Sharp Mebius Subnotebook Review

Tong writes "PDA Buyer's Guide has published a hands-on review of the Sharp Mebius CV50. "The smallest notebook we've seen in years. This Japanese Import is available translated into English from Dynamism, and is smaller than a hardback book. It weights just under two pounds, has a 1 GHz Efficeon processor, a wide screen 7.2" display and absolutely stunning looks and style." Read the full review."

Comments

Wow

[postgrep]

Finally a laptop that isn't a brick! my back will be saved!

Re:Wow

[bobbis.u]

Screen Size Diag: 7.2 ", Resolution: 1280 x 768
But not your eyes!

Re:Wow

[zulux]

if I had a dollar for every windows box that crashed... .... you'd be as rich as Bill Gates.

Re:Wow

[raodin]

There's this handy setting in Windows called "Display DPI," and an equivalent setting in Xfree. Use the tools provided to you, and and you'll have lovely proper sized text.

Languages

[mmonkey]

This Japanese Import is available translated into English from Dynamism

I never realised that "Dynamism" was a language...

The big Question:

[stretch0611]

Will it play Net Hack?

Re:The big Question:

[mengel]

I was going to say "Does it run Linux Yet?", but of course, NetHack is the real priority :-).

Re:The big Question:

[superbondbond]

With the Obligitory "Does it run Linux" question in mind, look at the Spec sheet from dynamism

http://www.dynamism.com/cv50/specs.shtml/

I would hope that with Sharp's past support of Linux (Zaurus), that this would be able to run Linux with little trouble.

One letter off

[tritone]

Darn. If Sharp had only made a Mobius Subnotebook, it even taken up even less space since it would have had only one side.

interesting but...

[MarsDefenseMinister]

I thought that the review of the Sharp Mobius was a little one-sided.

Brush up on my Japanese

[MikeMacK]

Don't worry, the Mebius is available in the US and other countries from Dynamism, who converts it to English and ships it with Windows XP. The thick owner's manual is in Japanese, so you'll need to use your general knowledge of notebooks and the pictorial illustrations for guidance when needed.

So, they still ship the manual to you in Japanese? Domo ori gato

Re:Brush up on my Japanese

[MikeMacK]

Like I said, I need to brush up on my Japanese. Thanks.

Re:Brush up on my Japanese

[aminorex]

Ari gatou is a Greek cake in France.
Ori gato is Jewish cat in Spain.
Domo arigato is what you say to Mr. Roboto.

a $1900 sub-laptop, read all about it

[joggle]

Come on, can't anyone make a $400-$500 sub-laptop with a 7" screen? Anybody?

Re:a $1900 sub-laptop, read all about it

[jarich]

Agreed... for 2 grand I'm going to have a nice big screen with a 64 bit AMD chip in the laptop! Actually, those are going for $1,500 these days...

Does anyone actually need a small laptop enough to pay that much of a premium for it?

Re:a $1900 sub-laptop, read all about it

[Crystalmonkey]

The problem is, the price comes from SHRINKING the components down to make it work at a smaller size. That is why laptops are more expensive than desktops.

Re:a $1900 sub-laptop, read all about it

[Bazzargh]

I just did some digging again and found a component based solution which does some of this stuff, unfortunately its *even more* expensive:
http://www.antelopetech.com/en/index.a spx?view=i-o rdering_OnlineOrdering.htm

thats based around a 3" x 5" x 3/4" "modular computing core" ... this was an IBM invention around the time of the OQO's original debut, if you recall; Antelope licensed it. The trouble is, even as components, the core (CPU, HD) is $1.5k and the handheld shell (battery, screen) is another $1.5k. Eek.

They could have done without the screen bezel

[Anonymous Writer]

If a computer is going to be this small, they should have made the effort to minimise the screen bezel to maximise screen size while maintaining the same dimensions of the unit. That's a poor design flaw, making the screen that small in relation to the unit. The unit is small enough that legibility or screen space would be difficult enough anyway, and this makes it even worse.

Re:They could have done without the screen bezel

[Anonymous Writer]

Well, in their defence (?), the thing *does* cost $1900 already.

I think the reason it cost more was because of it's miniaturisation rather than the screen size. A slightly larger screen with the same horizontal and vertical resolution (not dpi) shouldn't cost much more. In fact, it probably may cost less, because pixel density may cost more. They should have made the monitor lid thicker to put whatever electronics are in the bezel behind the screen.

Tiny Laptop, Tiny Keyboard

[the pickle]

Great. A laptop that only a two-year-old can type on. Those of us with normal-sized hands can look forward to cramping, RSI, and other fun medical issues.

Why not do something semi-revolutionary and incorporate a keyboard like the FrodPad into it instead of trying to shoehorn an entire QWERTY layout in there?

p

Re:Tiny Laptop, Tiny Keyboard

[justforaday]

i clicked on that link for the frogpad and i can't get over their little motto in the corner: "one-handed, wireless productivity." makes you wonder who their target market is... : p

So whats this cost?

[Kenja]

Not the notebook, but running an add like this on Slashdot?

Re:So whats this cost?

[BeBoxer]

1. 7.2 inches is wide? In what universe?? The article blurb ends with gushing praise.

The resolution is 1280x768, making it a "wide screen" format. Had they said 'It has a wide 7.2" screen' you would have been spot on though.

Re:The real reason this on slashdot...

[xanthines-R-yummy]

Oh yeah, the reason I thought it would be more compatible:

Sharp produces a product that actually IS a PDA which runs linux quite well.

Not a good bang for the buck

[ciurana]

I have purchased several items from Dynamism. While I've been happy for the most part, I believe that this machine is overpriced in relation to what you get out of it. With a $1,900 USD tag, you might as well get a 12" PowerBook that will do a similar or better job, have a better screen, and include built-in wireless, Bluetooth, Ethernet, modem, etc. with about the same footprint. You'd get OS X. You can run Office:Mac if you must, at about the same price as MS-Office or cheaper. You'll have access to better quality software (i.e. OmniGraffle vs. Visio) if you must pay for it, or tons of OSS stuff that just compiles and runs, or installs with a button click.

Besides, chicks dig the PowerBooks. They look cool, not geeky.

Cheers,

E

Re:Guess they've never seen the Sony X505ZP

[sxtxixtxcxh]

i am a karma whore...

More bang: More memory too!

[ciurana]

I forgot: For $1,900 your PowerBook will also have around 768 MB RAM, maybe even 1 GB, vs. the 256 MB offered by the Moebius.

Cheers!

E

Re:Guess they've never seen the Sony X505ZP

[ewhac]

Smaller, ligher, faster.

Fewer display pixels, almost twice as expensive.

Schwab

Concidentally the Sharp Mebius PC-RD3D...

[Anonymous Writer]

... was renamd the " Sharp Actius RD3D " for the US market. The Mebius PC-RD3D was the first autostereo display notebook ever made, released around a month or two later, under a different name for the US market. Maybe if this new Mebius CV50 comes to the US, it will be renamed the Actius CV50 ?

Libretto Anyone?

[Anonymous Coward]

What about the Toshiba Libretto. Ala 1996, same size as a VHS tape, Pentium 133 processor, about 2 lbs. I have the Libretto 100CT, and since it runs Win95 it can do almost everything a big system can do. A little slow, but I use it for class lectures with a wireless card, I can take notes notes and surf all class long. Only problem is that the keybord is really tiny and hard to type on. But a real attention getter.

Bah that's crap

[Anonymous Coward]

The Fujitsu P1000 is just as small, lighter and 500$ cheaper.

http://webshop.fujitsupc.com/fpc/Ecommerce/build se riesbean.do?series=P1

Efficeon = Transmeta

[MsGeek]

It's a Transmeta processor...I think it was the last one Linus Torvalds worked on the x86 code morphing code for before moving on.

Does Linux work on it? I suspect so, in this case. It seemed like the Crusoe was very happy under Linux. I have friends who have had Crusoe-based laptops running under Linux.

The only thing that might cause trouble would be the wireless networking. And that has nothing to do with the CPU.

Sorry, Fujitsu P-1000 series was out much earlier

[frank_adrian314159]

OK. Someone tell me how this is better than the P-1000 series from Fujitsu?

Although it weighs 0.1 pounds less and has a (slightly) faster processor, it also is 1 inch wider (though its screen - non-touch pad, BTW - is an inch narrower), it's battery life is shorter, and it doesn't have a built-in modem and cabled ethernet socket. All-in-all, I don't see a lot of difference and what is different seems to be worse. Oh yeah, the P-1000 is also less expensive at $1200 and doesn't need a third party to retrofit for English use.

So again, why is this news?

Re:Microsoft tax

[mrchaotica]

Considering that Dynamism puts that on themselves, if you asked nicely they might leave it bare for you.

Could Have Larger Screen!

[Omega1045]

It always bugs me when I see a design like this. There is a good 3 cm to 4 cm all the way around the LCD on this thing. The flip top looks like a big picture frame. This is space that could have been used for a larger screen. With the 10.2" X 6.2" dimensions, you could fit a 11.5" screen onto that little thing with some space to spare. They only fit a 7.2" into the space. I cannot think that this would add a lot of weight, and power consumption would not be much more considering it is an LCD monitor.

Perhaps they could have spent a little less time trying to make it look just like an iBook and a little more time making the notebook that much more useful.

If you want a small but full function subnotebook

[stevarooski]

. . . Ignore this guy and check out Fujitsu's Lifebook P Series.. Very small form factor, but included CD burner/DVD player. Also, I would bet its a lot zippier than this Sharp.

I first owned one of the P Series right after they came out and were equipped with transmetas. The performance was a shade up on terrible, and the battery life merely ok. Since then, they've shifted to Intel chips. My brother bought one recently, and the machine is easily capable of running multiple adobe applications, and he is able to get design work done anywhere with his pressure-sensitive drawing pad attached.

This new machine is smaller, yes, but are the sacrifices in functionality worth shedding the extra pound?

Save money

[I7D]

I saved a ton of money and bought a M-M-M-Mebius off of Ebay!

Re:Experiences with Sharp & Dynamism

[T0t0r0_fan]

I'm getting more and more disappointed that I bought 5500 instead of waiting a little and buying a C760... ;( (SL5600 and C700 looked suspicious at the time because of the buggy CPU)

Myself i can't understand this hunt for a "sub-notebook", either - a laptop like the one in the review, as nice as it is(even running Linux) can't really be put in a pocket and carried around, you'll still have to think of some sort of special bag just for it - so, are 200 or so additional grams going to pull of your arms, in exchange for a few hundred $? I don't think and extra half-centimetre will make a huge difference on your lap/desk, either. So really, why bother?

Am I missing some killer advantages a sub-notebook going to offer over a somewhat smaller than average laptop(or even a (very) good PDA, then - you aren't going to play many games on it, are you)?

A better sub-notebook is coming (a tablet, too)

[galtenberg]

None of the sub-notebooks introduced since Sony released the C1 series has given us a reason to upgrade. My C1XS (PII 400Mhz, 128Mb RAM, 30gig HD) is 5 years old and is still thinner and smaller (9.81"x5.99"x1.14", 2.21lb) than its later lookalikes.

Only one model is even up for consideration, in my mind (no, not even the Sony U50/70 - you -gotta- have a real keyboard attached). The Flybook is gonna have _everything_, including GPRS, and it's a tablet, too. Exactly what I've been waiting for. Would the rest of you Far East-whipped toy companies wake up and get us computers like these?

As Bill Gates told his wife...

[commodoresloat]

"Nobody will ever need more than 7.2 inches."

screen won't fit

[lingqi]

I saw this when walking through tokyo the other day.

the screen *cannot* be any bigger because of the rounded shape of the top cover. the cover portion is not like a slate, but rather the edges start from a blade edge and only reaches full thickness about 2cm in, where the actual LCD is embedded. check out the side-view - that's why the screen is so "small".

Now, why whould they want to design their system wich such rounded edges, that's another mystery that you can only ask their design department.