Engadget Logo Engadget Japan version The first reason for the Fujitsu PC 40th anniversary project was the keyboard "LIFEBOOK UH Keyboard" (Masaichi Honda)
It doesn't feel nostalgic, but the Fujitsu brand has a special meaning for old PC users (who dare to call it "PC").
There are FM-7, which Tamori acted as a CM character, and FM77 AV, which has been aiming for audio and visual since the dawn, but above all, Fujitsu's distinctiveness in the personal computer industry was disregarding the profitability of FM TOWNS. This is because while selling such super-dreadnought entertainment personal computers, it has the duality of creating computers that support social infrastructure such as factories and hospitals.
While Fujitsu's personal computers are celebrating their 40th anniversary, Fujitsu Client Computing is preparing several products and services as a 40th anniversary project. The first of these is the "LIFEBOOK UH Keyboard" (hereinafter referred to as "UH Keyboard"), which was also introduced on this site. It is a Bluetooth-connected wireless keyboard based on the Fujitsu PC FMV "LIFEBOOK UH-X". It can be said that the key touch developed for the LIFEBOOK UH-X and the lightweight components are cut out as a single product.
So why was this product the first project to commemorate the 40th anniversary?
This time, we asked Mr. Kuniaki Saito, who was the first president of Fujitsu Client Computing (FCCL) and is currently the chairman, about the thoughts that FCCL put into the UH keyboard and the future of the 40th anniversary project that will continue for the next year.
The keyboard is the most packed with know-how about "sensitivity"
─ I was a little surprised that the first computer maker's commemorative project was a keyboard, but how did this project come about?
"A personal computer is made up of various elements, but the keyboard is the component with the most" sensitivity "know-how. The finger is a human part that can perform precise movements, and it is the key to input for a personal computer, isn't it? Input has also improved, but the keyboard is still the center of character input. "
"In other words, pursuing the feeling of the keyboard is the first step to getting the computer to be used comfortably. It is not just determined by the specifications, but a sensitive tool that depends on the feeling. In that sense, it is used for musical instruments, etc. Mr. Yazaki, the editor-in-chief of Engadget, suggested that it would be an interesting product if the UH keyboard was cut out, and I started to consider that it might be cool. "
── Only Fujitsu, which has developed the NICOLA layout (thumb shift) keyboard in the past, LOOX as a compact computer centered on the keyboard, and the word processor OASYS pocket that feels like carrying only the minimum keyboard when going back further, to the keyboard Focus may actually be a symbol of 40 years of history.
"LIFEBOOK UH-X not only pursues sensibility, but also aims at the lightest and thinnest at the same time, but I thought that we could propose it as a commercial value including that part. Among the components that make up a personal computer, As you said, keyboards are a genre that we are good at by item. Furthermore, FCCL is developing products with the theme of "close to people". It is certainly not a comprehensive product called "PC", but FCCL's idea I also thought that it would be an opportunity to touch people other than FMV users with the technology and technology. "
──It's not just easy to hit and has a good feel, but it also has lightness and portability. Furthermore, by focusing on the keyboard and trackpad, it will also be a window for consumers to feel the feeling of FCCL in the emotional area of operation feeling. By the way, I think this product could be made into a mere commemorative product, but is there any reason for taking the form of crowdfunding?
"It is a new challenge to design and develop a single keyboard product in-house. We will share that part not only internally but also outside the company, and what kind of product we want, the reaction of the actual market, FMV series fans, etc. The good thing about crowdfunding is that you can tune to the smallest areas while feeling the feeling. You can fine-tune the direction of product planning and development according to the voice of the customer. "
── Fujitsu's personal computers have a solid business foundation for businesses and industries, so engineers who really love personal computers for consumers want to make something when they get new technology. I made! I have the impression that there are many so-called product-out type products, but is it an image of adding feedback from users to that?
"That aspect still remains, and there is still a culture in which FCCL engineers are willing to make improvements, make new proposals, and incorporate it into product planning. In the past, they developed consumer reactions. However, since the long history of the 40th anniversary has been built with fans, they have supported FMV instead of making something they like as an extension of the old days. I thought we should listen to the voices of consumers. "
──Are there any new discoveries in FCCL's first crowdfunding?
"I was surprised that the response was bigger than I had imagined. I was really surprised and delighted that I was expecting more than I imagined. I think that feedback on the actual product will still come in. I'm thrilled to hear your support even before the actual product was completed. "
"From the 40-year history of Fujitsu PCs, I was wondering if it would be supported by users of a relatively high age group, but in reality, we have received voices from young people who were inspired by the LIFEBOOK UH series. Students who carry it with them every day when they go to the campus are expecting that the LIFEBOOK UH's keystrokes and touchpads can be used on school terminals as they are. "
Regarding LIFEBOOK UH-X, Chairman Saito has consistently stated that "pursuing the world's lightest weight will lead to differentiation of other lineups." The LIFEBOOK CH series of stylish new concept notebook PCs can be said to be another version that allocates UH's know-how to the design. So to speak, the UH keyboard was cut out from the LIFEBOOK UH-X as a technical showcase.
"Although most of the PCs are designed and outsourced to overseas ODM vendors, the UH-X series is a product that is never born even if you ask ODM in Taiwan. A discerning engineer takes 1 second every day. It's a product that is created as a result of spending a lot of time trying various things. Why do you go that far? Because you want to go for the lightest weight. I think this is the culture of FCCL. Because FCCL has such a cultural background. LIFEBOOK UH-X is a collection of unique elements that can be done. "
"Rather than explaining that it's technically good, just pick it up." WOW, this is amazing! Because I am aiming for that, I want to focus not only on lightness but also on the area of feeling. I am not aiming for numbers. Lightness is also the lightest number, but as a result What we are looking for is the excitement when we pick it up. If we pursue the part that appeals to our sensibilities, no consumer will betray us. "
"The same is true for the keyboard this time. If it's just a function, it's just a smartphone. So why use a computer? Focus on the essential parts of input and output and pursue comfort there. Nowadays, remote work is increasing. It's a very important part. It's also a part that I want to pursue further in the future. "
──By the way, at the FCCL DAY1000 event, Chairman Saito expressed something that could be perceived as "a hint of the next LIFEBOOK UH" or "foreshadowing of the LOOX revival." It seems that 40th anniversary products will continue to appear in the future, but could you please tell us what kind of ideas you have as an idea?
"We consider the 40th anniversary to be between May 2021 and May 2022. I would like to give various meanings to the products released during that period. Although not all have been decided yet, LOOX Is also one of the candidates. "
──The brand LOOX, personally, is regarded as a "mobile PC with a minimal computer and display set around a keyboard." It has appeared in various generations, but the shape and composition of components have changed with each era. What is the interpretation of LOOX in the modern technical framework and usage?
"I think there are various interpretations. There is one idea that is centered on the keyboard. There is also one perspective that it is a product that is easy to carry around. However, I want to assemble it centered on the user experience, not on such functions and components. thinking about"
"We are still designing with the quality of the display, the sound quality of the speakers, and the sound quality of the microphone in mind, but if it is a small computer, we can think of a mechanism that can bring out another new experience by connecting two PCs. Also, in the part of being close to people, we need elements such as "Fukumaro" that support the use of computers and daily questions. We will express the 40th anniversary in various ways, so please look forward to it. "
──There are multiple PC brands under Lenovo, but what do you think is the strength of FCCL?
"One axis is" safety, security, and unbreakable. "We will pursue this point. Fujitsu has been developing industrial PCs that support factories and PCs for medical sites for many years. Utilizing such know-how, we have made use of such know-how. We want to provide the same value to consumers. By evolving AI assistants there, we aim to be "anyone can use and not break". "
"The other axis is to pursue technical know-how that other companies do not have. There are things such as weight reduction in UH-X and attention to speakers and microphones, but human-centered, sticking to the interface with people and the part that appeals to sensitivity. Technology development and product planning. "
"PCs may seem to have simple components and are difficult to differentiate, but even in the same corporate group, if the goals and sensibilities are different, the products will be different. Even with the same ingredients, the chef Fujitsu's personal computers will continue to create unique products by incorporating the latest technology while preserving Fujitsu's traditional taste, so that different plates will be born. "
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