Fujitsu U938

Fujitsu has finally got onboard with the 8th gen Kaby Lake R CPUs.
https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=220261
However, the U938 is currently not being released in the US.
What is typical for such new products? Is it just a matter of waiting a couple months or is a longer delay for US availability typical? Thanks.

 

Fujitsu USA U938

 

Did you buy this?

Looks like a great machine. I've been looking at Fujitsu's as an alternate to Dell Business lineup. Wonder if they're as reliable as Dell.

 

They are just out now. I've had good experiences with Fujitsu notebook hardware reliability, though I'm not a daily user.
The US prices for the made in Japan notebooks are rather high compared to some others, especially when custom configured.
The U938 is the only option at 2.0 lbs. (920g) with the set of specs and features (3x USB 3/3.1, standard size SDxC, Ethernet, memory slot, etc.) I want. I installed 20GB of RAM (16GB SODIMM + onboard 4 GB) and a 2TB SSD (860 EVO). I haven't installed many programs or even calibrated the display yet. I should have a better feel for it in a week or so.

Right now the main issue is finding a USB charger that will work through the USB-C port. I tried one USB-C charger that supposedly outputs up to 19V at 1.5 A, yet there is no charging or any indication whatsoever from the U938 that it exists. I know it must be possible, because the Fujitsu docking station connects to the notebook through the USB-C both for charging and data.

 

I have the U727 (similar model from last year) and I regret the purchase mainly due to the bad battery life. The U938 has a bigger battery but my Vaio Z. I hope your U938 is not this bad. Both batteries I have show 10%+ wear in just over a year vs. my Panasonic which is 4 years old and has 0%. Even my Vaios (including the Z Canvas) didn't show this much wear. That said, I would agree spec wise Fujitsu gives more than most competitors. The build quality itself is fine. The U7xx series is quirky vs. the U9xx - specifically the DP port vs. HDMI. And to me the USB-C should be Thunderbolt at this point, but that's nitpicky.

 

The U737/738 are too heavy for my interests. The U937/938 are a bit light on batteries with only 50 WHr, but I don't plan to use it on batteries. There is a tiny hole in the bottom to depress a switch to disconnect the batteries. I will use that often since the laptop will be in storage for 3-6 months at a time (basically used only for travel).
There is the usual Fujitsu battery software that allows for charging to only 80%. Is that very useful in prolonging the battery pack lifetime? I'm hoping to get ~4 years from the U938 assuming 2 months use per year total.

So far my main annoyances are with Windows 10, which I really don't like compared to 7, but that is not a Fujitsu issue. I used the $15 disc to make a clean installation after some cloning issues.
The main hardware annoyance is that under full 15W CPU load the fan becomes quite loud and whiny after the system is heat soaked.

I would have preferred a mini-DP port, but I don't plan to use this on a display very often. I can connect through an HDMI adapter to my KVM if needed.
The display is pretty good in contrast and uniformity, but not wide gamut. The matte finish (non-touch ) is very nice and anti-reflective. The color temp was measured at ~7200K before X-rite calibration (I prefer 5500K) so there is a bit of banding with grayscale tests.

I am unable to charge the U938 through the USB-C port using a couple of different "power deliver" adapters. Are there any known to work with Fujitsu laptops? My goal is to reduce travel weight. Thanks.