Sharp M4000 Review (pics, specs)

by Neama, Ohio USA

Introduction:

I recently had the opportunity to review the latest business style notebook offered by Sharp Systems, the M4000. Sharp is probably better known for developing innovative electronics such as TV's and LCD than notebooks. I am familiar with many of their products, but this is the first time I've had a chance to test a notebook by Sharp. The new M4000 is listed as an ultraportable laptop aimed mainly for the business population. This laptop is lightweight and highly mobile and offers some unique features, especially in regards to power management. Following is a review of a test model I received from Sharp.

Sharp M4000 13.3" Screen PortableNotebook (view larger image)

The configuration of the M4000 review model is as follows:

• Pentium M 740 (1.73 GHz)
• 512MB DDR2 SDRAM (expandable to 1.5 GB)
• 13.3" WXGA TFT LCD (1280 x 800 resolution)
• Intel GMA 900 Integrated Graphics with up to 128 MB Shared Memory
• 80 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
• CD-R/RW & DVD-ROM
• 1 Type II PC Card Slot
• SD Memory Card Slot
• 2 USB Ports, VGA, LAN, Modem Port
• Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG

Currently these specifications are the only configuration offered by Sharp. The system RAM is the only area that is upgradeable, and only one slot is available as the system has a 512 MB chip soldered onto the motherboard area of the notebook.

Build andDesign of the M4000:

The Sharp M4000 laptop has an all silver finish, giving it a classy, sleek design. The LCD screen uses a magnesium alloy shell. The screen is firmly placed without any rippling or wobbling effect. The rest of the laptop uses a brushed aluminum casing, which again gives it a nice looking finish. The build is firm for the most part; however I did notice some significant creaking and flexing of the shell on the ends of the notebook where the keyboard ends. All of the ports are located on the sides of the laptop, except for the modem jack, which is located on the back. There are no multimedia buttons on the keyboard, except for a power management button.

Sharp lists this notebook as an ultraportable. While the computer is very light, I feel the dimensions placed it somewhere between ultraportable and thin-and-light. The dimensions are as follows: 12.3" wide x 9.0" deep x 1.12" (at its thinnest point) / 1.44" (at its thickest area). The laptop weighs in at an amazing 3.8 lbs. To me, it feels even lighter than that, this notebook is definitely highly mobile!

Sharp M4000 top view of silver lid (view larger image)

Front side view of Sharp M4000 (view larger image)

Back side view of Sharp M4000 (view larger image)

Left side view of Sharp M4000 (view larger image)

Right side view of Sharp M4000 (view larger image)

Screen:

Sharp M4000 Screen (view larger image)

The LCD screen of this machine absolutely blew me away. The screen is a 13.3" wide screen beauty. It has a glossy coating found in many of today's notebooks, giving images a bright, crisp and vibrant picture. I would say this is one of the brightest and best screens I have ever used. The screen is definitely one of the high points of this computer. As with most glossy screens, there is some noticeable glare when using the product in bright lighting.

Speakers:

Most speakers in this class of laptops tend to be pretty poor. I was pleasantly surprised by the M4000 speakers. The speakers actually produced pretty good sound and didn't sound too tinny. While not as much bass is produced as speakers found in many desktop replacements, for a thin-and-light notebook, these speakers perform pretty well!

Processor and Performance:

The M4000 uses the latest Intel Pentium M processors. It runs at a quick 1.73 GHz. The laptop seemed pretty fast with most applications I used, even with only 512 MB of RAM. The system uses Intel's latest integrated graphics. This laptop is definitely not for gamers, but it can play the occasional older game without too much difficulties.

Below are some benchmarks I tested with this notebook to get an idea of the speed of the notebook.

Boot time from power on to Windows XP Desktop:
Sharp M4000 (1.73 GHz Pentium M 740) Boot Time 44 sec

Results for calculating Pi to 2 million digits of accuracy using the program Super Pi.

Notebook	Time
Sharp M4000(1.73 GHz Pentium M)	1m 46s
Fujitsu S6231 (1.6 GHz Pentium M)	2m 6s
Sony VAIO FS680 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 53s
IBM ThinkPad T43 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 45s
Asus Z70A (1.6GHz Pentium M)	1m 53s
Fujitsu LifeBook N3510 (1.73 GHz Pentium M)	1m 48s
Dell Inspiron 6000D (1.6 GHz Pentium M)	1m 52s
Dell Inspiron 600M (1.6 GHz Pentium M)	2m 10s
Sony VAIO S360 (1.7 GHz Pentium M)	1m 57s
HP DV4170us (Pentium M 1.73 GHz)	1m 53s
Sony VAIO S380 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 45s

Benchmark Test	Fujitsu S2110 (1.6 GHz AMD Turion MT-28)	Sharp M4000 (1.73GHz Pentium M 740)
Multithreaded Test 1 / File Compression	2.425 MB/s	3.237 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 1 / File Encryption24.001 MB/s23.921 MB/s	24.001 MB/s	25.632 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 2 / File Decompression19.250 MB/s20.975 MB/s	19.250 MB/s	22.526 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 2 / Image Processing	9.621 MPixels/s	10.209 MPixels/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / Virus Scanning	1315.836 MB/s	1881.584 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / Grammar Check	2.345 KB/s	2.729 KB/s
File Decryption	48.158 MB/s	51.464 MB/s
Audio Conversion	2049.237 KB/s	2370.293 KB/s
Web Page Rendering	3.616 Pages/s	5.307 Pages/s
DivX Video Compression	41.023 FPS	47.816 FPS
Physics Calculation and 3D	64.558 FPS	94.713 FPS
Graphics Memory - 64 Lines	467.296 FPS	483.897 FPS
Overall Score	2595	3121

3DMark2005 score: 247

Overall, I feel that the Sharp M4000 is a fast notebook for its size. Other than heavy graphical programs, this notebook performs most business applications without difficulty.

Heat:

After using the notebook for a couple of weeks, I feel that heat dissipation is pretty impressive for a small notebook. The notebook never gets hot and was always comfortable on my lap. Some areas near the battery and memory areas become a little warm, but definitely manageable. I was very impressed with the minimal amount of heat produced by this machine.

The fan does turn on from time to time. However, I did not think the fan noise was overbearing. Occasionally the fan would get somewhat loud when the computer was set at maximum power, but this was rare. Overall, I felt the laptop was pretty quiet.

Keyboard & Touchpad:

I believe the keyboard is the weakest point on this laptop. It has quite a bit of flexing to it, some of the most I've seen on any laptop I've used. In fact, it almost feels as if the keyboard has a rippling effect to it. It just feels like a cheap keyboard compared to the rest of the notebook. For a classy notebook such as this one, I would have liked to have seen a more solid keyboard.

Keyboard view of the M4000 (view larger image)

The touchpad is your standard touchpad with two buttons. I did feel the touch pad area was a little bit small, but it seemed to perform pretty well.

Wireless:

The M4000 uses Intel's 2915ABG Wireless LAN. Surprisingly, the reception was not quite as good as the Intel 2200 Wireless LAN that I have in my own laptop. For instance, with my Fujitsu S6231 which uses the Intel 2200, I get excellent reception throughout my house. With the M4000, I would get fair to poor reception if I'm upstairs.

Battery life:

Battery life is by far the strongest aspect of this laptop. The machine uses a 6 cell 7800 mAH battery. The notebook comes with an innovative power management utility created by Sharp. On the top right portion of the keyboard is a button labeled "Mobile." When pressed, a screen appears allowing the user to choose 3 preset power management levels. "Max Power" leaves the computer at a maximum power and performance state. "Mobile" gives the machine a balance between power management and performance. "Max Mobile" provides ultimate power saving features. You can edit all 3 modes to your liking. You can adjust 11 subsystems which include CPU speed, brightness, WLAN, Optical Drive, System Standby/Hibernate, System Wallpaper, LCD refresh rate, and Audio. This management control is unique and innovative, and I feel is the best feature of this notebook. On "Max Power" I could get close to 4 hours of battery life (this is with wireless on and maximum brightness). On the "Mobile" setting, I would get close to 5 hours. On "Max Mobile" with no Wireless Internet usage, I would get over 6 hours of battery life!! This notebook simply has the best battery life I have seen in a notebook of its class using only one battery! You could easily make a cross-country flight without having to worry about battery life.

Software:

The M4000 comes with Windows XP Professional installed. Since this is a review model unit, I am not sure what kinds of discs are actually included with the notebook. One extra feature offered by Sharp is an enhanced InterVideo WinDVD playback program. It contains a feature known as "Sharp-fx" which automatically adjusts the contrast level to provide a vibrant, bright picture when using DVD's. I did watch Gladiator on this machine and while it indeed looked very bright, I almost felt the picture seemed too pixilated. I did not try any other movies, so perhaps it was the particular movie that I saw.

Customer Support:

I did not have any issues with this review model, so I can't comment on Sharp's Customer support. They do have a nice website with contact numbers and information. The notebook comes standard with a 1-year warranty.

Pros:

• Amazing battery life, arguably the best in its class
• Innovative power management schemes
• Gorgeous LCD screen
• Very lightweight and highly mobile
• Good overall performance

Cons:

• Poor keyboard build
• Notebook comes in only one preset configuration
• No DVD Burner option
• No firewire port, no s-video out port

Conclusions:

The Sharp M4000 notebook is the first laptop I have used by this company. I think it is a very good business style notebook. It runs fast and has amazing battery life. My only major complaints are that for such a stylish notebook, I do wish the consumer had more options to choose from when purchasing the notebook. The keyboard could also use some improvement as far as build quality. Overall, if you are looking for a lightweight, highly mobile computer with some of the best battery life in its class, then the Sharp M4000 is definitely a laptop to consider.

Pricing and Availability: Sharp M4000

 

looks a lot like the S6000 Lifebook offerings from Fujitsu or the Sony S series, I agree with you that this isn't exactly an ultraportable, I reserve that to a 12" screen or under. the silver metallic look is nice, I can see that it's prone to smearing though, that can get annoying. but everything else about this notebook seems strong (except keyboard) and that battery life is very nice. I don't know though, since this notebook doesn't stand out a whole lot from the competition Sharp will have a tough time competing with Sony and Fujitsu for this style of laptop.

 

Alot of fingerprints! Must be annoying to clean so often though...

That power management program looks really good.

Nice review

 

another great review nesbo. what are you working on next?

 

Nice review! And yeah, the power management system does look cool.

 

lol, he's a busy doctor so i think might be taking some time to work on people, but hopefully he'll have time to work on something else in the future.

 

Hope you found the review useful. I have been ignoring my patients so I could play with these notebooks!!! Just kidding of course.

 

great review, those finger prints must get annoying though, or can you only see them in the camera flash?

 

Very good review. Although it does seem like those fingerprints/smears would get annoying...
Overall the notebook looks very impressive and sleek; kind of reminds me of a Powerbook.

 

I was excited about Sharp bringing this notebook a month ago to compete with the VAIO S series but I must say, I am very disappointed. For instance,

1. the casing is a fingerprint magnet
2. No S-video out??
3. No firewire??
4. No DVD-RW option??
5. Only one configuration??

 

Actually, I really think the camera flash brought out the fingerprints. I didn't really notice them very much as compared to say the Fujitsu S2110 where I was cleaning it constantly.


I agree, the lack of options and ports is disappointing for a classy notebook, however Sharp's product manager told me that there isn't a huge market for those things in the population they looked at.

 

Does anyone know where you can see this or buy with return policy without paying a restocking fee? I am interested, but feel the need to see it "live". I do appreciate the thorough review.

 

I have the Japanese version in blue, the MW70J. It is a bit different, but largely the same, as the US M4000. I've had mine for a week now and really love it. I wrote a review, but since this computer was reviewed, here's my text. I will take pics later.

Sharp Mebius PC-MW70J (PC-M4000 Widenote) Review By Allan Hirt

My Criteria
Over the past few years, I own or have owned quite a few laptop computers. The job I started a little over two years ago gave me a Dell Latitude C640. That thing was heavy as sin, and it was the least reliable laptop I've ever used - crappy keyboard, failing memory, failed hard drive, CD burner that just quit working ... need I go on? And did I mention it was heavy? As someone who has a tempermental back, I realized being on the road every week, and having gone through physical therapy for schlepping the brick, I needed something lighter and something that would work on a regular basis.

My first small and light ultraportable was the Sony VGN-U70P. To this day I love that computer - touch screen which was also XBRITE, light as heck, great to travel with, etc. It still had its drawbacks, namely that it was limited to 512MB of memory, a 20GB hard drive, and all things such as the keyboard, were external. Things like the keyboard being external are not a huge deal, but it meant more pieces to schlep around. The U70P was especially great in meetings. I put Windows XP TabletPC Edition on there and One Note, and would take notes. It is arguably the best form factor for things like that. It is a great computer for surfing the web, doing MS Office tasks, and lightweight stuff, but with the memory and hard drive limitation, it was tough to do my daily job as a consultant. So my search for a lightweight ultraportable with power began.

When I realized that the U70 was not going to cut it on a regular basis due to the small hard drive and limitation of 512MB of memory, I needed something else that would be more of an everyday workhorse with greater hard drive capacity and memory. Processor did not seem to be a huge limiting factor moreso than memory and disk. I went through a similar process as I did now, and decided upon the JVC Victor MP-XP741. The 741 has been my main computer for nine months now, and I really do love it.

Both the U70 and the 741 both have the "wow" factor when on the road - people are amazed at how small they are and that they are fully functioning computers, and both are a joy to use in their own way. Believe it or not, people seemed to be more wowed by the 741 than the U70.

After spending the past year between the U70 and the 741, I came to the conclusion that I needed a bit more power via a faster hard drive, better processor, and more memory. Upgrading both the U70 and 741 were virtually impossible in terms of hard drive; taking apart the 741 would be a nightmare (although it does use a 2.5" drive), and the U70's drive profile would only really allow a 30GB drive anyway. The 741 wasn't bad at 1.25GB of memory, but I did need a bit more usable memory. The 1.0 and 1.1 processors really do fine - I do not want to give the impression they are dog slow. They are not. I've run three VMWare virtual machines, PowerPoint, and Outlook all at once, but it brought my 741 to a crawl for the most part.

I really do not need an optical drive (i.e. DVD or CD) since I rarely use it on the road, and it adds weight.

My basic criteria for a new laptop was the following:

• Under four pounds
• 2.5" hard drive which could be changed out
• Better processor than a Pentium M 1.2
• At least 1.5GB of memory, 2GB preferred
• Widescreen display preferred
• If possible, no trackpad

My Decision
My short list of laptops was the Fujitsu P7010D, the Fujitsu P1510D, the Sony Vaio T series (either a new TX or one of the older TR ones that could take up to 2GB of memory), the Panasonic R4, and the Sharp M4000 which was just introduced via press released in August or so, and would be out in September (which is when I was looking to buy). The IBM offerings did not really float my boat.

I ruled out the P7010D because while it could take up to 2GB of memory and a 2.5" drive, long term the Pentium M 1.2 would most likely be a problem and it was 855 based, meaning a 64MB shared graphics processor. Not only that, I saw a lot of people complain about Fujitsu support or other problems. The 7010D was on my short list before I bought the 741 as well. I did finally see one at a Fry's this summer when I was on an engagement in Austin, TX, and I have to say, I made the right decision when buying the 741.

The P1510D only uses 1.8" drives and could not take more than 1GB of memory, but is very close to my 741 otherwise. If it used better drives and took more memory, it would be the best alternative to the U and JVC as it is really a near-hybrid.

The Vaio Ts are certainly small and light, but due to the 1.8" drive and the memory limitation on the new TX (1.5GB), it would be more of a lateral move from my 741 - in other words, I'd essentially be buying the same thing in terms of processor and hard drive, and nearly the same in memory. The older TR series was what I was considering before I got the U70. I loved those machines, and the TRs as well as the T150 could take two memory chips, so you could go to 2GB of memory.

The Panasonic R4 along with its siblings the T4/W4/Y4 are known as excellent ultraportable computers with great build quality and long battery life but something about it just puts me off (can't tell you what), and like the T others listed above in terms of processor and such, it would have been a lateral move.

Clearly my only choice of getting a lightweight notebook computer under four pounds that was expanadble was pretty much the Sharp. Yes, I know others such as Asus make some, or Averatec, etc., but the construction did not thrill me. I was all set to get the M4000 when I saw the Japanese version. The Japanese version comes in two flavors, the Mebius PC-MW70J or the PC-MW50J. The biggest difference between the 70J and the 50J is the processor. The main differences between the MW70J and the M4000 that I can tell are:

• Built-in DVD burner (US version only has a DVD-ROM/CD burner)
• Ability to get it in colors (US only comes in Silver)
• ABG wireless (US is BG according to Sharp's information)

Clearly with my last two laptop choices I have no problems getting something not specifically made for the US market, so I went ahead and bought the Japanese Mebius PC-MW70J over the US M4000. It was not being carried by most of the importers (iCube, Kemplar, Dynamism, Kurns Patrick, Conics, etc.), but Kurns Patrick was nice enough to order it special for me and charged a slight fee to do that. It was a smooth experience, and I also had Lawrence Camera who runs Kurns Patrick convert the laptop to English XP Professional, so I didn't even have to worry about doing that myself. Before he shipped it he made sure all the features worked, and did a great job. There was a fee involved and even though I'm sure I could have done it myself, the time and effort versus what was charged was a no brainer.

Construction and Features
The Sharp is a well built computer. The second I took it out of the box it felt solid. The outer case is a lightweight silver metal (not sure if it is carbon fiber or not; it wouldn't surprise me). The inside is also made of a lightweight metal. I ordered the blue, which is only available in Japan. It is a deep midnight blue.

It does not have a hinge to lock the laptop when you shut the lid. To some this may be a negative but it actually suits the MW70J well. The locking mechanisms on laptops in the past that I've had have gone loose or just flat out broke. The hinges are solid, and are not the clip-type that are on the 741. It seems like a lot of thought was put into the design to make it both stylish and functional. Even the power and eco buttons feellike they are quality, not some cheap plastic afterthought (a la the Dell C640).

One possible point of contention with some may be the lack of a dedicated wireless on and off switch. It is available as a Function combination (iFn + F1) which provides that functionality. There is a wireless on/off light which will tell you the status. My 741 did not have a wireless light that showed on and off, but it did have a dedicated switch. The 741 had an indicator that lit up each time you used the wireless, much like the lights on a standard network port. This is not a Sharp feature; the light is purely an on/off indicator.

There is a network port on the side (100Mbit, not gigabit ethernet), and a modem port on the back. Usually the two are next to each other, but I don't mind the modem port on the back as I do not use it very often. There are also two USB 2.0 ports, headphone jack, microphone jack, a VGA out, and one PCMCIA slot. All are pretty much standard fare on laptops these days. The VGA out is a nice change from my U70 and 741, each of which needed a dongle (and obviously something else to carry).

It is lacking a firewire port, which is included on most Sonys as well as on my JVC. That may make it unattractive for those editing digital video, but it can be (obviously) added via PCMCIA if desired.

The MW70J does have an SD card port on the front. Since I own Sony a digital camera, I do use Memory Sticks, so having it does not do anything for me, but for those with cameras that use SD cards, it may be a selling point.

There are a series of lights on the front of the computer. In order, they are Power On, Battery (which turns orange when charging), Wireless on/off, Hard Drive, and CD/DVD. What is lacking and quite annoying is the lack of caps/num/scroll lock lights. As someone who does a lot of typing, no light for caps lock can be annoying. Sure, you figure it out quickly, but the visual cue is nice. The U70 didn't have it, but it is an alternative form factor. The 741 had these.

Performance
I did not do any formal benchmark testing. Other places and reviews give those types of numbers. Since my past two laptops have been both a Pentium M 1.0 and 1.1 respectively, the Pentium M 740 1.73GHz is light years ahead of it in terms of processor speed. I could immediately notice the difference in performance.

The MW70J is also based on the Intel 915 chipset, so it has the 128MB integrated graphics controller. It is definitely snappier than both the U70 and 741 which were based on the chipsets with 64MB of integrated graphics. Some would argue that a dedicated graphics card (a la the Vaio S series) would give better performance, and be a better value. Maybe it would, but I don't notice a problem other than having to give up 128MB of memory to it. The only way I see the integrated graphics being a problem is if you either have a) too much running at once or b) want to be doing heavy duty gaming or graphics on the Sharp. I have yet to find a program that won't run well on the Sharp.

The wireless card is an Intel 2915ABG (the US version is just BG according to the specs). This Intel card seems to be the same one in the JVC MP-XP741. The wireless seems to have good signal strength. In my XP conversion, it did not have the Intel PROSet/Wireless utility installed which I use on my 741. I installed it and then moved all of my profiles from the 741.

The MW70J comes standard with 512MB of memory. There is an open slot for adding one more 200-pin PC-4200 DDR2 SODIMM. I put a 1GB Kingston one in there, which cost me around $100. I am not sure if the stock 512MB is soldered onto the motherboard (such as the 256MB stock memory on the 741), or if it is in a slot that is not exposed.

I have not put all of my software on, but the Sharp (with 1.5GB of RAM and the 7200rpm hard drive) currently it takes under a minute to boot - actually about 30 seconds. Compared to my 741, that is night and day. In terms of going into standby and recovering from standby, it reminds me of my U70 - it is near instantaneous. It was not that way on the 741 which was not as fast as my U70 more on the recovery side, and more often than not, it was slower to go into standby as well.

On boot up, I run PurgeIE, and on the 741 it always took forever to run if I had a lot of cookies and temp files. Now it runs blazingly fast.

Storage
The stock hard drive included is an 80GB Fujitsu MHV2080AT which spins at 4200rpm. I left that in the computer for a few days, and it seemed fairly snappy. That said, one of the issues I've had with laptops is the speed of the hard drive since I run VMWare Workstation to run virtual environments. I changed it to a Seagate Momentus 7200.1 100GB drive, which spins at 7200rpm drive. It sped up things even though they were already quick. Clearly the new 7200.1 (and the Hitachi 7K100) is a new technology, but I am impressed so far. The 7200.1 yields roughly 93.1GB of usable space.

To swap out the drive, I backed up the Sharp with Symantec's Ghost 9.0 to DVDs, changed out the hard drive, and restored via Ghost. I then used Symantec's other product Partition Magic 8.0 to resize the partition from about 70GB to the full 93.1GB of usable space. The process was painless and I now have a base image of my drive should something go wrong.

The original 80GB also contained a 5GB recovery partition (not unlike the Sony computers). I also backed that up as well, but did not restore it to the 7200.1. I did keep the 80GB drive, so I could swap it into the machine in the event the Seagate shows problems, or I could restore it with the backup I made.

The DVD burner is (unfortunately for those who are looking for region-free drives) a Mat****a UJ-822S set to Region 2. I used WinDVD 6 set to Region 1 and it seems to work so far, and I hope it stays that way. Unfortunately, to change out the Mat****a drive, I will have to open the case fully. I don't anticipate doing that any time soon. I do find the drive to be noisy (it was very loud when booting from the Ghost CD-ROM, but not that loud with any other disc) and it could cause some vibrations. Remember that the US version only has the option of the DVD-ROM/CD burner.

There are a few other issues with the UJ-822S. First, it does not burn dual layer discs (but can read from them). In late 2005, virtually all computers featuring DVD burners should support burning dual layer discs in my opinion. Second, the construction of the button and outer door in the way Sharp added it to the MW70J is also kinda cheap in comparison to the rest of the metal-based laptop. There is also a noticeable gap if you look on the bottom between the door and the case. I would think it should have been designed to sit flush. Third, I found the DVD drive with Ghost (when booting with the CD-ROM) to be noisy and had a lot of vibrations. When writing or restoring from the DVD-Rs, I did not notice the problem so there must be something with the disc thickness, etc., of the Ghost disc.

Battery Life, Charging, and Universal Power
One of the selling points of the MW70J is its battery life - some of the markeing material rated it as up to about 7.5 hours of life, and I think the US said more than six on the standard battery. That claim is not too far off. With the defaults set for each mode of Sharp's eCO (Power, Normal, and Ecology), you get about 4, 4.75, and ~5.5 hours respectively. Switching to the 7200.1 drive did not seem to change the numbers significantly one way or the other, which is great news.

The time to charge the battery to full capacity is about 5 or so hours.

One nice thing about the 741 which I have not really seen on other laptops is the ability to change the battery on the fly. It had three batteries - the one which was attached via screws (the internal one) and gave you about 1 - 1.5 hours of life. It also came with the standard battery, which sticks out of the back and gave you anywhere between 3 and 4 hours of life depending. There was also the extended battery (an optional accessory) which gave you up to 5 or 6 hours of use. Adding the extended battery especially added some weight to the 741, but if you were running low on power, you could change batteries on the fly. The Sharp has a single battery which locks in via the bottom and barely even sticks out.

I also have an iGo Juice, and was anxious to see if I could use it with the MW70J. Tip A4 fits this computer.

Size and Weight
The U70 is extremely light - even with the extended battery it is under three pounds. Add to it what you need to carry, and total weight is not exactly the 1.2 pounds it is rated with the standard battery and no accessories. The 741 is similar - if you are just using the unit just the internal and without the standard or extended batteries, it is two pounds. The other batteries add weight, and because they stick off the back, the weight is not evenly distributed throughout the computer. The weight is evenly distributed on the MW70J, and doing the non-scientific test of holding the 741 with the standard battery and then the MW70J, both seem to be the same weight weight. If you take the battery out of the MW70J, it is very light indeed. I am impressed with what Sharp has done here.

Display
The screen of the MW70J is a 13.3" widescreen WXGA display like the Sony Vaio S series. It uses Sharp's own technology, which is similar to XBRITE. It is quite a nice display. Actually, I like the display on the monitor better than some of the XBRITE displays on laptops because even though it has that similar type of reflective screen, it does not seem to intrude on the quality of the display and appear glossy. It's very easy on the eyes. I think I may like it better than the XBRITE on the Sony S series as it seems more "natural" despite it being similar technology.

Compared to the U70 and the 741, it's hard for me to say which I like better as I like all of them for their own reason. Each seems to fit the laptop it was meant to be. Despite the lack of an XBRITE-esque screen in the 741, I've been using it daily now for nine months and unless I was on the computer for 12 - 15 hours a day nearly continuously working a very long day, my eyes never got tired using it. The Sharp technology is evenly lit, and unlike the U70 where it seemed some spots were somewhat brighter than others, it is evenly lighting the MW70J. The more I use the Sharp, it really is a great display. When in default settings for the Ecology mode, the screen reminds me of the 741.

My unit shipped with no dead or frozen pixels.

There are function keys to adjust the brightness of the screen, and a key to turn off the monitor completely. The latter is a feature I quite like.

Keyboard
The keyboard on the MW70J is okay. I've used better keyboards on laptops, and it feels like the only real component on the MW70J that I am the least impressed with. The keys feel a little cheap. Obviously it is the Japanese layout, and not the US layout which is on the M4000. Since I've owned two Japanese computers, the layout is fine. I have it set to the US keyboard layout, as I am used to typing this way especially from using the 741 for nearly a year.

Despite my overall quality issue, the keyboard is easy to type on though since it is full sized. The keys have a lot of give and take. I just wish they had the quality feel of the rest of the laptop.

Mouse
I am not a fan of the trackpad on any laptop. In fact, I hate it. The one in the MW70J is a Synaptics. I prefer the little stick which is on the 741, the IBMs, and even the little Synaptics TouchStyk on the U70. While it seems responsive, I plan on using an external mouse with the MW70J.

At the same time I got the MW70J, I also got the Sony WMS50 presentation mouse which is not available outside of Japan yet (and who knows if it will be). It can be used as a normal optical wireless mouse, or in presentation mode with PowerPoint. It has a little joystick on top when in PPT mode can be used as a mouse. In that way, it reminds me of the Synaptics TouchStyk on the U70. The only thing I don't like about the WMS50 in PPT mode is that the right mouse button bringing up the right-click menus is not available. It's also a bit awkward when trying to, say, select a block of text in Word given the joystick and left click proximity if you don't turn on the ClickLock option for pointing devices.

Noise and Heat
The Sharp does not get very hot at all. I've been using this on battery power for the past few hours on my lap and I'm not wanting to put it on a table because my lap is burning up. Even with the addition of more memory and the 7200rpm hard drive, it did not seem to add much heat. There seems to be sufficient heat dissipation through the left side. Maybe if I was editing video and keeping the hard drive spinning 100% of the time, it would get much hotter. Somehow I don't think it will, though.

The Sharp is also amazingly quiet so far. With my 741, the hard drive and fan could be noisy if active. Both hard drives I have had in the unit have not really made even a peep. Only when I was using the DVD drive did I hear any appreciable noise that I just didn't like. The fan can whir if it gets hot (i.e. you put it on a blanket an stifle any air circulation), but it's not excessively noisy when it kicks into high gear.

Accessories
Sharp does not offer much in the way of accessories for the MW70J or M4000. Other than a spare battery and AC adapter, there's not much else to buy. There is no case specially made for the Sharp yet (even in Japan), and in general, there is not much out there dedicated to a 13.3" widescreen notebook.

The Sony VGP-AMC1 neoprene case for the S series would certainly work as it has virtually the same dimensions, as would most cases designed for the Sony S. As of now, I have purchased the Tumi laptop sleeve which has excellent construction and great padding. It also allows for easy access to the laptop, which is important since I fly all the time and have to take it out at airport security checkpoints. I may experiment and try to find something else.

Unfortunately, the bag I was using for the 741 is also a tad bit too small for the MW70J.

Conclusion
I've only been using the MW70J for a few days, and this review was completely written on it. So far so good - I like it a lot. It does not have all of the the "wow" and "sexy" factor that the U70 or the 741 possess, but it is definitely not your average laptop given its features and light weight. It is stylish, and not generic looking like most HP or Dell offerings.

Based on my experience with the Sharp Mebius PC-MW70J, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one (or its equivalent, the US PC-M4000 Widenote) if you want a lightweight, well-constructed laptop with good features and a widescreen bright screen. Most laptop manufacturers are still making standard aspect ratio laptops, and may have one widescreen in their line. I would say its closest competitor is the Sony Vaio S series in terms of features, build quality, and weight. The new Sony Vaio T series (the TX) is certainly small and light with its now 11.1" XBRITE widescreen at just under three pounds, but you only get the ability to use a 1.8" hard drive and a 1.2GHz Pentirum M, so it will not perform like the Sharp or the Vaio S. The Vaio S is heavier than the Sharp but has a dedicated graphics card, dual layer burner, and can be had cheaper, so if weight is not an issue, the S series may be a better option for some. It comes down to features and what you are looking for in a laptop.

The MW70J certainly is not a perfect laptop by any means. Will it completely replace my U70 and 741? In many ways, absolutely. I still think my 741 will make some road appearances where I don't need the speed or power. The U70 has become more of a computer dedicated to some music stuff and I will always hope Sony will update it to have the power, of say, the MW70J but in a small, compact package. Until then, I think my wanderlust for a light, portable, and powerful laptop under four pounds has ended. I would be curious to see if Sharp could take this, shrink it down a bit to an 11.1" or 12.1" screen and drop a bit of weight. There would be few competitors in that arena given the other specs of the MW70J.

Sony's new F series in Japan is a 14.1" widescreen, so it will be interesting to see.

Pros

• Very lightweight for a laptop that is bigger than an ultraportable subnote like the 741 and U70
• Excellent widescreen display
• Good performance
• Easy access to upgrade memory and hard drive
• Longer than average battery life
• One touch power management switch and flexible power management schemes
• Does not get overly hot
• Well thought out design with ports spread out and easily accessible

Cons

• No caps lock or num lock lights
• Keyboard could be better
• Color picks up fingerprints
• Maximum of 1.5 GB of memory
• US version does not have a DVD-R burner option
• No dedicated graphics card/controller
• No firewire port

 

Wow nice review, you should PM that to Abaxter or Brian to get your own threa dup, and don't forget the pictures..

I want to see the shiny blue!

 

Fender,
Excellent review. How small is the ac adapter(size and weight)? Any pictures of the adapter would be appreciated. How are the speakers? thx

 

I e-mailed Abaxter so we'll see what happens. I would certainly love to add pics. I love my dark blue interior! Very snazzy.

 

Responded to your PM about the speakers.

The AC adapter isn't as small as the one for my 741 or U70, but not an insanely huge brick either, a la the C640. I don't have a small scale, but it's not too heavy either. It's a bit shorter than the iGo Juice, but just about as thick, so maybe 4.4" x 2.1" x 1.1" and weighs maybe the same or close (about 9oz).

 

Got my M4000 today. A little disappointed with the screen. The color on the right and left sides a little darker. Called sharp they told it's ok and that's because the screen is widescreen. Strange. Overall the screen is pretty bright. A little brighter than my Inspiron 9300 non TrueLife. Nothing to brag about.
No CDs or paper docs come with this laptop. Sharp computer department told the same.
If fan works it's pretty loud :noisyfan: to me. Fujitsu MHV2080AT hard drive came with the laptop.

It's my first small laptop and don't know if this is ok: when I press on the top the lid screen colors distort, and when I move top left corned of the scren towards me and top right - push, colors distors.

It was right about the keyboard in the review. Right side is not very strong and moves up & down a little as well as the whole right part of the laptop. My guess it's because they put CDROM there. M4000 got a noisy keyboard :base: - makes more noise than I9300.

When you close the lid you gotta hold it otherwise it falls at the very end.

When I plug mouse (wireless usb receiver) touchpad does not work.

Overall, laptop is good . Needs more testing.

 

Getting my screen replaced. Now continue with bad news.
Opening the laptop is trickier than closing. When you lift the lid the front of the laptop tends to lift so you gotta hold it which is difficult. You can either use you nail or SD slot to grasp, or wait when there is a space between the lid and the bottom(front of the laptop may raise up by this time)
Sorry telling bad news, but nobody else does. Small things are important.

I can barely see fingeprints on the laptop except 2 buttons under the touchpad where fingeprints are clearly seen.

 

Hrm ... I don't have the opening problem on my Japanese version, and my screen is lit evenly.

The Synaptics trackpad driver has an option on the device settings tab entitled "Disable internal pointing device when external USB pointing device is attached". By default it is checked. So that's not an issue or bug. If you want the pad on, just deselect.

Maybe you got a bum one, but I've used my fair share of laptops and love my Sharp.