Fujitsu Lifebooks U904 and S904 look pretty awesome

I am surprised there has not been a post about these yet. These might be the best ultrabooks this year.

U904 is a Haswell, 14 inch with 3200x1800 IGZO display and comes with a choice of glossy touchscreen or matte non-touch. 10h battery life.

LIFEBOOK U904 Ultrabook™ - Fujitsu CEMEA&I

S904 is a Haswell, 13" with a 2560x1440 IGZO display and comes with a choice of glossy touchscreen or matte non-touch. 24h battery life.

LIFEBOOK S904 - Fujitsu CEMEA&I

These are the first to offer a high res matte display and that battery life on the 13" looks really nice.

Release dates are October/November

What do you guys think?

 

I'm really digging the U904. 14" is the perfect form factor for me and it has the 1800p screen. The only thing I could see being a problem now is the price. If past models are any indication Fujitsu's are rather expensive...

Edit: Just saw these laptops posted here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/not...w-touch-portfolio-discussion.html#post9399852. Although it'd make more sense to discuss it in this forum though.

 

The u904 already has a price:

1549 for special config and 1999 for custom build

Fujitsu America - LIFEBOOK&reg U904 UltrabookTM

It would be nice if they had an option for bare minimum I guess and then let you install your own ssd and ram. They are charging like 2x the price on the 8gb ram chip.

The 1549 would not have been bad if not for the hybrid drive.

Edit: Just priced it out to make it a decent config and I see:

Base Price: $1550
8GB ram: $68
256gb ssd: 125-150$

Total would be 1743$ to make it decent.

 

Ah didn't notice that. 1500 isn't as bad as I expected, but it's still rather expensive considering the 5400 rpm drive they're packing into it. Do you know if the HDD is user replaceable?

Also I'm a little unfamiliar with Fujitsu. Do they do the same thing that Lenovo does, show an expensive retail price but perpetually offer "discounts" on all their models?

 

I did an edit above to calculate costs of making it decent:

Base Price: $1550
8GB ram: $68
256gb ssd: 125-150$

Total would be 1743$ to make it decent.

The default drive is an ssd/hdd 500gb hybrid drive. So it is not as bad as a plain 5400rpm drive. (SSHD, 5400 rpm, 500 GB / 16 GB SSD Cache, 2.5-inch, S.M.A.R.T.)

As far as it being user replaceable, I am guessing it is since they are calling it 2.5". Which is standard drive size.

And no clue about the discounts thing. I haven't bought anything Fujitsu in a long time. What got my attention was the hires matte screen. Maybe there is discounts when buying through 3rd parties or an epp link?

Edit: So far I found a 50$ off coupon and that employees/affiliates and their families get 15% off. Time to get adopted lol (or more realistically see if there are ways to get it)

Also, seems like the port replicator dock is free.

Edit2: Also I noticed the current options is for the multitouch option. So maybe the matte without touch will be cheaper since touch sensor costs money.

 

Anyone knows euro prices?!?

These new fujitsu laptops seems so nice!!!
To bad that here in Portugal we cannot customize and buy it over the internet...
A pain in the a** to try to find some prices for some custom configurations...

 

I spoke with two Fujitsu reps at 1-800-Fujitsu. The first rep didn't know what a matte screen was (he 'helpfully' clarified that the screen was actually a Ultra High Resolution...ummm...thanks). The second rep said that she was only showing a Touch version and that anti-glare would be international.

The first rep, though ignorant and unprofessional (he started the conversation by asking 'what can I sell you for' in a very 'uncultured' voice) may have contributed a tidbit. He said that he was showing availability of Oct 18 and Dec 20. For those looking for some kind of hope for higher resolution matte, perhaps Dec 20 is the matte version?

So it's Lenovo T440s ... of course, they are playing coy with availability too.

 

Yeah, I am going to wait a bit to see if it comes. As for the T440, doesn't it have a 1600x900 TN panel(low quality screen)? And 6hr battery life with a haswell is kind of on the low side.

I think the HP EliteBook 840 G1 has a 1080p IPS matte screen. (not 100% sure)

 

Damn, this is exactly what I need. So I will have to wait for December because of the matte. This might well be the Samsung 9+ / ASUS Infinity killer. Great.

Here's a review (an amusing translation, rather) :


http://translate.google.de/translat...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463376756&pf_rd_i=489986

 

One thing I noticed - they list all memory sizes as having a 2Gb "on board" plus a second DIMM.

The specifications page states that memory is NOT user upgradable, and that the max is 10Gb. That seems just plain silly, 'specially when the recommended OS is Windows 8.1.

My P770 also has an internal DIMM. I have opened up the case a few times, and upgraded it to the largest the P770 will accept (4Gb). Is this new laptop the same?

The spec sheet lists the video as Intel HD 4400. Will this be sufficient for such a high resolution display? Personally, I would have liked an nVidia option, but that is not something Fujitsu is known for.

 

The Samsung AB9+ too has HD 4400 and 1800p and got good reviews. I've heard the 4400 does pretty well (except for gaming/high demand graphical work etc at 1800p of course)

I'd prefer the 2 GB RAM were on board, ie. just a slot, so one could always exchange bad RAM. Unless one can deactivate the on-board RAM if it goes bad, of course. (on-board RAM on my Vaio X did go bad, btw).

Fujitsu's design is a bit edgy/industrial. The back of the lid looks cool (imho the logo/overall design is prettier/cooler than infinity and book 9 plus), and the narrow bezel looks good too. But that's about it. If you like the red version, it'll look OK, but I think the grey version is apart from mentioned upsides, no design winner. Not ugly, but the black keys don't look good on the gray imho, and I don't like the design at the arrow keys. They could have streamlined the design for their knew flagship a bit more.
RL picture of the back:
fujitsu_lifebook_uh90l_4 » t3n

 

Where can we find the red version? I would love that one, lol

 

One of the few things I really dislike about small keyboards is the lack of seperate Home, End, PgUp and PgDn keys. There is physical room, but they insist on putting these on the cursor keys along with the special function keys.

My P770 did that, and it is no end of annoying. A 14" laptop has to have enough room for seperate keys. I hope they did!

 

A minor disappointment - no 11ac wifi. Given the leading edge of much of the design, not including AC is surprising.

Funny - the 13" laptop will go to 12Gb RAM, but the 14" only goes to 10Gb.

 

Can't we just take out the existing WiFi card and put an AC one if we wanted to? None of my Fujitsu laptops have ever had a whitelist for the wireless card so I'm used to changing them.

 

I think you mean the Hp Zbook 14.

 

In the specs it says:
"2 GB onboard, 1 DIMM Slot, Max 10 GB
Memory is not user upgradeable. Contact Fujitsu Service for upgrade"

Maybe they mean the 2gb is not user upgrade? 1 DIMM slot means there is a memory slot. So unless they did something on purpose I see no reason why not. I am sure someone will do a teardown. But since they offer the option to upgrade later through them, it is most likely possible with at worst there being a difficulty curve.

I think they sell those in Japan. Since they have international warranty. I see no reason why you can't import one if you really want the red version lol

Looking at the best picture I can find, PgUP and PgDn are on top of the arrow keys. Home and End is unknown as I can't see. The only thing I can say is the layout overall is not very standard.

http://www.silicon.de/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/fujitsu_lifebook-u904.jpg

http://notebookitalia.it/images/stories/fujitsu_lifebook_u904/fujitsu_lifebook_u904_2_igzo.jpg

My current 13" ultrabook has room for PgUP, PgDn, Home and End. :/

The 13" is also heavier than the 14". (probably due to the battery). The difference in memory is based on 2gb or 4gb on board. It is possible that the 14" uses a different board. We all know these days manufacturers don't make their own laptops but mostly just design them and use premade components. My guess is 13" which is more common form factor was more competitive in terms of internal specs.

Since it says WLAN (optional), you can most likely replace that yourself if need for AC arises.

The HP Elitebook 840 g1 is the consumer version as it carries an Intel 4400 and is available today. the zbook 14 has a FirePro card and is still "coming soon"

 

The arrow key configuration that drops down a bit is actually perfectly standard... for about 3+ years ago. And that's actually a good thing, because I personally can't STAND the microscopic up/down keys they're wedging into today's ultrabooks. At least these are the same size as on my VAIO Z11, which is a huge plus to the U904 on my checklist. Only the Yoga 2 Pro has full-sized arrow keys, but after reading about dismal wireless performance, that's dropped down a few notches.

A few other unusual U904 plusses - takes a 2.5" hard drive, has a fingerprint reader, has a full-sized Intel gigabit Ethernet jack that doesn't require a dongle, comes officially with Windows 7 Pro as an option, and if you want there's a port replicator with 4 more USB, Ethernet and a ton of video outs.

Right now the U904 is battling the Asus Zenbook UX301 in my head.

 

Would love to see a test of the U904, it doesn't seem super sexy but seems to hit many rights notes: 10 hours of battery life, IGZO WQHD+ screen, only 1.39kg.
10 GB RAM isn't fantastic but it's better than most ultrabooks with 4 or 8 GB.

 

Just some more info I seem to have found for those who are interested in the touch version:

Fujitsu Unveils World

Personally I want the matte but for those interested in the touch that might be appealing.

 

Seriously expensive unfortunately.
"The two laptops will become available starting late October 2013, with the S904/H’s price starting at $3,117 / €2,295, while the U904’s starts at $3,167 / €2,331". So it will be even more expensive than the top of the line Asus Infinity.

But with the Aspire S7 announced in June and still not available in France until november, a M.I.A Samsung Ativ 9 book plus, and very nice Dell Latitude ultrabooks only available with Crap(r) 1366x768 display & 4GB of RAM the U904 will be a serious contender for me if it is really available at the end of October.

 

I'm not sure where you are, but the U904 is available *right now* in the US. Starting price is $1550 US for a pre-configured i5 model with 6gb and a standard HDD (kind of a poor configuration), but if you want customized it jumps to $2000 starting price for LOWER specs than the $1550 model, and rises up to $2690 by the time you add on the i7-4600U, 10gb memory, and 256gb SSD.

I wasn't too thrilled with the Aspire S7 - nice looking design, but the specs are really rather generic and there's no friggin' F-keys on the keyboard which is a total deal breaker. My shortlist - in order - is down to this Fujitsu, the Asus UX301, the Yoga 2 Pro, and the Samsung Book 9 Plus. If the Fujitsu had the CPU used in the ASUS *or* cost about $700 less loaded, this wouldn't even be a discussion!

 

Those prices are probably converted from the yen press release. It is much cheaper here in the US. And will most likely be cheaper than that in EU as well.

He got that out of the link I included about the palm vein sensor. Also you can get the base model for 1500 with the 50$ coupon. And the HD is not a standard HD, it is an HD/SSD hybrid. There is a 16gb of flash capacity there. (Not as good as an SSD but better than standard HDD).

I would love the Asus and Samsung but no availability of a matte screen makes them a deal breaker for me.

 

No matte screen on the Fujitsu either (for a while at least). And the $50 coupon doesn't work on Canadian orders.

Considering how few options Fujitsu offers on their custom builds, I don't see why they're spec'ing the weak prebuilt system they are without offering a slightly better one.

I worked it out, and they're charging a $520 premium for the right to change the CPU, memory, hard drive, and operating system. That's just hugely unfair! If they offered the i7 in a prebuilt, I'd even be willing to upgrade the other components myself - but as it is, I'd be paying $670 just to get a CPU that cost Fujitsu $111 more. I could buy a whole tablet for that!

 

I agree, the premiums they charge are ridiculous. We are talking about 2x their value for all those items. Though the OS doesn't matter too much because it is pro version. Windows 8 pro comes with a windows 7 downgrade license from my understanding.

The bright side is, the matte version in japan is cheaper than the touch version by around 10%. And since I want the matte version anyways, that makes things better.

Maybe retailers will have other configs at a discount? I do see in their documentation that i5 4200 is available to only retailers which indicates that retailers might get other configs.

 

Very annoying considering I could be ordering one right now.

But, for now, I'm going to wait and see about pricing/availability on the Asus i7. Not as fond of the lower res screen (3200x1800 is exactly double my favorite res for this size, meaning I could run Windows 7 without scaling issues), and I really do like the ethernet jack and fingerprint reader and better-sized arrow keys...

 

Fujitsu Germany just confirmed to me from trustworthy source that the matte will be available by December (2nd half of December)

 

I agree, the premium Fujitsu charges for configuring a laptop seems high compared to others who do the same. Then again, Dell and HP and boutique brands build their business on customizing laptops, while I suspect Fujitsu's business plan is mass production.

One thing I have to wonder - if these won't take a 16Gb memory module. Seems to me the memory controller should be able to handle it, as with all the current generation. There was one other Fujitsu owner in this forum who updated his laptop with memory that was out of spec - and got a 16Gb laptop where the specifications stated that 8Gb was the max.

On the other hand, I am not sure there is much supply of 16Gb SODIMMs yet.....

 

I feel your pain, I am stuck with my Toshiba z830 and want to move on already. Been waiting 2 years for haswell laptops with long battery life and then get hit with all this glossy touchscreen bs.

Though I would really like if Notebookcheck did a review first. They do the most detailed reviews with the least fluff.

Interesting, is this world wide or only Germany?

Also will the s904 13 inch be released with matte? or is it going to be glossy first too?

I think the problem is the audience. Fujitsu is aiming at business users and business users are not paying out of their own wallets so they are less picky about the prices. Even Dell and HP for their business brands overprice their stuff. Have you seen the cost on the HP Elitebook and Dell's E7000? They are not cheap either.

As far as memory it would depend on the motherboard and processor. I know the overall limit is 16gb but the question is if there are any limits per dimm. Though it might work. Compared to the state of ultrabooks now, I'll be happy even with 10gb.

 

In which case, they should be mass producing more than a single low-end configuration! There's only a handful of hardware options anyways:

i5-4300U
i7-4600U

4gb
6gb
10gb

320gb HD
500gb HD
128gb SSD
256gb SSD
128gb SSD w/FDE
256gb SSD w/FDE

...and that's it. They've paired the i5-4300U with 6gb and 320gb HD. So why not a i7-4600U with 10gb and 128gb or 256gb SSD as a second option for power business users?

Plus, I noticed that unless I go customized, the Canadian "discounted" model is stuck with a bilingual English/French keyboard... which is odd, because that means Fujitsu is mass-producing two different versions of the exact same specs in North America, where the only difference is the keyboard!

 

Well, after reading about the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro's problem reproducing any kind of decent yellow - and the similar problem of Samsung's Book 9 Plus, which both use the same screen - my shortlist has suddenly gotten shorter.

Basically, now it's the ASUS UX301 and the Fujitsu U904... however being in Canada, there's no way I will accept a computer with one of those modified bilingual keyboards that change the positioning of the left shift and enter keys... but it seems that both of these companies offer an international warranty, which means I can import either one from the US if I have to. Thank goodness!

I'm hoping the IGZO screen used on the Fujitsu doesn't have the same kind of problem as the Samsung PLS screen. I know from reviews it doesn't have the same kind of viewing angle as IPS, but improved viewing angle is useless if the colors aren't there in the first place.

 

Based on Notebookcheck's review, I think it is software driver related.

So now you can use that 50$ coupon lol.(Though it will probably be offset by importing costs) But yes that is where international warranties shine.

Why would they? They are made by a different manufacturer. IGZO is made by sharp and PLS is made by samsung. As far as viewing angles, have you seen a review yet? And is IPS and IGZO mutually exclusive? I know for example you can have an IGZO LCD and an IGZO OLED. Is IGZO and IPS mutually exclusive?

I googled for some info and ASUS PQ321 which is an IGZO desktop monitor is 176 degrees viewing angles. IPS viewing angles are 178 degrees. Is 2 degrees any significant? Of course there could be some color loss but it would be hard to call till someone does a test. Which again has me hoping notebookcheck gets their hands on a laptop with an igzo display soon.

Found this video of the ASUS PQ321 IGZO, looks solid to me: (not a professional test but by looks)
ASUS PQ321Q - Screen Viewing Angles - YouTube

 

I suspect only partially, and that the reduction is primarily related to some power savings mode on the screen. However, it also has to do with a lack of pixel density due to the particular 4-color checkerboard subpixel arrangement on the Samsung panel. Honestly, I think what notebookcheck considers "normal" may not be what a graphic artist considers normal.

Sadly, the importer I would have to use is in Ohio, meaning I may end up paying 7.25% sales tax on top of the $100 it takes to get them to forward a parcel of that value. I *can* get a US keyboard on a custom-built Fujitsu from Canada, just not the pre-built model.

My primary concern is if the IGZO screen has a same kind of subpixel arrangement as the PLS (perhaps it is a characteristic of these new high resolution panels), it could also suffer from certain weak colors. I'm not entirely sure what technology is used in IGZO, but it doesn't seem to be IPS, which is normally my favorite for color accuracy.

Those viewing angles are often grossly exaggerated. For example, most TN panels claim 170 horizontal, 160 vertical - but it's nothing even vaguely close to that. That's the "can you possibly see any hint of an image on the screen" viewing angle. For any reasonable level of brightness and color reproduction, you're probably down to less than 45 desgees in both directions on a TN, while an IPS screen actually does come very close to reaching 178 degrees.

That test does look pretty good. I'm not sure I've read it anywhere, but does the ASUS UX301 use IGZO? I note that the size/resolution is one of the IGZO offerings.

 

Pentile? I think they only use that in OLED displays. Also, Notebookcheck does not say normal or not. They give you statistics and compare it based on others. They rated the samsung ativ 9 at 75% of sRGB. Though not sure if it was plugged in or not during the test.

Here is what they said:

"The screen from Samsung's own product line is based on the so-called PLS technology. Its properties are similar to that of a conventional IPS screen. The black value of 0.39 cd/m² and contrast ratio of 772:1 are consequently on the same high level as the competition and ensure a rich and vivid image impression.

Users planning to use the 940X3G for graphic or image editing will be satisfied with a decent though not quite perfect color reproduction. The screen is fairly well-calibrated ex-factory and only shows minor deviations in colors (DeltaE: 4.0) and grayscales (DeltaE: 4.4). The crucial sRGB color space is covered to 75% which should usually suffice for non-professional users.

Update 10/05/2013: A reader pointed out that the color reproduction differs in AC and battery mode. The brightness and intensity of different colors, in particular those with a large yellow part, decrease when disconnected from the outlet and the picture looks a bit paler. This effect cannot be countered even over the various energy-saving and brightness settings (including the adaptive brightness control) in the graphics driver. In our opinion, this issue is not particularly adverse in routine use and barely noticed in most cases. We will inform our readers as soon as this is resolved."

Yeah, ohio is not one of the states that is tax free for Fujitsu, only DE, MT, NH, OR. I wonder if it is possible to have UPS/Fedex pick it up and delivery it.

PLS is IPS. And should have the same arrangement. Maybe your thinking of OLED or VA?

Here is a picture of both:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DPKBse8w9.../DxQ3fmaUGgw/s1600/Font+PLS+vs+H-IPS+Blue.jpg

Now if the new hires screens have some sort of different arrangement that is something to look at.

Here is a site that has all of the arrangements including IGZO:
Screen Technology and Sub-Pixels Up Close

Yes, I am aware,my current z830 has a TN panel and it really is a pain to use compared to my IPS monitors. As far as IPS reaching to 178 is relative, even IPS begins to have colorshifts at even 30 degrees. It just depends on the severity as IPS shifts are much smaller than a TN panel. For lcds specifically contrast and brightness. But looking at the test it seemed good, so all that is left is some measurements to confirm.

Here is the weird part about the UX301, the resolution matches and the display is made by sharp. But no mention of IGZO. ASUS calls it premium IPS. What ever that means. They might be hiding it or it might be an IPS. Going back to notebookcheck review they rated it pretty highly.

 

The Samsung 3200x1800 PLS panel uses an odd 4-color arrangement, and this is the one shared by the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro and Samsung Book 9 Plus. Someone in the Lenovo thread posted a photo of their screen taken with a microscope, displaying solid white on top and bright yellow on the bottom. Note how the rows are offset from each other.

View attachment 103402

Also, Lenovo users have checked and there's no difference whether the machine's plugged in or not.

 

RGBW is not odd, it just tends to be avoided because it is expensive for minimum benefits. But I do see what you mean by checkerboard. That said, that is the same way OLED displays are and I don't see it causing any issues.

As far as it making no difference if you plug in or unplug. My guess is that Lenovo used the profile with the most power saving and did not bother implementing dynamic profiles. Samsung on the other hand did. The problem is most likely with the profile and can be fixed, but there is a probability that it will impact battery life.(Since I am guessing samsung arrived at that profile after many tests, though most test look at primary colors and than brown, so I can see how yellow was missed)

 

Hmmm... if they gave the 13" a 12-hour battery time and dropped it to closer to 1Kg, I'd have been a lot happier. The 14" looks pretty nice. I guess I just have to decide whether there's a place for a non-digitiser Ultrabook in my lineup. My experience with the XPS 12 and Yoga over the last year says 'maybe not' but if I'm buying an Ultrabook class machine, it's now a tossup between the U904 and the Yoga 2 Pro I guess with the slight-refresh Sony Pro as an outside chance - with the U looking more attractive since I can stick a 1Tb SSD in there.

 

Well one thing to consider is what exactly they are quoting for the weight. For example, the base config is the HDD/SSD hybrid drive and touch screen. Those options tend to add weight. So if the weight they are quoting is for the base config, then you can shave some weight with an SSD and no touch matte. Maybe support can answer that.

 

No, they'll quote the lightest weight.

 

I just noticed that some retailers have added the base u904 with an estimate availability date of Nov 3rd. Some of those retailers do not charge taxes for OH and they are pricing for $1491 or less.

They do that most of the time, but not always. I have seen exceptions where they based the weight on the base model.

 

Seems like it will be stocked by Synnex, so it should show up in a bunch of retailers. Not entirely sure how comfortable I am with those specs, though.

 

Damn damn damn... was looking at videos of the UH90/L (Japanese version of the U904), and I see it has a bottom fan intake like the Toshiba Kirabook! Due to the way I typically use the machine on my lap, that thing is going to be completely blocked!

 

My Toshiba z830 has it the same way, generally it is not a problem as long as the fan is working properly.

Personally I prefer the design where the intake and out are on the top back and are channeled upward by the lcd.

 

I prefer the air vents be on the sides/rear, however if there's going to be an intake on the bottom, I find a larger/longer grille or multiple intakes tends to work better for a laptop... with a single fan-shaped hole and no other obvious place to draw air from, the moment that gets pressed against a thigh or a knee, the machine will begin heating up and the fan will kick into high gear (which according to a review, is like a blow dryer when it does).

 

Looking at the kirabook fan design. It looks like my z830 but worse. Like my z830 it uses same design which is small line holes in a circle. Though in my z830 the fan is raised so even if you put it on the knee it would not completely cover it. The UH90/L is not raised but the fan holes seem much larger, so that might offer an advantage. On top of that haswell should technically generate less heat. While I agree that the design on a single fan on the bottom is not ideal, I don't see much benefits a strip could provide in an ultrabook. In a notebook you have a chipset gpu built into the motherboard which needs cooling. But in an ultrabook the gpu is in the processor. So cooling of the motherboard is not going to help the processor any.

Overall though we will have to wait for some reviews. But I can confirm that the outside japan u904 model bottom is exactly the same with addition of dock expansion port as seen in this video at around 1:18

Fujitsu Lifebook U904 ultrabook WQHD+ Sharp IGZO - YouTube

 

This was top of my list until I read the reviews of the U772 that it replaces:
Review Fujitsu LifeBook U772 Ultrabook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews
Fujitsu Lifebook U772 Review: Don't Judge An Ultrabook By Its Cover

The main problems with the U772 wasn't just the poor screen, but also the poor speakers and "horrid keyboard" with practically no keyboard travel. I hope they've improved the keyboard, but given the keyboard stroke for the U904 is the same as the U772 (1mm), they may not have done. I'll be interested to hear the reviews of this model once they're out.

There's this japanese review of the UH90 (though it's difficult to understand their views on the keyboard):
“X“ª^’¼”̃‚ƒfƒ‹‚ðƒKƒbƒcƒŠ”äŠrFuFMV LIFEBOOK UH90/LiWU1/Ljv‚ðŽa‚é\\14Œ^g3200~1800hIGZO‰t»‚̐V‰sUltrabook (1/5) - ITmedia PC USER

 

I've been doing the same thing - reading reviews of the U772 with an eye towards the U904 - and I have to say the various comments regarding the poor keyboard have given me serious pause (not to mention that they look identical except for the backlight). I think Samsung has shown that you can have a skinny notebook with a good keyboard, and I've read the same reviewers praising Samsung and criticizing Fujitsu. For a notebook of this price from a Japanese company I would never have expected a poor keyboard on the U772, which doesn't give me much hope that anything's happened with the U904.

It's a real shame, because the rest of the U904 is really quite ideal, but a usable keyboard is extremely important to me - and at this price I'm not willing to risk it.

 

Exactly. I'm looking for a notebook with a QHD screen and a docking station that's not too heavy (a modern equivalent of the excellent Z11!) - the U904 seems to be the only one at the moment. Unless they have fixed the keyboard, I'll need to wait for something else - the Thinkpad X3 is a possibility, though the one-link dock only has one video output (HDMI), so it's not that useful for me, and there's something so convenient about dropping the pc and picking it up without having to disconnect anything.

 

I'm really surprised I'm not seeing more 14" notebooks with this QHD+ 3200x1800 screen (my new favorite resolution as I can always run it at 1600x900 without scaling issues). I mean if Lenovo popped one in the T440s, I'd snap that right up. Even the Carbon X3 only has QHD.... and no built-in gigabit ethernet, another thing I really want. In fact, with just those two requirements - 13-14" QHD or QHD+ and ethernet - I'm down to this or the Samsung Book 9 Plus.

 

Yeah I read the review about their previous U772 a while ago and the bad keyboard was one of my worries. Hence I am waiting on a review to see if they improved anything. I really miss the keyboard on the samsung ultrabook when I had to trade it in for my z830 which has an inferior keyboard imo. Too bad you can't replace ultrabook keyboards since most of them are glued into place : /

As for shortage of high res panels, my guess is it is because only a few manufacturers can make them at the moment. Sharp is really low on production yield I hear.