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Fujitsu is preparing to launch a new slate-type Tablet PC that features a faster processor, a larger screen, and a more capacious hard drive than its current model.
Details of the new computer, the Stylistic ST5000, including the draft user manual, were revealed in documents published by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission after the device received regulatory approval for use in the U.S. last week.
A Fujitsu spokesperson declined to comment on the product.
The computer will be Fujitsu's third tablet PC, following the slate-type ST4000 (which launched when Microsoft released its Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system) and the convertible-type ST3000 that launched in September.
New and Improved
Several differences distinguish Fujitsu's current slate-type model, the ST4000, from the ST5000, according to the specifications listed in the manual.
The first difference is in the choice of processor. Fujitsu will stick with the ultra-low-voltage version of Intel's Pentium III M processor but is including a 1-GHz model in the new machine, according to the manual. The processor in the ST4000 runs at a clock speed of 933 MHz. Memory is unchanged at 256MB, but the minimum hard drive size has been raised from 30GB to 40GB, according to the manual.
The ST5000 has a 12-inch TFT LCD with 1024-by-768-pixel (XGA) resolution, according to the specifications--larger than the ST4000's 10.4-inch screen.
Other features of the new tablet include slots for a PC Card, an SD (Secure Digital) memory card, and a Smart Card, as well as a selection of interfaces including ones for an analog modem, ethernet LAN, IEEE1394, IrDA infrared, and two USB 2.0 sockets. The ST5000 supports wireless LAN; but a second model, the ST5000D, lacks wireless LAN support, according to the manual.
The PC measures 8.7 by 12.8 by 0.9 inches and weighs 3.2 pounds, which means it's slightly longer than the ST4000 but is otherwise similar. Battery life lasts up to 5 hours, according to the manual.
Regulatory approval by the FCC is required for all devices that emit radio waves over a certain level before they can be legally used in the U.S. Such approval is usually one of the final stages before a company launches a product, although it does not mean a launch will definitely take place, nor that specifications will remain unchanged before the product is sold.
Tom Krazit of the IDG News Service contributed to this report.
