The LifeBook P1500 will run Windows XP Professional rather than any version of the Tablet PC operating system as a way to keep costs down and let customers leverage their current standardisation on XP, according to Fujitsu officials.

Fujitsu does plan to release a similar system that runs Windows XP Pro Tablet PC Edition by the end of the year, officials said. In the meantime, for those who want to take advantage of the P1500`s touch-screen, Fujitsu offers optional third-party note-taking and handwriting recognition software from EverNote.

The P1500, which will replace Fujitsu`s P1120 notebook, comes with either a three-cell battery, for up to 3.5 hours of battery life, or a six-cell battery, for up to seven hours, officials said.