Netwalker Suggests that Sharp Sleepwalked Through the Last Few Years [Foreign Gadgets]

No matter what kind of consumer electronics you make it seems you've got to add some sort of internet device to the portfolio. Sharp's addition (at least in Japan) is its 5-inch Netwalker that has a touchscreen and runs Ubuntu.

The Netwalker, also called the PC-Z1 in the official literature, seems to be somewhat pocketable with its 6.3 x 4.2 x .9-inch build. The thing is the ultimate tweener with an ARM Cortex-A8 based processor, 4GB of on board storage, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, but no 3G or WiMax. It reminds me a lot of the UMID mBook M1, but with a slightly bigger keyboard.

Sharp, maybe you should make some coffee. It has become pretty evident in the last few years that devices like this have failed more times than not, especially for an above $400 price point. The Netwalker looks cute, but people will buy smartphones or netbooks. [Sharp Japanese via Engadget]