Fujitsu Siemens Stylistic ST4000

Fujitsu Siemens' Stylistic ST4000 is aimed squarely at the corporate market, but may be released to the general market next year.

This isn't a final production unit though, so things may improve. The 10.4in TFT touchscreen, while adequate, is on the small side, particularly as a Tablet tends to be a little further from your eyes than a notebook screen if you're using it while standing up.

We also had a few problems when using XP Tablet Edition, particularly at the edges of the screen where the pen position sensing appears less accurate.

Ranged around the sides of the Stylistic is an RJ45 connector for wired 10/100 Ethernet, 56K modem, two USB ports, mini Firewire connector, a fast infrared port and VGA connector. Buried inside is an 802.11b wireless adaptor, but no Bluetooth.

The Stylistic is a pure Tablet machine, but it has a trick up its sleeve with its docking capabilities: Our sample was supplied with a docking stand that converts the machine into a standalone desktop PC, using the screen itself rather than an external monitor.

The stand itself is large, unsightly and difficult to engage with the Tablet, but it does allow you to swivel the Stylistic into portrait mode and replicates the network, sound, Firewire and USB ports - with one extra USB - and adds a DVD-Rom drive. However, there are no PS/2 ports.

Battery life is good, with the unit managing two hours and 10 minutes in our rundown test - you could expect at least two and a half in normal use.

As with other Tablets, using the Stylistic can be a hit-and-miss affair.

The need to make the screen silky-smooth for writing notes clashes directly with the need to click, since the low friction beneath the pen tends to make it slip around. You may get used to it, but we haven't yet.

We have to say that of the Tablets we've seen so far, the Stylistic feels like it's had the shortest development cycle, even despite Fujitsu Siemens' long history of pen Tablet devices.

It will be difficult for manufacturers to differentiate their Tablets from the competition, so the docking stand is an interesting attempt at increasing the machine's flexibility.

It doesn't, however, feel terribly practical, especially with that small 10.4in display.

Corporates may like the Stylistic, but consumers will probably want to look to the excellent Fujitsu Lifebook range of notebooks instead.

SPECS

• 800MHz Mobile Pentium III
• 256MB of SD-Ram
• 40GB hard disk
• Intel 82830M graphics
• 10.4in LCD TFT screen (1,024 x 768 resolution)
• Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
• 300 x 219 x 21mm (w x d x h)
• Approx 1.6kg

DETAILS
Price: £2,056.25 (£1,750 ex VAT)

Contact: Fujitsu Siemens 0800 004 003