In 2010’s holiday season, Fujitsu will launch 2 laptops in Singapore, the Lifebook T580, Fujitsu’s first 4-point multi-touch tablet, and the Lifebook SH530, a workhorse laptop with an emphasis on lightness.

After playing with both gadgets for a while, UrbanWire came away with some initial impressions.

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The Lifebook T580:

The Lifebook T580 is Fujitsu’s newest entry level tablet PC, weighing in at 1.4kg and fitted with a 10.4 inch LED screen. In terms of functionality, the T580 betters the iPad by running Windows 7, having a keyboard and a full set of ports, including a HDMI output.

The Lifebook T580’s Intel i3 (or i5, for the higher end model) processor also gives it a speed advantage over netbooks like the popular Asus EeePc that run the lower powered Atom processor.

Focusing the T580 for “content creation”, Fujitsu plans to differentiate the T580 from the iPad, which is more about “content playback”.

The laptop’s pièce de résistance however, is the 4-point multi-touch display that allows the user to use various finger gestures to control the computer. Depending on the number on the fingers on the screen, one can either execute actions as simple as scrolling, or as complicated as a magnification of an area on the screen. However if screen input gets tiring for the user after a while, Fujitsu also provides a battery powered stylus pen tapping on the screen. Alternatively, one can rotate the screen around and use it just like a normal laptop.

So does it work?

While it was easy to scroll or zoom into content using 2 fingers, the computer had some trouble recognizing the complicated 3-finger or 4-finger gestures.

However, Fujitsu reassured UrbanWire that the units we tested were prototypes, and that production models will have these glitches sorted out before going on sale.

Despite its minor issues, the rest of the computer worked well. The T580’s lightweight and small form-factor also made it a cinch to carry for long periods.

The Lifebook T580 is a great choice for those upgrading from netbooks as it provides a speed boost, while retaining the netbooks’ lightness. It is also ideal for those seeking a small laptop with touch capabilities.

The Fujitsu Lifebook T580 will retail at S$1788 with GST, and is slated to launch in December 2010.

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The Lifebook SH530:

The Fujitsu Lifebook SH530 is yet another entrant in the crowded 13-inch general-purpose laptop sector. The SH530 claims to have both style and performance, and also demands few sacrifices from its user in terms of weight and design.

The laptop also comes with an Intel i5 2.53 GHz processor for the highest end model (i3 and Pentium level lower end models, at 2.40 GHz are also available), which is more than adequate for most tasks a typical user would throw at it. From web surfing to photo and video editing, the SH530 should be more than up to it.

Casual gamers or avid film buffs won’t be disappointed either as the laptop runs on discrete graphics, in the form of ATI’s Mobility Radeon 5430. The chip is allied to a HD resolution (1366 x 768) screen, a key advantage over rivals who have screens with lower resolutions or 16:10 aspect ratios, which result in the quality of the HD video played being compromised.

The Lifebook SH530 also has a few features rarely found in models at this price range. Chief among them is ExpressCard support, usually found only on corporate or high-end laptops. Other high-end features include a hard disk drive of up to 500 GB and 4 GB of RAM. It also has a spill-resistant keyboard that should protect it from life’s little mishaps.

Weighing in at 2kg, the aluminium-bodied laptop is light and easy to carry around, a definite advantage for those who carry theirs around constantly.

Another strong point of the SH530 is how good it looked, be it in Black or Ruby Red, not something UrbanWire can say for most laptops in this price range. In fact, we can see the Ruby Red appealing to a fair number of female users. The SH530’s smart design choices also extends to its status indicators which can be seen when the lid is closed.

Overall, the Fujitsu Lifebook SH530 should be considered by those seeking a great-looking and reasonably powerful laptop that doesn’t break the bank.

The Fujitsu Lifebook SH530 retails for S$1788 with GST, and goes on sale on Nov 18.