They call it as 'gadget with an identity crisis' - CNET spotted Sharp's new eye-candy and I am not really sure if this will really hit the shelves.
It is called "NetWalker" - a part Netbook and a part ultramobile PC. It basically adds up to the hundreds of gadget trying to fit in the smallest of smallest of the smallest category.
On its arsenal is a 5-inch touchscreen, a weak 512MB Memory, Wireless LAN. It is powered by Ubuntu 9.0.4, so we can expect Firefox and Thunderbird to be there. 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 processor, built in 802.11 b/g WiFi, 2 x USB 2.0 ports and a 68 percent Qwerty keyboard.
So what you think? I think this is a great start of hybrid trend but I am not sure if Sharp can pull it off as I am afraid that this will be associated to the calculator range.
A bit keyboardish, I have yet to see it personally if the keypad is finger-friendly and ergonomically designed.
Meanwhile, read more about Netwalker from Erica Ogg of CNET News
The way you use it though, is more like a UMPC. Holding the NetWalker with two hands, you type with your thumbs. And on the right side above the keyboard is an optical pointer that, when you run a finger over it, functions as a mouse.
The price is a more Netbook-like $500, but it's unclear how consumers will respond. It's only been available here in Japan for a couple weeks, so there aren't any solid sales numbers yet to offer any picture of how customers are reacting to it. But history shows that just hovering somewhere in between two established categories of computing is an easy way to turn off a lot of potential buyers.
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