Update: Thinnest notebook crown belongs to Sharp

On Tuesday, we wrote that the 1998 Mitsubishi Pedion was the thinnest notebook ever.

On Thursday, we learned that isn't the case, thanks to Jorge Pullin, at the Horace Hearne Jr. Institute for Theoretical Physics at Louisiana State University.

Back in the first years of the decade, Sharp released the Muramasas. Measuring 0.54 inch thick, the Actius MM10 Muramasa notebook, which hit shelves in 2003, came with a 1GHz Crusoe processor from Transmeta, 256MB of memory, a 15GB hard drive and a built-in Wi-Fi module. It ran 2.5 hours on a regular battery, and cost $1,499. Sharp also had a Mebius notebook in the Muramasa family that measured 0.65 inch thick. Jorge bought the Mebius.

There might be one or thinner notebooks out there, but not many. If you know of one, let us know. The Muramasas (named after a renowned sword smith) were quite attractive. They also had a definite gap over the Pedion (just over 0.72 inch) and the MacBook Air (at 0.76 inch) in thinness. The MM10 weighed 2.1 pounds, less than the 3-pound MacBook Air.

Too bad about the Transmeta processors, though.

We wrote about them back in 2002 and 2003, but completely forgot about it.

Sharp has had a good number of firsts and near-firsts. It came out with the first LCD calculator, for instance, as well as one of the first cell phones with a camera. That came out in 2000. (Philippe Kahn claimed he invented the cell phone camera, but the theory has been debunked.) Japanese colleagues also say that the company's TV phones are quite popular because of the screen quality. But people forget about them in the U.S. sometimes.

And, like a lot of Japanese companies, it didn't start out in computers. Sharp's first product was a mechanical pencil that came out in 1915.

[mbenedict]

Sharp PC1211 pocket computer

More than 25 years(!) ago my dad brought home a Sharp PC1211 pocket computer. It had dual CPUs, 4k of RAM, a Qwerty keyboard, was just 0.7" thick and could fit in your pocket. You could program it in BASIC and attach it to a mini-printer. <br /><br />As a kid I was so fascinated by it, I taught myself how to program by reading its owner's manual. We later bought a Commodore and the PC1211 was soon forgotten.<br /><br />But looking back, what a remarkable device! It was truly ahead of its time.<br /><br />Link:<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/sharp_pc1211_tandy_trs80_pc1.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/sharp_pc1211_tandy_trs80_pc1.html</a>

[lesliejs]

wow

thats amazing. I didnt realize they attempted that way back then. thanks for the link.

[keyringwest]

Yes Excellent

That was excellent machine. Sharp always innovative. Camera-<br />Phone with partnership of J-Phone and Mr. Kahn in Japan was <br />maybe biggest innovation in japanese market in last decade with <br />Nintendo Wii. Sharp great company.

[mrorie]

Wait for it...wait for it...

OMG CNET IS BIASED AGAINST APPLE!!!!!!!one!!!!<br /><br />You know those posts are coming. Figured I'd get it out of the way.

[ewelch]

Why?

When you're right, you're right.<br /><br />But the question wasn't the thinnest in history. Name someone <br />who makes a thinner one now.<br /><br />Just like the tallest man in history is probably taller than the <br />current tallest man in the world.<br /><br />Being the tallest "small person" in the world is still not that BIG a <br />deal.

[applusr]

Who cares?

Ford has the best truck, or was it Toyota, no it GMC.<br />Like the auto companies, you always here the same claims. Who cares if it is the thinest, or if a computer that was made 6, 10 15 years ago was..I sure don't.

[rcrusoe]

And the battery on my old Dell 233 laptop. . .

outlasted just about anything you can buy today! Who cares?<br /><br />Jobs said the Air was the thinnest notebook in the world, and it <br />is because no one currently makes anything thinner.<br /><br />Apple isn't perfect, but it apparently really chaps some people <br />because they are successful.

[Moneyyen]

Camera for Cell Phones

You state in your story that the first camera for Cell Phones came <br />out in the year 2000. That may be true for the US but in many <br />parts of the world, there were cameras on phones long before the <br />year 2000. I am an American who has been living here in Japan <br />now for 20 years and we have had cameras long before the year <br />2000. I often find that technologies like this come out years after <br />Japan. I have pictures of my wife and I dating from my cell phone <br />over 12 years ago.

[michael kanellos]

camera cell phones

Actually it was 2000, although prototypes were shown earlier. There were also cameras will cellular links and modems on them before that, but they were really cameras, not phones. The first camera phone was from Kyocera in 1999. I contacted a bunch of companies to research this (sharp was one). It was later than I thought too, but those were the results.<br /><br />But you are right. They get stuff a lot earlier there than we do here.

[jowewo]

Apple makes headlines... Again!

This article just proves one thing. Apple is the company everybody tries to measure up to. Someone had to dig an article and some specs from god knows where to compare a "gadget" to... Apple.<br /><br />Every time Apple comes up with a new product all we hear is "could be better", "was done before", etc. The truth is Apple almost always make a strike with each new hardware or software.<br /><br />Guys, get over it. Apple is the hottest IT company out there, and there is no runner-up...

[aka_tripleB]

That's strange

While I do also consider Apple, but never go with Apple because never measures up to what I want my computer to do. And this time it's because Apple is making claims that may or may not be true. AND everyone is just slitting hairs over something stupid.<br /><br />And here's a PC that's been out for about a year that is not much larger than the MBA.<br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=ST5100&#38;ptype=TB" target="_newWindow">http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=ST5100&#38;ptype=TB</a>

[DrtyDogg]

Apple does it to themselves

By making outlandish claims and calling everything they do "innovative." People see that and want to point out that they are wrong.

[Dango517]

Not thin, how heavy

Even very thin can be quite heavy. I'd rather they focus on less weight, improving there speed and power and keeping them cooler. A laptop is a tool, pretty is important but secondary.

[Andronicus]

Read the article

The article clearly states the sharp laptop was "2.1 pounds, less than the 3-pound MacBook Air".

[rinzaidavid]

Hear, hear!

Deeply concur. Been waiting for a Mac laptop under three pounds since 2003, after a mixed experience with a Sony Vaio (srt-7? --I think)<br />Just compromised again on a deal a friend of a friend set up for me, got an Olivetti for around 800 (in pesos Argentinos) &#38; it's not quite hiking friendly at just over 2 kilos, or 4.5 pounds...

[jscott418]

Just when you think Apple is on track

Just as we thought Apple would gain market share from PC's <br />Steve Jobs has to introduce a dud of sorts. Steve has a habit of <br />going so long and then he has to intro something unique. It's <br />too bad , because another good product for the masses and <br />Apple would be a household name. Kinda like Dell in the 90's <br />and early 2000's.<br />But it goes to show that Apple is still a geek lover's niche and <br />has no intention of trying to sway the bottom feeders on the PC <br />side.<br />But I guess their is plenty of Mac fans who will buy a overpriced <br />and under featured product like the MacBook Air.

[applusr]

ohh

You have already pre-ordered yours I see.<br /><br />by the way that what many consumers are looking for.

[keyringwest]

Sharp cell phone camera

In reading this, it seems that Sharp did build the first cell phone <br />camera in Japan, but that Mr. Kahn was their partner. This was <br />launched in early 2000 in Tokyo between J-Phone, Sharp and <br />Kahn. Hence if Sharp did indeed build the first camera phone, <br />Kahn, J-phone and Sharp share the credit. Kahn claims to have <br />wirelessly shared the first picture in 1997 publicly, which also <br />seems to be confirmed. Several companies before had cameras <br />in phones but none integrated with a commercial infrastructure. <br />Obviously the story of the birth of the baby is a bit of an urban <br />legend. But the facts do make sense. Is that what you emant in <br />your piece?

[michael kanellos]

cell phone camera

Sharp had the second. Kyocera had the first in 1999. It's also unclear, in my mind, if Kahn worked with Sharp. there's a wired piece from 2000 where Kahn talks about himself and MOTOROLA. Never mentions Sharp. Moto ended up being third. <br /><br />also, what Kahn did was hook a modem to a camera. (he didn't have a unified piece of hardware.) That had been done by olympus and others first. Thus, it's tough to give him credit there too. <br /><br />I think people just like his story so they give him credit.

[Kricke242]

Wrong again. MM10 NOT thinner... :)

Here is the Data Sheet (pdf), clearly stating the thickness as.<br /><br />"0.54" (min.)/0.78" (max.)"<br />"3.7 mm (min.)/19.6 mm (max.)"<br /><br />The max. is the interesting point.<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/media/i3d/01/A/man-migrate/MANUAL000043313.pdf" target="_newWindow">http://ec1.images-amazon.com/media/i3d/01/A/man-migrate/MANUAL000043313.pdf</a><br /><br />However, as I said in the other post, the "Toshiba Protege 2000" is thinner than the MBA, but not the Mitsubishi.<br /><br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/content/product/pdf_files/detailed_specs/portege_2000.pdf" target="_newWindow">http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/content/product/pdf_files/detailed_specs/portege_2000.pdf</a>

[michael kanellos]

crazy man

Totally forgot about the portege. And it had a good processor. The data sheet I had on sharp didn't have max min. hence that issue.<br /><br />The strange part in all of this is how sharp, mitsu and toshiba all did something really thin but never got attention.

[czarOus]

Apple Fanboys would belive if Jobs said he created the world ;)

Actually here is the link which states the thinnest laptop Period.<br />h**p://gizmodo.com/gadgets/notebook-supermodel/intel-unveils-worlds-thinnest-laptop-almost-skinny-as-a-razr-263359.php<br />replace ** with tt

[keyringwest]

Apple

Apple software is "thinest" and "smartest". In other words, if one <br />takes same machine and runs windows nd OSX on both, OSX <br />performance better. That's because Apple optimize for only one <br />hardware system. However, to the user that is important.

[ppierce365]

True

They really would, they don't realize how much Macs really suck.

[dnovo]

Thinnest notebook with 13.3" wide screen and full keyboard

When qualified with the keyboard and screen size I think the <br />assertion is real.

[dnovo]

Thinnest notebook with 13.3" wide screen and full keyboard

When qualified with the keyboard and screen size I think the <br />assertion is true.

[CanuckBoater]

Mac Air Blows

The Mac Air is a stripped down computer. Should be priced at $1000 not $1800.

[keyringwest]

Is Ferrari a striped down pick-up truck?

Is is challenging to compare different things? Hardware <br />specification is a very small part of whole story. If person doesn't <br />mind elegant and solid OSX and is happy with Vista, then value of <br />Apple offering maybe in question. Else it is very valuable small <br />elegant two-seater sports ultra-portable running OSX.

[xlhzum]

Bogus Figures

You are completely full of crap.<br /><br />You are comparing the thickest part of the macbook air (0.76") with the thinnest part of the Sharp Laptop (0.54")<br /><br />Any objective look at the real figures clearly shows that the sharp laptop is WAY THICKER.<br /><br />Macbook Air 0.16" - 0.76"<br />Sharp 'Muramasas'0.54" - 0.78"<br /><br />Keep your anti-apple BS to your self you pathetic Microsoft fan-boy.

[nick35388]

worlds thinnest notebook

Altho I am writing this on one of my macs, I do have to comment.<br />I happen to own an Actius MM10 Muramasa notebook from Sharp,<br />It is thinner and lighter than the macbook air. A bit underpowered <br />with a PIII processor and 256 (not upgradeable) ram. It runs Xp <br />home just fine. Aslo has a gorgeous screen and retractable <br />keyboard. Nick

[lane1986]

I have one I'm using right now, Fujitsu Q2010