Kohjinsha's Mini-Computer, Tablet Competition for Asustek's Eee

The sub-notebook industry is spitting out new models of inexpensive computers day after day, and each of the new offerings target to be as impressive and as successful as the Asustek Eee PC. Some of the newcomers don't stand a chance, but others are quite impressive. Japanese niche manufacturer Kohjinsha has just released one of the computers that come with everything but the kitchen sink.

Kohjinsha's own approach at ultra-mobile computing includes a screen that swivels and folds flat against the keyboard, just like a regular tablet. The lightweigt mini-PC is part of Kohjinsha's entry-level SA series, that are built around Advanced Micro Devices' Geode LX800 processor, that ticks at a core frequency of only 500MHz. Despite its limited speed, the processor is pretty powerful, and the tablet PC does a nice job when it comes to email and word processing while traveling.

The mini-PC comes in no less than 9 flavors, yet it shares almost the most important technical specifications. The device weighs only 990 grams, but comes with a decent keyboard as well as plenty of RAM, 512 MB, and storage space, 40 GB of conventional hard-disk drive storage space. The battery can provide a maximum autonomy of 4 hours, just like all the sub-notebooks on the market.

Kohjinsha's SH model features a 7-inch touch-screen LCD panel capable of a maximum resolution of 1,024 x 600 px. 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity is also built into all the 9 models, yet lower-end models do not come with optical drives. The highest-end model in the SH series weighs 953 grams and replaces the spinning platters with a 32 GB solid-state drive that boosts the battery life to six hours.

If the storage space seems to be less than necessary, don't worry: the device can take advantage of some additional 120 GB of storage that is attached to the tablet PC's cradle. This may be regarded as an innovative method of regularly backing things up. The high-end model is powered by an 800MHz Intel A110 processor and comes with 1 GB of system RAM, but it is a little more expensive.