation.
I don´t really need a powerful machine, I just need a quiet, cool tablet capable of proper reading and studying capabilities, which is something that neither Android nor the Ipad have been able to match, so far, compared to the very good softwares I’ve been using for years upon years on Windows.
And I´m speaking about the so-so pdf annotators; about the shameful absence of any reader at all, capable of becoming a proper tool for learning foreign languages (like the fantastic Mobipocket was indeed, back in the day, still the best ereader ever created, IMO); about the inability to use my Wikipedia extensions for Firefox, because, heck there wasn´t even a Firefox available 4 days ago to begin with (and the one we have now, works only with “selected” android devices, being a naturally castrated Firefox version, incompatible with many addons I need/want).
All in all, unsolicited long rant to say that the only reason I´m “forced” to buy a machine like this, is because all those wonderful programmers out there have been unable to match old softwares, that have been available for years upon years for Windows. And they haven´t been able to do this for any other Windows alternative, including mega-super-Ipad developers. Otherwise, I´d be happy to jump on board, they just won´t allow me to, so Fujitsu not only will get my money, I´ll be the one who´s grateful…
P.S. If the tablet heats up, I´m officially setting Fujitsu on fire…
I have seen the Japanese version of the tablet and it seems fast I tried for few tests and all in all it’s seems to be good windows tablet.. didn’t get a option to check the battery life
Thanks for the feedback. Sounds positive!
The docking connector looks oddly wide for just being usb and power.
I agree but the docking station product notes indicate that only USB and power connectors are.available. Maybe they didn’t fully implement the connector (or the dock) with full capabilities.
the fingerprint sensor is too bad brought a slower startup speed. I think that a consumptive type tablet must provide a faster startup speed (especially in outdoor situation), and the fingerprint sensor is needless. The 60 secs of startup speed is absolutely intolerable.
My own IBM Thinkpad there is a fingerprint sensor, but I took disabled it, and then the startup times reduced 15 secs at least.
Fujitsu is clasped in a fusty mind, also raise up the cost and selling price, it is a dim future’s IT company.
In past, Fujitsu U810/U1010 with fingerprint sensor brought a slower startup speed than the Samsung Q1u (non fingerprint version).
My own Q1u is lastly in startup speed 37 secs, with Windows XP Tablet 2005 and 1.8-inch HDD (non SSD), through configured OS and drivers. I cleared the waste, — some Samsung softwares and Samsung shell of the drivers were too bad, cumbrous wastes.
However, I wanted a tablet ought to provide a faster startup speed, the said 37 secs was still not enough fast.
Chippy, thanks for your Fujitsu Q550 coverage and comments. I too, am very interested, and for similiar reasons as Andario. (The iPad and Andriod devices just don’t provide the type of experience I need, starting with OneNote!) But I don’t want to jump in too soon. I had rather be a user of devices, not a collector. (Am guilty of being a collector too often!) Maybe you [can] get an evaluation unit and post additional info.
Any current info about the Motion CL900?
I do appreciate your “only when there is something to say” posts. (Too many bloggers just post so much “stuff”)
Thanks.
Thank you thank you thank you! Will contact motion computing later for an update.
when does the new viliv x70 arrive to the market? I don’t know but I assume if someone plans to buy a windows tablet, viliv will come on top, any news on its release date chippy?
The only thing that stops me from preordering this beauty is that it doesn’t have SIM card slot. Although, wireless modem was mentioned in preview page on Fujitsu website. So I think I will wait for it to come.
Up to 3.5 and 7 hours is what Fuji estimated while ago for the 2 batteries. Now they just list ‘full workday’. Although caveat is that they also say you can just swap batteries…
Downside with X70 I think is screen resolution. Even though it’s only 7″ 1280×800 would have been nice. But it will be pretty light.
Windows 7 Pro + capacitive touch display?
How we will, for example close the windows (hit by finger to cross at the left upper conner)?
Viliv X70 doesn’t use coller(passive system),
but it quite hot – what about the temperature mode of Q550 ?
A capacitive screen does not make icons bigger, so you’ll end up using the stylus more often than not, that´s why having a good stylus+palm rejection technology is so important in any Windows 7 tablet, IMO.
About the heat, that´s my main concern, too. If we look at the numbers, the current Viliv X70 has a Z515 (TDP 1.4W) and a z520 (TDP 2W), which is actually LOWER than the new Oak Trails (TDP 3W). Since the architectures are different, we cannot make an apples to apples comparison, but to me, those numbers are still my main concern about the new platform.
Perhaps Chippy could chime in and tell us. Handholding those demo tablets that have been “on” for hours certainly gives you a good idea.
How much German beer do I have to send you for you tell us, Chippy?? ;)
BTW, even theoretically good Android devices are not necessarily cool to the touch. I spent a good 15 minutes the other day playing around with one of Chippy´s “old” favorites, the Galaxy Tab 3G, and that thing was closer to be “hot” than “warm”. I assume it had been on for hours, and maybe the GPS was unnecessarily activated or something, but to be honest, that clearly felt like a major disappointment, especially coming from the so-called “only Ipad rival” that we had a few months ago. The Ipad may have many disadvantages, but it´s still a cooler device than every single Android device I´ve personally played with.
I believe people in general -and many professional reviewers, too- underestimate the importance of noise and heat for the e-reading community, MANY people like myself who cannot be bothered by the dummy e-ink readers and their uber-dummy softwares, but need comfortable devices to handhold for long periods of time.
I´d LOVE to have more updates about those kind of issues. (There you have your requested feedback, Chippy… ;)
let us wait real reviews, I wish to have tablet with win7.
/*
the current Viliv X70 has a Z515 (TDP 1.4W) and a z520 (TDP 2W), which is actually LOWER than the new Oak Trails (TDP 3W).
*/
http://www.myviliv.com/ces/main_x70atom.html
Viliv X70 has :
Z520 2 W
chipset SCH US15W (with GMA 500 ) – 2 W
http://ark.intel.com/chipset.aspx?familyID=35443
Total ~4W
Oak Trails has video and bridges in one chip.
So, Oak Trail has less TDP than system based on Z520 + US15W.
For Z670 + Intel® SM35 Express Chipset which has
TDP 0.75 Watts.
http://ark.intel.com/chipset.aspx?familyID=56058
Z520(2W)+US15W(2.3) = 4.3W,
Z670(with GMA 600) +SM35 = 3.75W
You may be right, I didn´t have those data. In any case, it doesn´t seem to be a significant enough advantage, numerically.
I checked a professional review the other day about the Asus W500 W7, and even though the AMD cpu has a much higher TDP, it was almost as good as any of the big Android tablets. So, it should be even better with the Intels.
The lack of info and updates about the supposedly “best” Oak Trail tablet on the market, though, is getting pretty annoying. No retailers, no reviews, no simple updates to keep you interested. Not even Carrypad seem to care that much, as you can (not) read. Oh well…
very strange why intel doesn’t use 32nm for Z670.