Fujitsu sells 'smallest-ever' convertible tablet PC

Fujitsu this morning started offering the Lifebook U, one of the company's smallest PCs and reportedly the world's smallest official convertible tablet PC. Its 5.6-inch, 1024x600 screen makes the computer a UMPC when the display is folded shut or flipped into tablet mode, the Japanese designer says, but opening it reveals a conventional keyboard layout ideal for desk work. The U also boasts a far longer battery life of up to 8 hours courtesy of Intel's 800Mhz A110 ultra-mobile CPU and an extended battery pack. Extra security comes through a fingerprint reader.

The U will be offered in three main configurations, says Fujitsu. A base version with 512MB of RAM, a 20GB 1.8-inch hard drive, and Windows XP Professional will ship in mid-June for a price of $1,198. A version with 1GB of memory will be available for $1,364 at the same time, while the latter system with Vista Business should be available by July. Any of the systems can be custom-ordered with more memory and hard drive space. [via Impress]