Willcom D4 UMPC impresses
This is another one of those Japan-only products which we can only dream of having. Willcom, an operator there, has just launched the Sharp-made D4, a UMPC based on the recently launched Intel Atom CPU.
Aside from having cellular capabilities, the D4 has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, too. Its 1024 x 600 screen resolution means you can view most Web pages without having to scroll horizontally, unlike the 800 x 480 HTC Shift, the product which most resembles the Willcom in our region. It's even lighter than the Shift, at just 470g. Considering it has almost all the same features including a slide-out keyboard, that's quite a feat.
This device will be available in Japan from June and is not coming to a store near you. Not unless Sharp sees the unquenchable lust of a million gadget geeks and mercifully decides to make one for the rest of the world as well.
Via Akihabara News
About the author
Editor John Chan's love for gadgets can be traced back to the days when he disassembled his toys and couldn't put them back together again. He practices great restraint in not opening up every review product that comes through the CNET Asia Labs, and before that, in his previous job at HardwareZone. He has reviewed items big and small, from mobile phones to projectors and feels everyone should carry a multitool at all times in case of MacGyver situations.
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Some good news on the D4! Conics.net is selling them outside of Japan! Also pocketables.net has been testing it and this little computer handles Vista with no issues! Only drawback is the extended battery which does not prevent it from being jacket pocket in size is needed to give it a reasonable 4-5 hour use as the stock battery is a weak 1.5 hours. This is the best UMPC so far! People want just one computer that they can carry everywhere without any bags. Also nobody in theri right mind wants to pen input or thumb input into full Windows OS. I'm glad Sharp finally broke the mold and designed a more usable UMPC!
We have a quick video interview and product demo. (link below) from company who produced the UI for this device. Note, it's running on legacy design version Zero3 by Sharp and not the new D4. http://wirelesswatch.jp/2008/04/15/yappa-3d-user-interface-video-interview/ As for comment related to Jpn. handsets shipping into other markets, that would be a much longer discussion. However, I would point-out the fundamental difference is due to the well-established business model between domestic ODM's and operators here. In effect the carrier is "the client" and it's strictly a B2B sales relationship. We note that some exections to this rule are starting to emerge with certain makers in select markets, and there is an increasing awareness with overseas carriers in respect to the advantages this model represents. So, it appears this "locked to the island" past is destined to evolve in the so-called emerging mobile markets.. how soon and how much remains to be seen.
the japanese serves their culture in this manner by continuing to produce "japan only" products as testbed for their prototypes, or sometimes just staying stubborn by not recognizing the potential of the international market to allow for a more robust product testing or eventually let people buy a (truly) superior product normally produced by the koreans or the taiwanese (no racial bias intended). until now, they haven't recognized or willing to accept the change brought about by globalisation in terms of market acceptance in the international community...and could this be the reason they are beginning to lose out to other asian dynamo on other market/product segments?
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