TECHXNY - Sharp shows slim ultraportables

By Kalpana Narayanamurthi
PC World, 06/27/02

Sharp Corp. has expanded its notebook family with the introduction of two slim, lightweight ultraportables. The Actius PC-MV10W and the Actius PC-UM30W, both shown at PC Expo/TechXNY here this week, are intended for use by professionals on the go, and scheduled to ship in early July.

Of the two, the US$2199 two-spindle, silver-clad PC-MV10 represents a bigger leap for Sharp, which until now has focused on one-spindle models. Though it includes a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, the PC-MV10 weighs a little over four pounds and measures just over an inch thick when closed. The combination drive sits in a modular bay that can also take a weightsaver. According to Sharp, that drops the notebook's weight to under 4 pounds.

Sharp has further enhanced the PC-MV10 by installing proprietary DVD optimization software. Sharp representatives say the software works with InterVideo's WinDVD player to adjust the screen's contrast, making colors deeper and better suited for DVD playback.

In keeping with its lean profile, the PC-MV10 sheds legacy ports, and includes only mini-parallel and VGA ports. Sharp does not provide a port replicator.

The PC-MV10 has a 12.1-inch screen, 30GB hard drive, and built-in 802.11b support. It's the first Sharp notebook to also include a FireWire port. A floppy drive does not come standard, but Sharp does offer one as an extra-cost option.

Smaller and Capable

The other new notebook, the $1999 PC-UM30W, is a one-spindle silver-clad model that weighs just over 3 pounds and measures less than an inch thick when closed. Unlike the PC-MV10, the PC-UM30W does not have a built-in optical drive; however, Sharp includes an external USB CD-ROM drive with the notebook. Sharp also offers an optional extended life battery that it claims can boost the notebook's battery life to more than seven hours.

Like the PC-MV10, the PC-UM30W also has a 12.1-inch screen and built-in 802.11b support, but it has a larger 40GB hard drive. It also uses an optional external floppy drive. To attach any peripherals you must use a port replicator; the PC-UM30W leaves off parallel and VGA ports.

Both new models use Pentium III-M processors, though the PC-UM30W uses an 866-MHz low voltage version, while the PC-MV10 has a 1-GHz version. Both also have keyboards that retract slightly as you close the notebook, allowing them both to achieve a slim profile when closed.

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