The scoop: LifeBook U810, by Fujitsu, starts at $1,000.

Click to see: The U810 can be either a notebook or a tablet.

What it is: Instead of calling its LifeBook U810 an ultraportable or ultramobile portable PC, Fujitsu calls it a mini-notebook, which might be more of a marketing term than a specific product category.

The company has taken a Windows PC (users can decide whether to have Vista or XP preinstalled) and shrunk it as much as possible so it can be carried around much more easily than a standard or an ultralight notebook. The convertible design lets the U810 be used as a notebook (with a keyboard) or — by swiveling the screen — a tablet.

The little U810 may weigh just 1.56 lbs, but it’s a heavyweight in terms of the features Fujitsu has packed into it, including Intel’s A110 processor (800MHz, 512KB of Layer 2 cache and a 400MHz front-side bus); 1GB of system memory; a 5.6-inch touchscreen with WSVGA resolution (1,024 by 600 pixels); a 40GB hard drive; integrated digital camera and Webcam (VGA resolution), wireless LAN (802.11a/b/g) and Bluetooth connectivity. An included dongle supports Ethernet connections and a VGA connection for an external monitor. The device includes a Compact Flash card slot and Secure Digital card slot for additional memory storage (or for transferring files), and has one USB 2.0 port for additional peripherals. Security features include an integrated fingerprint scanner, BIOS lock and support for the Trusted Platform Module.

Why it’s cool: With full support for Windows applications, the U810 is much smaller and lighter than a standard tablet PC, so it should be attractive to healthcare professionals and others who are away from their desk for long stretches and don’t want to carry around a heavy notebook. For many years, users who’ve wanted the ultimate in mobility have had to sacrifice performance or other features to get something lighter or smaller, and Fujitsu has done a good job at providing most, if not all of the key features that notebook users need.

In addition, the company claims a single battery will last as long as 5.5 hours, which is very impressive considering that no extra, heavy batteries are needed. Although a single battery charge won’t last for a full work day, as some companies would prefer, it’s long enough for road warriors to get some work done while traveling without having to worry about their battery dying.