- Extremely Small Dimensions
- 512MB Memory
- Fairly Low Price
- Limited Computing Power
- No Optical Drive
- Limited Software Bundle
- Transmeta Efficeon 1GHz Processor
- 512MB DDR Memory
- 20GB 4,200rpm Hard Drive
- 10.4" XGA LCD Display and ATI Mobility Radeon Graphics with 16MB Dedicated Memory
- AC'97 Audio
- 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11b/g Wireless
- Two USB 2.0 Ports and One Type II PC Card Slot
- 9.9" x 8.2" x .6" @ 2 lbs.
- Windows XP Home Operating System and Norton Anti-Virus (90-day)
9/16/04 - Sharp is not a very well known company in the United States for computer systems, but the Actius line of ultraportable notebooks have been very successful in Japan. Their latest model is the Actius MM20 is available in the US however.
While most notebook computers are based around the Intel Pentium M processors, the Actius MM20 is based on the Transmeta Efficeon 1GHz. The Transmeta processors are design around power efficency, meaning they require very little compared to the Intel CPUs. The downside to this is that the processors also lack the computing power of the Intel processors. This generally isn't a problem for most people using ultraportables that xommonly use it for remote net connectivity and office applications.
On the plus side, Sharp is willing to supply the Actius MM20 with 512MB of memory. Most competing units are only supplied with 256MB which is really the minimum to really run Windows XP. It also has a dedicated graphics processor that does not use system memory.
Graphics wise, the Actius MM20 uses a smaller 10.4" LCD display to reduce the overall dimensions of the system. This can make the screen more difficult to read for those with lesser eyesight.
One area that the Actius MM20 needs improvement is in the storage department. The system does not come standard with an optical drive. This can make installing application software difficult. Thankfully the system is on the lower price range for ultraportables making an external drive an option.
