Latest news with #Dynabook
WIRED
24-07-2025
- WIRED
Dynabook's Portégé Laptop Has User-Replaceable Batteries and an Absurd Price
Back in, say, 2001, business travelers would hop on an international flight not just with their laptop, but with three or four spare batteries also tucked into their attaché case. The extra batteries could add roughly 6 pounds to your load, but it was a necessary evil—each of those batteries would probably only offer about three or four hours of run time, barely enough to update your Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet. Coming up with novel ways to keep track of which batteries were charged and which were spent was a popular hobby among business travelers. Good news, folks: There's no need to be wistful for the good old days any longer. Thanks to Dynabook, battery swapping is back , baby! If you're not familiar with Dynabook, you'll surely remember its predecessor. Dynabook is the remains of Toshiba's PC arm, which was sold to Sharp in 2020 after years of decline. The Dynabook branding, which had previously been used in Japan, got a reboot. The Portégé model name remains intact, complete with the accents. Durable Dynabook Photograph: Chris Null A big selling point of the relaunched Dynabook has been around durability and serviceability. The new Portégé Z40L-N has a lightweight but tough magnesium alloy shell that meets MIL-STD-810H standards, and sports a battery that can be swapped by the user. This isn't quite like the batteries of 2001, which slid out with the flip of a switch. Rather, the Portégé's battery must be removed by taking out two screws on the underside of the laptop, which allows you to remove a flap that exposes the battery underneath. The battery must be pried out with a tool like a screwdriver. In other words, it's hardly something most users are going to do in-flight. That's not the point of the Dynabook, as today's batteries last much longer—this one hitting nearly 16 hours in my full-screen YouTube playback test—so the need for on-the-fly battery swapping is virtually nil. Rather, Dynabook's goal is to extend the operating life of the laptop, so IT departments can replace what the company refers to as 'the only consumable item in the system' in just a few minutes, rather than having to buy a user a new machine or send it out for repair once its capacity starts to make the machine unusable. (None of the other components on the device are user-serviceable.) Spare batteries will be available in the fourth quarter of this year for $99. That's a long-winded preface to get to the point that if a computer is designed to be user-serviceable, you should probably make sure it's user-desirable first. Unfortunately, the Portégé Z40L-N isn't. Photograph: Chris Null
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sharp Named 2025 Best Place to Work in South Carolina
MONTVALE, N.J., July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), is honored to share that, for the second consecutive year, its Sharp Business Systems (SBS) South Carolina branch was named one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina. Sharp received the award in the large employer category due in large part to its industry-leading employment and training practices and outstanding workplace culture. Completed in partnership with Best Companies Group, the Best Places to Work in South Carolina program was designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best employers in the state of South Carolina, benefiting the state's economy, workforce, and businesses. "I'm so proud of our outstanding team for earning this recognition, which validates the incredible work they do to build an inclusive and forward-thinking workplace," said Tommy Pickens, Branch General Manager of Sharp South Carolina. "By cultivating a collaborative culture, Sharp becomes more than just a job. It's a place where we can all grow together and learn from each other." Companies from across the state entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work in South Carolina. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. The final rankings for the Best Places to Work in South Carolina will be announced during the awards ceremony on August 25, 2025 at the Columbia Convention Center. Honorees will be featured in a special publication distributed at the event and available online at as well as in the September print editions of Columbia Regional Business Report, GSA Business Report, and Charleston Regional Business Journal. For more information on the Best Places to Work in South Carolina program, visit About Sharp Business SystemsSharp Business Systems (SBS) is the direct sales division of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation. SBS branches throughout the U.S. combine the resources of a multi-billion-dollar corporation with the value of local representation and community relationships. Sharp strives to help businesses achieve Simply Smarter work by helping companies manage workflow efficiently, create immersive and engaging environments, and increase productivity. SBS offers a full suite of secure printer and copier solutions, commercial displays and projectors, Dynabook laptops, management and productivity software and fully managed services. As a total solutions provider, SBS has a reputation for innovation, quality, reliability, and industry-leading customer support expertise. For more information on Sharp's business products, visit our website at Become a fan of Sharp business products on Facebook, follow us on X, LinkedIn and Instagram and watch us on YouTube. Contact:Paul MerchanPeppercomm for View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA)
Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Indian Express
Apple designer Bill Atkinson, who made computers easier to use, dies at 74
Bill Atkinson, an Apple Computer designer who created the software that enabled the transformative visual approach pioneered by the company's Lisa and Macintosh computers, making the machines accessible to millions of users without specialized skills, died Thursday night at his home in Portola Valley, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was 74. In a Facebook post, his family said the cause was pancreatic cancer. Atkinson programmed QuickDraw, a foundational software layer used for both the Lisa and Macintosh computers. Composed of a library of small programs, it made it possible to display shapes, text and images on the screen efficiently. The QuickDraw programs were embedded in the computers' hardware, providing a distinctive graphical user interface that presented a simulated 'desktop,' displaying icons of folders, files and application programs. Atkinson is credited with inventing many of the key aspects of graphical computing, such as 'pull-down' menus and the 'double-click' gesture, which allows users to open files, folders and applications by clicking a mouse button twice in succession. Before the Macintosh was introduced in January 1984, most personal computers were text-oriented; graphics were not yet an integrated function of the machines. And computer mice pointing devices were not widely available; software programs were instead controlled by typing arcane commands. The QuickDraw library had originally been designed for Apple's Lisa computer, which was introduced in January 1983. Intended for business users, the Lisa predated many of the Macintosh's easy-to-use features, but priced at $10,000 (almost $33,000 in today's money), it was a commercial failure. A year later, however, QuickDraw paved the way for the Macintosh graphical interface. It was based on an approach to computing that had been pioneered during the 1970s at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center by a group led by computer scientist Alan Kay. Kay was trying to create a computer system that he described as a Dynabook, a portable educational computer that would become a guiding light for Silicon Valley computer designers for decades. Xerox kept the project secret, but Dynabook nevertheless ultimately informed the design of the Lisa and the Macintosh. In an unusual agreement, Xerox gave Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and a small group of Apple engineers, including Atkinson, a private demonstration of Kay's project in 1979. The group, however, was not permitted to examine the software code. As a result, the Apple engineers had to make assumptions about the Xerox technology, leading them to make fundamental technical advances and design new capabilities. In 'Insanely Great,' a book about the development of the Macintosh, Steven Levy wrote of Atkinson, 'He had set out to reinvent the wheel; actually he wound up inventing it.' Atkinson's programming feats were renowned in Silicon Valley. 'Looking at his code was like looking at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel,' recalled Steve Perlman, who as a young Apple hardware engineer took advantage of Atkinson's software to design the first color Macintosh. 'His code was remarkable. It is what made the Macintosh possible.' In an early Apple commercial for the Macintosh, Atkinson described himself 'as a cross between an artist and an inventor.' He was also the author of two of the most significant early programs written for the Macintosh. One of them, MacPaint, was a digital drawing program that came with the original Macintosh. It made it possible for a user to create and manipulate images on the screen, controlling everything down to the level of the individual display pixel. Ordinary users without specialized skills could now create drawings, illustrations and designs directly on a computer screen. The program introduced the concept of a 'tool palette,' a set of clickable icons to select simulated paintbrushes, pens and pencils. MacPaint had a significant impact in helping to transform computers from business and hobbyist systems into consumer products that could be marketed as tools to enable individual creativity.
Business Standard
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Syrma SGS Tech inks pact with Dynabook for manufacturing laptops in India
Syrma SGS Technology said that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Dynabook Singapore Pte. Ltd. for manufacturing laptops in India. Dynabook Singapore is leading commercial PC brand in Japan. It provides a portfolio of B2B laptop computers to meet diverse customer requirements. As part of this collaboration, Syrma SGS will manufacture Dynabooks diverse range of laptops in India, supporting the Governments 'Make in India' vision. This initiative is designed to meet the varied demands of enterprise customers and commercial channels across the country, providing world-class laptops with Dynabook's renowned technology and expertise to government and public sector undertakings. Satendra Singh, CEO of Syrma SGS Technology, said: It is a moment of pride for us to associate with Dynabook, a well-known Japanese brand. This alignment will offer more choices to customers in India under the central government's 'Make in India' initiative. Dynabook's expertise in technology and high-class manufacturing will result in the best products for Indian customers and beyond. Syrma SGS Technology manufactures various electronic sub-assemblies, assemblies and box builds, disk drives, memory modules, power supplies/adapters, fiber optic assemblies, magnetic induction coils and RFID products, and other electronic products. The scrip rose 0.69% to currently trade at Rs 541.95 on the BSE.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Syrma SGS Technology inks agreement to make Dynabook laptops in India
NEW DELHI: Homegrown electronics manufacturing services (EMS) firm Syrma SGS Technology has partnered with Dynabook Singapore Pte to manufacture the latter's laptops in India. 'The collaboration is in line with the Indian government's continued push for local laptop manufacturing through supportive policies and incentives,' Syrma SGS said on Friday, adding that it will manufacture a diverse range of laptops in India for the brand. The Japanese company provides a portfolio of B2B laptop computers to meet diverse customer requirements. 'Today's announcement marks a significant milestone for Dynabook and reiterates our commitment to the government of India's 'Make in India' initiative for a self-reliant India,' said Wong Wai Meng, MD, Dynabook Singapore. Meng added that domestic manufacturing will enable Dynabook to better serve the needs of its customers across industries and segments, from startups to small and medium businesses (SMBs) to enterprises to government. 'It is a moment of pride for us to associate with Dynabook, a well-known Japanese brand. This alignment will offer more choices to customers in India under the central government's 'Make in India' initiative,' said Satendra Singh, CEO of Syrma SGS Technology. Earlier this year, the EMS firm said it would produce laptops for Micro-Star International (MSI), a Taiwanese consumer electronics company, for the Indian market under a strategic agreement.
