Video demo after the cut

Compared to the prototype we briefly played with back at CEATEC in October 2009, the Kohjinsha D2 felt a lot more solid.  There’s still some bounce in the hinge – likely because of the sheer weight it’s expected to carry – but it doesn’t feel weak, and the two panels snap out reasonably easily.  Kohjinsha are rumored to be working on a touchscreen version of the D2, though this was the plain non-touch model; still, you can rotate the display 180-degrees to face backward if you want.

Other specs include ATI Radeon HD3200 graphics, 1GB of RAM (up to 4GB supported) and a 160GB hard-drive; there’s also WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, gigabit ethernet and a fingerprint reader.  Considering we’ve seen some unusual notebook/netbook designs at CES 2010 already – Lenovo’s IdeaPad U1 Hybrid stands out particularly – the Kohjinsha still holds its own: we certainly wouldn’t argue with a little more screen space while in the press room here at the show.

That cool Kohjinsha DZ dual-screen netbook has landed on a video review. I really like the idea behind this netbook, I still want to know about battery life on the thing, and I hope some mainstream netbook makers are looking to offer similar machines.

A new concept called Synaptics Fuse tipped up this week and the thing looks like a cross between a smartphone and a kids toy to me. It’s packed with squeeze, scroll, and stroke sensors and is an interesting concept for sure. MSI added new models to its X-Slim range with a new X350 and X600 Pro. The machines have WiMAX options and can be fitted with a Core 2 Duo processor.

JVC unveiled some cool looking and very thin home theater sound bar systems called the TH-BS7 and TH-BA3. These thin systems would look great on the wall along with your HDTV. Slides leaked out showing that NVIDIA is set to debut a couple new high-end video cards called the GTX 360 and the GTX 380. The GTX 380 looks to be more powerful than anything ATI is offering now.

The Nokia N900 has been confirmed for Vodafone aiming at a launch in January. We bet the thing will be offered free with certain plans. The FCC outed a new Samsung ST5500 camera with WiFi with 14.2MP and 7x optical zoom. Samsung was fast to point out the specs could change before launch.

Viewsonic released a boring netbook called the Viewbook VNB102 that has nothing interesting about it. The machine is like every other netbook on the market for the last year. I guess netbooks are like the field of dreams for these companies, just because you build it, customers will not come. Corsair unveiled a massively expensive RAM kit this week with 24GB in six DIMMS. The big downside was the kit costs over $1300.

Toshiba unveiled some new 64GB NAND chips this week that would be fantastic for the iPhone. Here’s hoping they find their way into the next model to hit the market. The Google Nexus One turned up on another video this week. We wish someone would just give us a full video breakdown, they must fear the Google ninjas.

LaCie unveiled a small external HDD called the Rikiki that has 640GB of storage and is about the size of a tiny monkey. Apple won a permanent injunction against Psystar this week. The judge didn’t specifically name Rebel EFI in the injunction but said Psystar would sell the software at its peril.

Cherrypal unveiled the $99 Africa netbook aimed at developing countries. The company also announced an updated Bing netbook for those of us with more loot to spend. The WarMouse Meta has debuted with 18 buttons and packing a laser sensor. I would never remember where I bound the macros on the thing.

AAXA has debuted its M1 projector that is both bigger and brighter than the pico. It had better be much brighter, that Pico was nearly useless in anything but total darkness. I am not sure how I feel about Bond’s preferred car marquee building a city car. Aston Martin has unveiled the Cygnet that looks like a cross between a Mini and a DB9.

The Barnes & Noble Nook has been hacked to add a full web browser to the device. That would actually be a cool feature, but I am sure the data consumption will be higher and AT&T won’t be happy. Word came in this week that the NVIDIA Ion 2 launch had been delayed at the request of manufacturers. The crux of the delay is to let the computer makers sell the remaining original ION devices.

The best news this week was that the 3D Blu-ray specs had been completed and that the PS3 would support 3D. I will be glad to see 3D movies in the home, but we will surely need a new TV to enjoy 3D on the PS3. SplitFish started shipping its Dual SFX Evolution controller. The thing looks pretty cool, but I bet it takes some getting used to.

The Asus Eee 1005P and 1005PE netbook broke cover this week. Both the machines are running the Intel Pine Trail platform. Research firm IDC reports that the PC market is back to growth. This year the growth is minimal, but through 2013 the prediction is for double-digit growth.

CES is right around the corner and one of the cool gadgets we will be looking for is the Notion Ink Tegra Android smartpad. This thing should be all kinds of cool. Fusion Garage and Michael Arrington are continuing with their legal battle over the failed CrunchPad. Fusion Garage still maintains it owns the IP behind the design.

The iPhone has beaten Windows Mobile in market share for the U.S. smartphone market. Windows Mobile is the only mobile OS losing market share according to a recent report. That’s it for this week, have a Merry Christmas!

Video review after the cut

In terms of performance, the DZ’s AMD Athlon Neo 1.6GHz processor bests a 2.0GHz Atom Z550 CPU and in fact is roughly comparable to a 1.4GHz Intel Core Solo, while full-screen YouTube standard videos are handled smoothly but 720p shows a few stutters and 1080p is pretty poor.  Flash 10.1 should address that with GPU hardware acceleration for Flash videos, but the DZ in the review isn’t running that beta.

As for 3D gaming, they loaded up Castle Wolfenstein on the Kohjinsha and it works smoothly and without stutter.  Still, if you actually want to use the two screens for different sources then you’ll need a game that can actually support that sort of setup.  That nifty USB port under the back panel – which is intended for a USB 3G modem – will require a relatively small dongle in order to fit into the 15 x 74 x 30 mm cavity, but it works as you’d expect and we still wish more manufacturers would do something similar.

In all, it’s obviously more expensive than a regular netbook but the hinge is supposedly pretty robust despite the wobbling.  There’s also no touchscreen, which seems an odd omission given the fact the displays can rotate like a convertible tablet PC; WOW-POW reckon Kohjinsha have a tablet version in the pipline.  We’re all the more intrigued, frankly; that would make the DZ even better.

[via NewGadgets]

Unboxing video after the cut

There’s no denying that it’s a reasonably chubby little fellow – then again, we would be too if you stuffed a pair of 10.1-inch LCD displays up our jumper – and the standard 5,200mAh battery looks pitifully small when you think what it’s expected to power.  Kohjinsha say up to 4.5hrs runtime, though that’s presumably with only a single display in operation.

What makes the DZ even more distinctive is the ease with which you can upgrade and update it.  The standard 160GB hard-drive simply slides out once the single-screw base plate is removed, and there’s also a USB port hidden inside too which is for a USB 3G/WiMAX modem, rather than having it protrude.  We were tempted at first look, and now – performance reports withstanding – we’re even more excited by this unusual machine.

[via jkkmobile]

We won’t argue with that, however, since a little more real-estate is never a bad thing.  Otherwise the hardware specifications remain the same, which means you get AMD’s 1.6GHz Neo MV-40 processor paired with 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard-drive and ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics.  There’s also WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a battery rated for 3.7hrs.

The price has risen, unsurprisingly, but not by as much as you’d maybe expect.  Onkyo will be asking 84,000 yen ($956) when the DX-Series arrives in Japan come late December, while Kohjinsha want 79,800 yen ($908) for their model.

[via Netbooked]

There’s also AMD’s 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 processor with the company’s S780MN chipset and ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics.  Standard RAM is 1GB (4GB supported) and there’s a 160GB hard-drive, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, gigabit ethernet and a fingerprint reader built into the screen bezel.  Japanese buyers will also get a 1-Seg TV tuner.

Ports include three USB 2.0 and audio in/out, and the standard battery is a 6-cell 5,200mAh pack which Kohjinsha claim is good for up to 4.5hrs use.  It’s unclear whether that’s with both panels active, however; you can use the DZ with just one screen visible and turned on.  As for weight, it comes in at 1.84kg which is unsurprisingly slightly heavier than we’re used to from a netbook.

[via Netbooked]

The problem is that the PA-series’ specs, build-quality and functionality simply aren’t strong enough to warrant what is – as we’ve already lambasted – a huge price.  Figure on paying the equivalent of around $779 if you’re in a country where Kohjinsha will be selling it natively, or around $950 if you’re dealing with an importer.  There’s plenty the MID does right, but at those prices we can’t see many people getting to experience it.

Video unboxing after the cut

As with previous Kohjinsha units, there’s a fair bit in the box with the MID itself.  As well as the AC adapter and a battery rated for up to 8hrs runtime you get a neoprene carry case and a VGA adapter cable to plug in an external display.

The PA-Series MID itself has a 4.8-inch touchscreen, Atom Z520 processor, 512MB RAM, GMA 500 graphics, a 32GB SSD and both WiFi b/g and Bluetooth 2.1.  It certainly looks impressive, but with pricing in the region of $760 to $880 we can’t imagine this will be a rampant sales success.

[via UMPC Portal]

Video demo after the cut

The Kohjinsha prototype – made by Inventec – uses an AMD Athlon NeoMV-40 processor with up to 4GB of RAM, and as you can see briefly in the video the display is not only made up of two panels but hinged so it can rotate. The company are still yet to announce whether they’re planning a production model based on the system.

Perhaps we’re slide-crazy, but we’d love to see this dual-display tech coupled with IBM’s “butterfly keyboard” as seen on the ThinkPad 701.  You’d end up with a thick notebook, true, but it could open up into an extra-widescreen monitor and full-size keyboard.

[via NetbookNews]

That’s a fair chunk for an Atom Z515 1.33GHz handheld, and while the Kohjinsha’s combination of 4.8-inch 1024 x 600 touchscreen, SSD storage and mini-QWERTY might make it reasonably pocket-friendly, that’s perhaps only because your wallet will have seriously slimmed down first.  We’re still not feeling the fixed 512MB of RAM, either, which just seems cheap.

It’s unclear what’s keeping the price of the PA-series so high, but we’d wager a mixture of Intel hardware, Kohjinsha mark-up, the strong yen against the dollar and the production difficulty of making a small, sturdy convertible MID.  Perhaps it’s time to re-examine the Smartbook platform?

[via UMPC Portal]

Each panel is capable of 1,366 x 768 resolution, meaning with both extended you could have a full 2,732-wide desktop.  Unlikely to win you any friends in coach-class seating on a plane, but better than even the biggest desktop replacement notebook generally has to offer.

Power is from AMD’s Athlon MV-40, with a 2.5-inch SATA hard-drive and up to 4GB DDR2 RAM squeezed into the compact base.  OS is Windows 7 Home Premium, and the whole thing tips the scales at around 1.8kg.  Since you’re putting two displays into the lid the unnamed Kohjinsha is pretty thick when closed – around 1.7-inches, the company told us – but if you were considering packing a secondary USB display in your notebook bag then we reckon you’d be better off plumping for this interesting machine.

That is, assuming Kohjinsha decide to green-light production.  We feel an email campaign coming on, because this is one unusual notebook we’d like to have in our rucksack.

That functionality alone will win the PA-series some admirers, as it means the 4.8-inch touchscreen mini-PC is far more suited for use while walking around.  As well as the QWERTY keyboard there’s an optical mouse and further joystick controls either side of the display.

Full specifications include an Intel Atom Z520 processor, 512MB RAM, GMA 500 graphics, a 32GB SSD and both WiFi b/g and Bluetooth 2.1.  There’s no integrated 3G, but you do get – in Asia at least – a TV tuner, together with a microSD card slot and 1.3-megapixel webcam.  OS is Windows XP Home SP3 and Kohjinsha reckon you can eke 7.5hrs runtime from a single charge, despite the whole thing weighing just 400g.  No word on pricing or availability as yet.

[via Netbooked]

As you can see, the PM is a little thicker than the NetWalker, but the Sharp is longer and deeper.  The edge-to-edge keyboard on the PC-Z1 means there’s more space for slightly wider buttons, together with a sixth row of function keys; Sharp have also squeezed in an optical mouse, whereas with the Kohjinsha you’ll be relying on the touchscreen for navigation.  That could make two-handed use frustrating.

PC Watch found the Sharp more spacious and easy to use, especially as its hinge opens wider than that of the Kohjinsha.  They appreciated that the PM is fanless and silent, though, plus the lengthy battery life.  We’re still waiting from Sharp and Kohjinsha to see whether these two products will ever be officially offered in the US and Europe, rather than through importers.

There’s also a 16GB SSD, WiFi and Bluetooth, together with a 4.8-inch 1024 x 600 touchscreen and a battery which Kohjinsha are saying is good for up to 7hrs; that’s at odds with what mbook M1 users have experienced, certainly.  The palm-sized ultraportable measures a scant 158 x 94.2 x 22 mm and weighs around 345g.

Weekly ASCII Web had a chance to grab some live photos, which you can see above, and the demo video below.  You can also see that Kohjinsha (or UMID) have reworked the previously clunky adapter dongles.  No word on a release outside of Japan, though.

[video via jkkmobile]

Your money gets you a 16GB hard-drive, Bluetooth, WiFi b/g/n, 1GB of RAM (2GB optional) and Windows XP Home.  There’s also a DVD burner, 1,366 x 768 resistive touchscreen and gigabit ethernet, with ports including two USB 2.0, both SDHC and microSD card slots, ExpressCard 34, various buttons and dual front and rear cameras.

That’s plenty of machine, certainly, but it’s not a cheap price.  The Kohjinsha is available in the US now from importer Conics, who offer it with a variety of OS choices including Windows XP Pro.

[via GottaBeMobile]

Video after the cut

Kohjinsha have obviously used their history of making compact convertible touchscreen devices well, as the SK3 has all the shortcut buttons, well-placed controls and sturdy hinges you’d hope for.  It’s obviously smaller than ASUS’ Eee PC T91 – which has a larger, 8.9-inch display – and that will have an impact on usability; however it will also make it more portable, and as everybody knows the real enemy of mobile devices is leaving them at home.

If you’ve been tempted enough to consider buying an SK3 yourself, Conics have them in-stock and priced from $769.  That gets you an Intel Atom Z520 1.33GHz processor, 60GB hard-drive, 1GB of RAM and both WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth.

As expected there are also dual cameras, a low-resolution webcam by the screen for video calls, and a 3-megapixel version presumably for still shots.  Ports include ethernet 10/100, VGA, audio in/out, a microSD slot, two USB 2.0 ports, multiformat card reader and an ExpressCard 34 slot. 

It’s also impressively smaller than its SC3 predecessor, at 193 x 132 x 30 mm, and weighing just 720g.  Kohjinsha are suggesting 3.2hrs runtime from the 17Wh battery in the Jeita test, a test known to produce over-ambitious results.  Steve from UMPC Portal (who, frankly, we trust about battery runtime estimates more than we ever did Jeita) is guesstimating at between 2 and 2.5hrs of real-world use, which is a real disappointment.

Still, we won’t argue with more options in the ultramobile touchscreen category, and we’ve a feeling Japanese customers won’t either when the Kohjinsha SK3 goes on sale there.  It’s expected to be priced at the equivalent of around $733, including local taxes.

[via UMPC Portal]

The SK3 has a convertible resistive touchscreen, a couple of inches smaller than that of the ASUS Eee PC T91, which folds flat onto the keyboard for portable slate use.  Inside there’s the same 1.3GHz Menlow-platform processor – capable enough, we’ve seen, for Vista – though no word on whether there’s an SSD option this time around.  WiFi has been upgraded, adding draft-n support, and there are still PCI Express, SD, VGA and ethernet connections, together with GPS.

According to UMPCPortal’s sources, the Kohjinsha SK3 will get its official announcement this week.  No word on battery life from the newly-streamlined power pack, nor what sort of pricing we could expect.

Other specs include WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and 10/100 ethernet.  There are also two USB 2.0 ports, a VGA output capable of driving displays up to 1,920 x 1,080, and a 3-in-1 memory card reader.  Both 3- and 6-cell batteries are available.

The Kohjinsha MT Series netbooks are available in Japan now, priced at around 49,800 yen ($513).  There’s no word on whether we’ll see it officially available in the US or Europe, and, even if that happens, there’s no telling whether the TV tuner will work or simply be deleted.

Check out the videos after the cut

It’s early days yet, but the general consensus appears to be that Kohjinsha have another winner on their hands.  Wow-Pow were surprised to find that, despite using the same processor, the SX3 actually ran faster than the SC3.

Despite the touchscreen, though, jkOnTheRun point out that Kohjinsha bizarrely install Vista Home edition; that version lacks the Tablet PC input options.  Update: Importers Conics have clarified that the OS is Vista Home Premium, so the pen-input functionality is present.  That certainly makes more sense!

Still, if the prospect of a DVD burner, ExpressCard slot and an estimated 4.2hrs of battery from the standard pack appeals, expect to pay around $1,199.

Above: Direct-from-Japan unboxing [via UMPC Portal]

Above: Wow-Pow unboxing

Above: Wow-Pow review

Even without mobile TV, the SC3 seems like a winner.  Measuring a scant 7.44″ x 6.10″ x 1.00″-1.30″, it’s actually significantly smaller than the ASUS Eee and UMPCs such as Samsung’s Q1 Ultra.  Despite the small size, Jenn seems to think it’ll take some relatively hard treatment; the swivel hinge, sometimes a concern point for convertibles, is apparently almost too sturdy.  The resistive touchscreen comes with a stylus to take advantage of Vista’s handwriting functionality and other tablet features.

Although Kohjinsha supply Japan-only GPS software, Jenn tried out other apps and was pleased with the results; hers didn’t have turn-by-turn but she’s impressed enough to recommend the SC3 as an in-car navigator.  The large screen should make it extra usable, displaying plenty of map area.  Keyboard use, despite its small size, was still decent enough for 63-percent of Jenn’s usual typing speed.  Best of all, the 1.33GHz Atom CPU handles Vista very well, with some serious heat output being the only flaw.  Battery life is rated at 3.2hrs but 2.5 is a more accurate figure based on typical use (i.e. WiFi on, that sort of thing).

In all, though, Jenn is impressed (and she knows her small gadgets); check out the full review and the dozens of photos for more detail.

Your decision between them would have to be based on how much you value an onboard optical drive.  The larger SX3 – which rocks in at 225 x 185 x 22-33mm and 1,250g – has a Super DVD-Multi drive and dual cameras, but the SC3 has just one webcam but Bluetooth and GPS (on top of the WiFi and ethernet they both share).  The SC3 measures 189 x 155 x 25-33mm and weighs 820g.  Each has an ExpressCard slot, a couple of USB ports and VGA out.

Battery life depends on whether you choose the standard or extended packs; the SC3 manages 3.2 or 6.4hrs respectively, while the SX3 musters 4.2 or 8.2hrs.  OS is Vista, and the SC3 is selling for 550 to 650 Euros in Japan while the SX3 goes for 650 to 800 Euros.  Alternatively, DFJ-Store.com are offering pre-orders for delivery at the end of July with free international shipping; you’ll pay $989 for a basic SC3 (black, with no Bluetooth or GPS), $1,049 for an SC3 with Bluetooth and GPS, or $1,199 for a black or white SX3.

[photos via PC Watch; details via jkkmobile]