Review: Sharp Actius MM20

March 16 -- At less than two pounds, (well, 1.99 to be exact) and barely half an inch thick, the Sharp Actius MM20 is a remarkably portable notebook.

It's also the first we've seen to feature Transmeta's new Efficeon TM8600 processor. Add in a unique cradle solution, and there's a lot to talk about for such a little system.

The MM20's slimness and light weight make it an absolute joy to travel with. The way the screen flips open reminds us of a cell phone. We had a little difficulty, however, holding down the base of the system while pulling open the lid. Another somewhat frustrating design aspect is the keyboard, which was only 86 percent the size of a full-size keyboard (17mm), making it uncomfortable to type on. But these are drawbacks we expect to see considering the unit's size and weight.

The MM20's 1-GHz Efficeon TM8600 processor is Transmeta's newest ultralow-power processor, designed from the ground up. Using an updated version of Transmeta's Code Morphing Software, the TM8600's new design improves performance and power-saving capabilities.

Click here to read more about Transmeta's Efficeon.

Our early test unit came with 256MB of RAM, but the MM20 will ship with 512MB of RAM, as well as a 20GB hard drive, two USB 2.0 ports, a headphone jack, and an Ethernet port. The MM20 also comes with built-in 802.11g wireless.

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Cool Features

Sharp also includes a unique cradle solution and synching software. The Actius MM20 has a proprietary connection port on its left side, which plugs directly into the cradle. The cradle attaches to a desktop PC via a USB 2.0 cable. Once docked, make sure the cradle's DirectHD switch is on, and your desktop will automatically recognize the powered-down MM20 as an external hard drive.

Using the SharpSync software, you can easily sync the MM20 with the desktop, transfer files, or run backups. Plug the notebook's AC into the cradle and it will charge the system while docked: A battery life indicator tells you when the battery is fully charged.