SAR launch for Sharp notebook

The debut of Sharp's new notebook PC was a fancy affair more resembling a Canto-pop concert than a product launch. Canto-pop music, dizzy disco lights, scantily clad male dancers and pop sensation Athena Chu set the stage for what was the real star of the show - Sharp's new anorexic mobile offering, the Just FIt PC-A250 B5 Notebook.

The remarkably petite Pentium II 300 MHz notebook computer tips the scales at just 1.38 kilograms and is just 2.1 centimetres thick.

The glareproof TFT screen measures 28.7 cm. Despite its slim form, it comes with a 6.4 GB hard drive, 64 kb of Sdram, 56.6 kbps modem, and a built-in 100-BaseT network card for up to 100 MBps networking.

However, in its attempt to squeeze all those goodies into the tiny frame, Sharp could not put in a fan to dissipate the heat generated whenever the machine is in operation.

As a result, the model that was on display at the press conference was extremely hot to touch - definitely not something you would like to rest on your lap.

The notebook will be on the market this month. The price has not been announced.

The A250 follows closely on the heels of the A150, which was a surprising success for Sharp. According to the company, the A150 shattered sales projections, has led the firm to hope for similar results from this slimmer model.

Because of the anticipated popularity in Hong Kong, Sharp decided to release the A250 here before anywhere else - including Japan and the United States.

Hongkong Telecom and Sharp are bundling the A250 with RichWin and LapLink software, a 10/100 BaseT LAN PCMCIA card, a carrying case, and two months of free UltraNetvigator 1.5MBps Internet service with free installation, which it says is worth more than HK$6,000.

In an attempt to woo fashion-conscious Hong Kong buyers, the carrying case comes in four colours - the stock grey, apple green, light blue, and purple.