The Fujitsu LifeBook A6120 ($1,369 direct, as tested) is a classic mainstream laptop, geared toward general-purpose users with a sensible spending limit. It comes with Intel's newest-generation processor (code-named Penryn), an abundance of RAM, and features few can complain about. Furthermore, Fujitsu's direct channel, where customers can add and subtract features as they please, is as intuitive as buying a laptop from Dell's or HP's Web site. Shipping is free, and you even get a free 4GB flash drive or a printer at the checkout page (while supplies last). Still, you wouldn't know how much the system packs in just from looking at its drab exterior.

Fujitsu has barely updated its design since my review of the LifeBook A6030—about the only change is that the "smoky gray" of the exterior has been darkened—and it's still nothing to write home about. It reminds me of the Dell Vostro 1500, a clunky-looking laptop that targets small-business users. At 6.2 pounds, the A6120 is lighter than the Vostro, but it's heavier than the 5.5-pound Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (LED). Setting prices low is no longer an excuse for skimping on design. Competitors such as the Dell XPS M1530, the HP Pavilion dv6500t, and the MacBook Pro look a lot better without costing a whole lot more (in fact, the HP system costs less).

In terms of features, the A6120 has everything going for it. Typing on its keyboard is a pleasant experience, similar to typing on the Toshiba Qosmio F45-AV425; the keyboard is not as responsive, however, as the Dell M1530's. The A6120's eye-popping 15.4-inch widescreen is one of the brightest in the industry, and superb for Flickr and Facebook content, video projects, and high-definition movies. (You can get the A6120 with a screen that's not so bright—only 300 candelas per square meter—for $50 less.) I would have liked an option for a higher resolution than 1,280-by-800, though. Both the MacBook Pro 15-inch and the Dell M1530 have standard 1,440-by-900 resolutions.

The feature set from the A6030 is carried over to the A6120, so you have the five USB ports, a FireWire port, S-Video, and VGA-out. A fingerprint reader is a $50 option and wasn't present on my configuration, but most people can live without it. I liked the integrated webcam and the multiple expansion slots, which include an ExpressCard, a PC Card, and four-in-one card reader (Secure Digital, xD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro). While most mainstream laptops are integrating 160GB hard drives, the A6120 offers a cavernous 300GB (4,200-rpm) drive. Still, I would opt for the faster-spinning, 250GB (5,400-rpm) one and save some money. You'll hardly miss the extra 50GB. A dual-layer DVD burner and 802.11n wireless are standard features.

More important, the A6120 has moved to the latest Intel Core 2 Duo technology, offering two of the five available Penryn processors. My configuration came loaded with the 2.1-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 CPU, which, while new, is in the middle of the pack compared with the chips in the latest offerings from Apple, Dell, and HP. Still, the A6120 delivered very impressive scores on SYSmark 2007 Preview, video encoding, and CineBench R10, besting the crop of systems that ran Intel's previous-generation processors.

Helped by its 3GB of RAM, the A6120 excelled on the Adobe Photoshop CS3 tests. The processor and memory load combination is more than enough to tackle any multimedia task thrown at it. The integrated graphics, on the other hand, won't help you with the latest 3D games. If you're a part-time gamer, I would opt for a system with discrete graphics, preferably an nVidia or an ATI chipset. The 43-Wh battery isn't large by any means, and it managed only 3 hours on MobileMark 2007 tests. The Dell M1530 and HP dv6500t offer extended battery options that eclipse the battery life and capacity of the A6120. Without an extended battery option, the alternative would be to buy an additional 43-Wh battery ($98) to swap in when the first one runs out of juice.

The A6120 isn't classified as a green laptop, although its energy usage (according to my tests) read a respectable 19 watts, matching the readings on both the HP dv6500t and the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch LED. Considering that the 450-cd/m² screen and the standard-voltage Penryn processor drive up energy usage, I'd say that the A6120 held its own against other mainstream laptops. Alas, it's one of few Fujitsu laptops that do not comply with Energy Star 4.0 and EPEAT standards. The company does, however, restrict the use of hazardous materials in manufacturing, and it has programs in place for recycling old laptops. Thus, the A6120 is RoHS-compliant.

Design is a key factor that the Fujitsu LifeBook A6120 has to improve upon in order to stay competitive with big names like Dell and HP. The price could be a little lower, too. But this laptop does give you the latest in processing technology, 3GB of RAM, and features that are more than satisfactory. Also, you can effortlessly configure a system to your liking on Fujitsu's Web site. There are, however, faster and better-looking systems that can be had for about the same price, namely, the Dell XPS M1530 and the HP Pavilion dv6500t.

Check out the Fujitsu LifeBook A6120's test scores.

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