Posted by CameronW, on October 31st, 2019 - 533 days ago - 1224 words -

Fujitsu Lifebook S935

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As far as ultra-portable notebooks go, this has to be one of the best - it's a nice portable piece of kit.

The system specs are suitable for business, development and computer enthusiasts and would fit right in with the Linux crowd with the QHD IPS display & touchscreen.

It does have some minor design flaws, but the feature set makes it a real enticing package for a 13.3" "sub-notebook" as it's called.

Fujitsu Lifebook S935

Note: This system is available to me within NZ via ex-lease distribution, your Lifebook S935 may have been shipped with different specs & hardware depending on SKUs available to your country or region or availability on hardware at the time during manufacturing.

My Thoughts

The laptop has a fair bit of potential as a portable daily; with newer SSDs reaching affordable capacities of 1TB/2TB - the system capacity with an additional 8GB DDR3 module installed reaching the 12G max can be quite large, especially with the WWAN card giving you the ideal lifestyle with a good enough data pack for roaming around without the need of using your mobile as a hotspot.

I do strongly recommend you buy a decent bag for it, as it's not the most durable laptop I've come across.

I had one of these systems fall off my bed. Unfortunately due to a design cost/decision the hinge is bolted to the back panel plastic cover of the LCD - not the hinge of the LCD giving it strength as most notebooks are designed. So try not to damage the lower panels around the hinge on the LCD - as it is serious damage requiring an entire replacement of the panel and or the hinge assembly, so an entire replacement is likely due to the lack of spare parts available, unless you live in a region to take advantage of more affordable units on eBay to source as spare/replacement parts.

Due to the niche nature of these laptops, buying a dead one for spare parts is highly unlikely - I just purchased another S935 and vowed to treat it a bit better.

But this will tide me over until I get another QHD laptop and/or tablet to run as my daily run-about.

The speaker(s) on this are honestly, horrible - I strongly recommend that you go buy a pair of Bluetooth headphones, earphones or a speaker or something, seriously - this laptop does not have speakers you can rely on - it feels like the speaker was installed as an after thought and some one thought that you'd need it for just windows sounds, nothing more.

Documentation

Internal Access / Servicing

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Internal access is relatively easy, Philips head screwdriver should do it. For the size, this system appears to be highly serviceable with regards to replacing/upgrading the SSD, Memory, Wireless Card, CMOS Battery, CPU Heatsink & Fan assembly.

I would recommend thermal grease replacement and checking the heatsink for dust & debris build up; which will eventually increase temperatures and degrade system performance.

Final Conclusion

Pros

 

Cons

I love this laptop, it's a great ultra-portable, something to do 90% of my core work on while on the go and I have to admit - it's a great laptop for roaming!

Perfect for the IT professional, software developer or even the serious enthusiast.

I probably wouldn't buy this laptop again - honestly, if you take care of your devices, diligent in requiring a carry bag for it - someone not rough, this laptop is and probably will last a nice long life with you.

Fujitsu has no major market in New Zealand, so finding a dead unit to migrate your components into is going to be difficult, unlike HP, Dell or Lenovo.

For the $599 price tag, it's worth the price.

But it's a good stepping stone until the Dell Studios that have been sold with 4K panels are available at ex-lease retailers in the next coming years.

Where I got mine?

Disclosure - this was not a paid review, by Fujitsu, NZ PC Clearance Ltd or PC Traders Ltd. I purchased these units independently.