Sharp intros AMD-powered Mebius FW laptops

At first glance, Sharp's blindingly white PC-FW50X reminds us a lot of the PC-CW50T, but thankfully, the innards have improved somewhat since last summer. Packed within the aforesaid machine (¥150,000; $1,467) is a 15.4-inch WXGA (1,280 x 800) panel, 2GHz Mobile Sempron 3600+ processor, 2GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, PCMCIA slot, four USB 2.0 ports and a 4-pin FireWire connector for good measure. Additionally, you'll find 802.11b/g WiFi, Ethernet, a multicard reader, VGA output and a rechargeable Li-ion. Those fond of darker hues can opt for the PC-FW70X (shown after the jump), which looks to pack a 1.9GHz Turion 64 X2 TL-58 CPU, start at ¥165,000 ($1,613) and ship right alongside its brother in late April.

[Via Impress]

[Alienfreak @ Apr 8th 2008 8:51AM]

This thing is goddamn sexy.

PC-FW50X >> MacBook Air

[schmitty338 @ Apr 8th 2008 9:02AM]

wha? They aren't meant to be direct competitors, in fact, I'd go as far to say they aren't even in the same ballpark.

Perhaps a visual demonstration will help your understanding:

[ballpark] PC-FW50X [/ballpark] (insert large distance here) [Hockey stadium in a different city/country] MacBook Air [/Hockey stadium in a different city/country]

[schmitty338 @ Apr 8th 2008 9:08AM]

...well that didn't turn out the way I wanted; what happened to my spaces? oh well...

To drive my point home a little more (haha! Another baseball analogy and I don't even like baseball...), if you read the article, it's an AMD-based laptop that has a 15.4" screen, weighs 5.7lbs (!!), is 1.6" thick, and if the translation is correct, offers a measly ~1 hour of battery life...

Oh yeah, so much better than the MacBook Air that it bares absolutely no resemblance to *roll eyes*

[Michael @ Apr 8th 2008 9:06AM]

Wow. Talk about overpriced. No webcam, no bluetooth, ect. Maybe at $600-$700 but $1400 for a Sempron powered machine. Love the white though. Sick of these two tone machines that are afraid to go all white. Glad this one isn't that way.

[rcappo @ Apr 8th 2008 9:19AM]

Who still uses VGA ports? I know I do, but it is just because my 3 year old laptop doesn't have HDMI. They should have a DVI/HDMI port on them. I will only consider getting a laptop with digital video out capabilities.

(and it also has to run Linux, since that is what I am using now.)

[packetsniffer @ Apr 8th 2008 10:18AM]

Me.

[schmitty338 @ Apr 8th 2008 10:50AM]

Me too,

In case you haven't noticed, the vast majority of people whom currently use projectors will do so in a government/institutional/educational/corporate setting in which the most likely and easy-to-use method of connecting to the existing projectors will be through VGA. I have a brand new laptop with HDMI output and I regularly use my VGA for presentations in many of my classes.

You do really think that the moment a new technology comes out everybody in the world immediately throws out all older-generation technology despite the fact that it serves all the purposes the large majority of people require in their respective settings? Nein...

[Joe @ Apr 8th 2008 9:37AM]

they misspelled moebius...

[PS3guy @ Apr 8th 2008 9:53AM]

I'm still happy with my Sharp M4000

[Anonymoose @ Apr 8th 2008 9:56AM]

mebius FW? couldn't they have just taken it that one extra glorious step further and named it mebius FTW?

[packetsniffer @ Apr 8th 2008 10:17AM]

I'm just glad it has a rechargeable Li-ion.

[majortom @ Apr 8th 2008 11:25AM]

just in time for the 10% lay offs

[Special_K @ Apr 8th 2008 3:11PM]

Wait, AMD still exists? Wow, where have I been? Scratch that: where have /they/ been?

[CaptSaltyJack @ Apr 8th 2008 3:54PM]

Mehbius.

[Mike V @ Apr 8th 2008 5:39PM]

The design is a direct rip off from the MacBook.

Even down to being a black and a white model.


How sad they can't design something themselves.

[JB87 @ Apr 8th 2008 5:58PM]

@ Mike V

Since when does Apple have sole rights to releasing black and white versions of a laptop?

[Mike V @ Apr 8th 2008 7:02PM]

It's not just the colour.

The finish, the keyboard, the track pad.

Everything is a dirct copy of the MacBook.

[Schfelzerberg @ Apr 9th 2008 5:13AM]

@ Mike V

The track pad's off center. The keyboard has numpads. And the glossy lacquer-like finish makes the MacBook (though not the MBP) look cheap.

Face it. Mac's not the only company that can make sexy looking devices. Just glad you have these as a great looking alternative to the Mac Book. I'm tired of looking everywhere and seeing white and black laptops that look the same. Now if we can just do something with those Sempron processors... $1400 for it is just TOO expensive.

[Schfelzerberg @ Apr 9th 2008 6:43AM]

Bleh. Damn Engadget's ancient reply system that doesn't offer 'edit' functions.

I keep on saying Mac instead of Apple. I still remember back then when there were no iPods. The word 'Mac' was essentially Apple. Now anything 'i' becomes synonymous with Apple.

Another thing, if they released 13" and 14" versions of these laptops at slightly lower prices, they'd probably sell a lot elsewhere. Apparently the Japanese market is saturated with head-turning things (both beautiful and grotesque) that nothing feels special anymore. I think these laptops are only slated for a Japan release. Sad.

[Mike V @ Apr 9th 2008 5:30PM]

Next you are going to say that the design is different to a
MacBook because it doesn't have an Apple logo on the lid.