Not to be outdone by other table offerings that seem all the rage these days (and by that I mean totally outdone), Sharp has announced a new model in thier Ubuntu powered nettop computer range with a release date for Japan sometime in May.
The PC-T1 sports a 5-inch touchscreen, wi-fi, bluetooth, and 8GB of flash memory (but with a measly 1.5 leftover after preloaded system and software).
Slimming down a bit by dropping the keyboard from previous models, the PC-T1 weighs a respectable 280 grams (down from 400 grams from the previous model) and has an impressive 6 hour battery life. Considering this is a Sharp device, we can expect a nice screen and the 1024×600 resolution is something to look forward to. Throw in a USB port and you have a pretty neat little device.
That said, I can’t imagine it will be worth the price. Expected to be around 47,000 yen (around $500 USD), this device looks straight across the table at the iPad and tops most entry level netbooks with only average specs. If your dream in life is to have a small, lightweight Linux based tablet netbook, this could be your lucky day, but at that price you are paying a premium for obscurity. You might be better off with a Nintendo DS LL/XL if you just want a lightweight nettop.
Still, it is nice to see Japanese makers testing out the tablet waters and with a release before the Japan release of the iPad Sharp should capitalize a bit on the tablet buzz.
