Sharp Mebius PC-NJ70A Netbook Hits Japan With an LCD Trackpad

As more and more companies jump on the netbook bandwagon, we’re often left scratching our heads. But Sharp’s Mebius PC-NJ70A makes sense: the trackpad doubles as a secondary LCD display, a fitting move for a display giant trying to break into the PC business. The 854 x 480 resolution touchpad display adjusts brightness dynamically, and can be used to browse files and run apps (not unlike the Fujitsu LifeBook N7010, I suppose). Otherwise, the PC-NJ70A’s specs are run-of-the-mill: a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB RAM, a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) display, 160GB hard drive, 3 USB ports, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and a memory card reader. For now, it’s only available in Japan. No word yet on final pricing or whether it will come to the States, but the rumored price in Japan is 80,000 yen. To which I say, $815 for a netbook? C’mon!