Inventec phasing out Kohjinsha brand, opting for Onkyo instead

It may not matter to you Yanks, but for many regions of Asia, this news may just ruin some weekends. Okay, so maybe "ruin" is a stretch, but if you suddenly stop seeing a new flow of Kohjinsha gear at your local computer market, here's why: owner Inventec is killing the brand. As the story goes, Inventec has decided to stop producing mini-laptops and the like using the Kohjinsha sub-brand, instead turning that team into a full-on R&D operation. When it comes to end-user products, the Onkyo brand will be applied; we've seen some pretty radical Onkyo PCs over the past few months, so here's hoping this also means that more and more would-be Kohjinsha products will end up in North America. Fingers crossed, right?

[JaZzo Posted Jul 3rd 2010 9:12AM]

Pretty cool

[centizen Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:14AM]

@JaZzo just had to get the first post didn't you

[DefPoet Posted Jul 3rd 2010 9:29AM]

Invonkshja. Or I.K.O. would be better names

[pspitts Posted Jul 3rd 2010 9:38AM]

Oh noooooooooooooooo!

[pspitts Posted Jul 3rd 2010 9:38AM]

sss

[n8equalsd Posted Jul 3rd 2010 9:55AM]

Noooooooooooooooooooooo?

[ftgeneral Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:13AM]

These silly micro laptops should be scrapped entirely. The future is definitely in tablets. Tablets Foreva!

[DefPoet Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:28AM]

@ftgeneral
You meant slates. The iPad and every android like devil are slates not tablets
Etymology: Middle English tablett, from Anglo-French tablet, diminutive of table table
Date: 14th century
1 a : a flat slab or plaque suited for or bearing an inscription b : a thin slab or one of a set of portable sheets used for writing


To be a tablet you need to be able to write on it.
Like Toshiba touchsmart tablet line

[ftgeneral Posted Jul 3rd 2010 1:04PM]

@DefPoet

I just love it when people in forums tell me what i mean!

Ask yourself: what is it that you mean? What are you trying to say? Time to whip out that Associated Press Handbook, methinks (thats methinks from ye olde indo-cryptic for think before you speak).

[Firehazel Posted Jul 3rd 2010 5:49PM]

@DefPoet But, with the right software and accessories, regardless of the OS, they do become tablets.

[RickStar Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:28AM]

Is it weird that I want one of those things?

It's so... tiny... and useful... and...and... SO COOL!

[StAzZeR Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:47AM]

@RickStar
That's wat she said

[RickStar Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:03AM]

@StAzZeR

Well, I was going to say not to you, but, it seems appropriate that she said that to you under these circumstances.

[RickStar Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:10AM]

@StAzZeR

Only to you.

[KetsuSan Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:26AM]

Is it me or is the news on weekends kinda....Meh.

[YpoCaramel Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:39AM]

@KetsuSan people probably just don't care too much because Kohjinsha isn't well known amongst Engadget (English)'s readership.

[Kazmo Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:44AM]

Will this mean laptops may finally get somewhat livable speakers?!

[YpoCaramel Posted Jul 3rd 2010 12:15PM]

@Kazmo The Asus NX90 had B&O Icepower, which is supposed to be a decent amp tech, but that's no use if the transducers aren't any good :/

[DeAthWaGer Posted Jul 3rd 2010 12:16PM]

I was SOOO close to buying a Kohjinsha back in '07 when I tried them out in Japan. I probably still have a stack of literature from the store in Den Den Town. I decided to spend my money elsewhere, and eventually picked up an MSI Wind when I got back to the states. Definitely don't regret it. Kohjinshas are next to friggin' impossible to type on with big gaijin hands, although the "kawaii" factor is high when you can pull your computer out of a jacket pocket :/

[Seiche Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:42PM]

I live close to akiharabara and I don't think I've ever seen this brand. If they're going to be distributing under onkyo I guess will give them more distribution power. But how is the gadget pictured different from your average netwalker?

[SomeDudeFromOz Posted Jul 4th 2010 1:12AM]

@Seiche

Kohjinsha is a very popular brand of micro laptop. Step into any Yodabashi or Bic Camera and take a look there, you'll see those insanely small PCs from Panasonic and Kohjinsha there.

They're really smart little machines, just very much over priced.