Cool Stuff

Fujitsu Notebook Ditches Optical Drive, Packs Pico Projector

Making super thin laptops isn’t the only thing you can do when you ditch bulky optical drives. If you keep the computer the same size, there’s suddenly a whole lot of space for cool new accessories. Take the new Fujitsu Lifebooks, for example, which pack tiny pico projectors into the newly freed-up space.

The computer comes in two models, with 12.1 inch and a 13.3 inch screens. Both can be had in a confusion of configurations, including Celeron, Core i3 and i5 processors. But the smart part is the projector.

When I say the pop-out projectors take the place of the optical drive, I mean it literally. They are designed as optional swap-in modules to replace an optical drive. To use it, you partially eject the unit from its bay and adjust it up and down on a hinge. Fujitsu doesn’t disclose the specs of the projector other than a resolution of 800 x 600, but pico projectors are all pretty similar, giving a decent, bright image as long as the room is dark and you’re not to far from the wall or screen.

The projector-packing Lifebooks will go on sale in Japan next month, starting at a rather steep $2,690. Given that pico projectors can be had for under $500, and take up almost no space in a laptop bag anyway, you might prefer to stick with an optical drive for now.

Projecting Lifebook product page [Fujitsu via Crunchgear]