Sharp Systems of
America Monday unveiled two new notebook computers with built-in wireless
LAN support, and also introduced a docking cradle that allows workers to
synchronize their files between their desktop and laptop computers.
The Actius
MM10 is the first Sharp laptop to ship with the Sharp Connection Cradle.
Combined with the SharpSync software, jointly developed with Iomega, the cradle, which
connects to the primary PC via USB and doubles as a battery recharger, allows
users to synchronize data between their notebook computer and their desktop
computer. Once connected, the MM10 is viewed as an external hard drive, and
users can select files and folders that they would like synchronize. The synch
is bi-directional.
Sharp product marketing manager Terry Hanly said the laptop is intended to be
a secondary PC. “It’s for anyone who needs their information outside of the
office — someone who brings work home at night, sales people, people who
travel It ensures that you always have the latest files on your laptop.”
While the MM10 will ship with a cradle, buyers won’t find the software in the
box. Instead, they will have to order it via a free mail-in rebate. Cradles can
also be purchased separately; pricing was not available at press time. Hanly
said the cradle and software will work with any Windows 2000 or XP machine.
The $1499 MM10 features a 10.4-inch display and is a slim 2.1 lbs and .54
inches thick. According to Sharp, it’s the thinnest and lightest full-featured
notebook on the market. The ultraportable is powered by a 1 GHz Transmeta Crusoe
TM5800 processor and includes 256 MB of memory, a 15GB hard disk. In addition to
the cradle, it ships with a PCMCIA modem card, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
and integrated Wi-Fi. Sharp even throws in a free external CD-R/RW and DVD-ROM
(also a mail-in rebate).
Sharp also announced the Actius RD10, which
Hanly said is powerful enough to be a user’s primary computer. The $2,199 laptop
features a 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor, a 60GB hard drive, and a CD-R/RW
& DVD-ROM drive. Like the MM10, it runs Windows XP Home Edition.
Connectivity options include built-in 802.11b; Memory Stick; SD memory card;
and Smart Media and CompactFlash card slots. The laptop also includes a 1394
port and four USB 2.0-compliant ports.
The RD10’s standout feature is its display, Hanly said. Sharp used an LCD
monitor panel rather than a notebook display, she said, so the laptop’s 15-inch
XGA screen is considerably brighter than those on most notebooks. Sharp said
that the RD10 provides viewing angles comparable to those of an LCD desktop
monitor — 160 degrees horizontally and 135 degrees vertically.
To fully take advantage of the display, Sharp included Nvidia’s GeForce 4 420
Go graphics card with 32MB of memory, and Sharp’s DVD optimization software.
Hanly called the RD10 “the ultimate notebook for users who place a premium on
the visual experience.”
Reprinted from allNetDevices.
