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By Richard Morochove
First published October 15, 1998
OSAKA, JAPAN - Thin is in, and never was it more evident than at the Japan Electronics Show held here last week.
The trade and consumer show, held steps away from the port at the International Exhibition Center (Intex), featured the latest fall models of consumer electronics gear and portable computers designed for the Japanese domestic market.
The new generation of notebook computers displayed at the show are the thinnest I've seen, just 2 cm. or less. They tip the scales at around 1.4 kilograms, or about 3 pounds.
Yet there are few compromises in the design of these ultra notebook computers. They're usually based on a Pentium II processor and come with at least 32 MB of memory and a hard drive of 3 gigabytes or more, running Windows 98.
Recent advances in LCD (liquid crystal display) technology have delivered thinner, brighter screens that require less power than before. This has allowed manufacturers to reduce the size of the battery, one of the biggest and heaviest notebook components yet still retain an acceptable battery life of two or three hours. Some ultra notebooks let you slip on an extra battery "slice" at the back of the machine to extend battery life by an additional four to six hours.
Probably the biggest design compromise is the lack of built-in floppy and CD drives. The drives are outboard units designed to be plugged in as required when the ultra notebook is used on a desk. The external floppy drive often features a port replicator that includes a printer connection.
Some of the most popular ultra notebooks, gauged by the crowd of high-tech admirers,
included the 1.4 kg. Mitsubishi
Medion, which won the best of show honours
at Comdex Japan and the Sharp Mebius, which will be called Actius when it's released in
North America.
I was impressed by Sony's Fun-Fun model PCG-CI ultra notebook which comes with built-in digital still image and video conferencing capabilities. The camera at the top of the display includes two flip-around lenses for both standard and close-up views.
Casio displayed an even smaller computer. The Fiva looks more like an overgrown
handheld computer that's designed to be held with two hands. The 840 gram Windows 98
mobile computer is based on a 233 MHz. Media GX chip including 32 MB of memory and
features a 6.7 inch super VGA display. 
When you make something this small it's difficult to find real estate for all the necessary controls. To ensure sufficient space for the keyboard, the Fiva's thumb-operated trackpad is located just to the right of the display. The trackpad control keys must be operated using your other hand on the left side of the computer, which strikes me as a rather awkward arrangement.
Some of the electronic devices at the show resembled nothing I've seen before. For example, Sharp's NC-10 multimedia phone combines several communication technologies in one amazing little unit.
The multimedia phone includes cordless telephone, display fax, Internet browser and
E-mail capabilities. You operate the NC-10 using its touch-sensitive, 7.5-inch LCD screen
to dial
numbers, write a fax or
browse the Web. All incoming voice telephone, fax and E-mail messages are stored together,
in order of receipt.
Released just a couple of weeks ago, over 3,000 NC-10s have been sold, even though it's currently available only in Japan and sports a hefty price tag of close to $2,000.
The Japanese are enamoured with expensive electronic gadgets. While some products displayed at the show will be available in Canadian retailers for the upcoming holiday season, it may take a couple of years before manufacturing efficiencies and cost reductions make it feasible to offer other products over here.
One gadget I'm willing to bet won't make it out of Japan anytime soon is the virtual
aquarium exhibited by NEC. It features an
LCD panel that displays
a continuous show of brightly coloured tropical fish swimming in luxuriant greenery. The
panel is housed in a mock aquarium, with a thin layer of water interposed between the LCD
panel and the tank's outer glass. Steady streams of air bubble through the water to add a
realistic touch.
You can free yourself from the mundane chores of feeding fish and cleaning the tank by purchasing your own virtual aquarium for about $6,000, including remote control. If you become weary watching the same fish swim endlessly back and forth, buy optional PC Cards you can slip into the aquarium's base to provide it with programs of new and varied aquatic environments. CW
Richard Morochove, FCA, is a Toronto-based computer consultant.
Copyright ©1998 by Morochove & Associates Inc. All rights reserved. This work may not be copied or distributed by any means without our prior written permission.
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