The Sharp Mobile On Tri Pad: A Device Ahead of Its Time

In 1996, Microsoft released the Sharp Mobile On Tri Pad, a device that was both fascinating and ahead of its time. The tri pad ships with Windows CE II, a operating system specifically designed for low-power devices, making it an ideal candidate for handheld PDA hybrids. This association is evident in the bundled software that comes pre-installed on the device, including Pocket Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, as well as a light email client, calendar, contacts book, task list, document explorer, internet explorer, File Viewer, image editor, and Solitaire. The Office suite is stripped down to its bare essentials, making it an ideal companion for on-the-go work.

One of the standout features of the Sharp Mobile On Tri Pad is its unique blend of functionality and portability. It comes with a wireless card slot, modem, IR receiver, and expansion slot, allowing users to connect their device to the internet, transfer files wirelessly, and access the web from anywhere. This makes it an incredibly versatile device that can be used in a variety of settings.

The tri pad's battery life is another notable feature, with Microsoft claiming it can last up to 12 hours on a single charge. This is impressive considering the low-power processor and passive-matrix display. The combination of these features makes the Sharp Mobile On Tri Pad an incredibly powerful device that is both functional and portable.

Despite its impressive specs, the tri pad has had a hard time finding its place in the market. With no clear category or marketing strategy, it's easy to see why consumers were initially confused about how to use this device. The display cables are also damaged, making it difficult to showcase the device's capabilities.

Fortunately, I was able to acquire one of these devices for review and have discovered that it is truly a remarkable piece of hardware. Unfortunately, the display cables were damaged during my acquisition process, which made it difficult to create a video showcasing its capabilities. However, I did manage to find one tri pad on eBay, and after some research, I was able to acquire it at a reasonable price.

When using the Sharp Mobile On Tri Pad, it's clear that this device is ahead of its time. The combination of its low-power processor, passive-matrix display, and compact design make it an incredibly portable device. The Windows CE II operating system is also remarkably efficient, allowing for seamless multitasking and a user-friendly interface.

One of the standout features of the tri pad's bundled software is the voice recorder app. This app is surprisingly simple yet effective, allowing users to record and play back audio files with ease. However, I found that the built-in microphone was not quite suitable for clear recordings, resulting in some...unpleasant audio quality. It's worth noting, however, that this device is from the 1990s, and the audio quality standards were different at the time.

Another impressive feature of the tri pad is its note-taking capabilities, thanks to the Ink Writer app. This app allows users to create handwritten notes with illustrations, making it an excellent tool for students, professionals, or anyone who wants to take notes in a more creative way. The app's ability to recognize groups of drawings and allow individual elements to be rearranged adds a level of depth to this note-taking experience that was truly innovative at the time.

In conclusion, the Sharp Mobile On Tri Pad is an incredible device that is both functional and portable. Its unique blend of features, including its Windows CE II operating system, passive-matrix display, and low-power processor, make it an ideal candidate for those looking for a compact and versatile device. While it may not have found its place in the market due to a lack of clear marketing or a defined category, this device is truly ahead of its time.

As I was reviewing this device, I couldn't help but think about how it compares to modern devices like the iPad or ultrabooks. The tri pad's 84 MHz processor and passive-matrix display may seem slow by today's standards, but considering its age, this device is incredibly impressive. It's also worth noting that the Sharp Mobile On Tri Pad was released 12 years before Steve Jobs walked out on stage to unveil the iPad, making it a true pioneer in the tablet market.

In terms of pricing, I found one tri pad on eBay for $40, which is an incredible deal considering its age and functionality. However, be aware that finding such devices may be challenging due to their rarity and limited availability.

If you're interested in exploring the world of retro tech or simply want to experience what it's like to use a device from the 1990s, the Sharp Mobile On Tri Pad is an excellent choice. With its unique blend of functionality, portability, and innovative software, this device is sure to leave a lasting impression.

In addition to its technical features, I'd also like to mention the importance of privacy in today's digital age. As consumers, we often take our personal data for granted, but it's essential to consider how our devices are protecting it. In an era where data breaches and hacking threats are on the rise, it's crucial to choose devices that prioritize user security.

The Sharp Mobile On Tri Pad is a testament to the power of innovation and the importance of investing in technology that prioritizes user experience. While it may not be the most powerful device today, its unique features and portability make it an excellent choice for those looking for a retro tech experience.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhat I really had to have was a powerful desktop computer then someone told me about Dell I got on the Internet Dell built a desktop the year is 1998 and the world of computers is filled with beige box after beige box after Bondi blue box after beige box there really were not a lot of particularly innovative desktop or laptop designs on the market well except for this one this video is sponsored by privacy calm which lets you shop online safely by generating virtual credit cards they recently introduced new plans so stay tuned until later in the video to hear about them and if you check out the link in the description below and head over to privacy calm slice Luke me honey even get a free $5 just for signing up this is the sharp mobile on tripod and it's one of the most fascinating mobile devices I've ever seen in a time where laptops weighed close to 10 pounds and where several inches thick the tripod breaks every rule of a traditional laptop before the concept of tablets or two-in-ones or ultra books even existed this device launched with a sub 1 inch design touchscreen folding display and all-day battery life the mobile on tripod which was developed in tandem with the much cooler named Veda Cleo was overlooked when it came out and was not a success by any means despite its commercial failure however this was a very cool and innovative machine let's run through the hardware the display of the Tri pad is actually very interesting it's a nine-point 4-inch passive-matrix touch display with a resolution of 640 by 480 the touch screen aspect is actually very similar to what you would find in an old-school GPS from the 2000s it uses resistive touch so basically there's a thin film suspended on top of the glass with an air gap when these two films come into contact it closes a circuit and detects an input the downside of this is that it can only detect one input and it basically has to be used with a stylus to have any sort of precision the display itself is also quite outdated even for 1998 it's a passive matrix DST n display which was already starting to look outdated next to active matrix LCDs and even advanced CRTs at the time DST n which stands for double layer super twist pneumatic is a more advanced version of a matrix display it essentially splits the display into two different segments which allows it to be refreshed a little bit faster even with this more advanced technology however these displays are less responsive less color accurate and have much worse viewing angles when compared to active matrix displays if you move the display even a small amount the colors shift like crazy it's hilarious sharpen vitam shows these displays because they were a lot less expensive and lower power which allowed for a better battery life but because they refresh so slowly any motion on the screen has an insane amount of ghosting so what powers this display well again this was a pretty slow device even for 1998 standards it uses a single core MIPS 4000 series processor clocked at 84 megahertz the system has 16 megabytes of memory in total yes that's 16 megabytes total storage and RAM here's the cool part though you can actually choose how much you want to allocate to storage and how much is RAM there's a slider in the system settings that adjusts the allocation so if you store a ton of documents like 9 or 10 megabytes worth of documents you can shift it over that way a little bit to make some more room like I said the hardware was very limited even for 1998 so critics were quick to note that this was not a full fat laptop but then again have you seen the thing this is not a traditional laptop in any sense let's consider that we're talking about a flippy folding wacky two-in-one and the year is 1998 people didn't even know what to call this thing because the idea of a two-in-one didn't exist it was marketed as a sort of PDA laptop hybrid a sort of a handheld but bigger type of thing which was a little bit vague and confusing and part of the reason why it wasn't a smashing success weird marketing aside there are three main ways that the Tri pad is supposed to be used you've got the most traditional way it's kind of like a laptop but the screen is more elevated because it's hinged at the middle and can move on two axes which means the display is actually a lot closer to you and more adjustable in terms of angle and height than in a normal laptop it's actually pretty cool and it does make up for some of the limitations of this rather dismal display next up you have which sharp called presentation mode it's basically tent mode for presentations that let's be honest with the viewing angles of this display there's not a chance that anyone would actually be able to see what's on the screen and finally there's tablet mode when the display folds all the way over and you can use it like a tablet for image editing or taking notes or something without a keyboard I guess because the keyboard is hidden and there's no on-screen keyboard the try pad ships with Windows CE II which is kind of like a late 90s version of Windows RT from the original surface despite sharing its visual identity with Windows 95 and 98 this is actually a different kernel and is specifically built for low-power devices it definitely leans into the handheld PDA hybrid association with a bunch of bundled software that's all pretty lightweight it actually ships with a whole very very stripped-down version of the office suite there's pocket Word Excel PowerPoint and pocket access it also comes with a light email client calendar contacts book task list document explorer internet explorer File Viewer image editor and it even comes with solitaire it's very graphically simple very late 90s but it's actually a really fun app and it works very well there's also some pre-installed sharp software and there's two of them that I think are very interesting first up is the voice recorder app there's not a lot to it predictably but the combination of the very cheap tiny tiny mic and unreal amount of compression in order to fit on to this tiny amount of storage leads to some frankly horrifying voice recordings oh boy I bet you this is gonna sound just fantastic it's gonna sound so good next up we have a really cool app called ink writer which is a notepad that allows you to mix text and handwritten drawings to make for a very interesting note-taking device you can essentially take notes with illustrations and for the late 90s it's cool it even recognizes groups of drawings and allows you to individually rearrange different elements who so that's a lot of bundled software this thing was pretty loaded and that all fits in about one megabyte but on top of that the tri pad is also meant to be a connected device so it has an expansion slot where you could put a wireless card it has a modem it even has an IR receiver that allows for wireless file transfer to a PC and also in addition to all that connectivity this is definitely a device that's meant to be used away from the power outlet amazingly the sharp mobile on tri pad is rated for 12 to 16 hours of battery life now it's starting to make sense why we have a very dim passive-matrix display and low-power 84 megahertz processor 16 hours of battery life is nuts this product was way ahead of its time by any measure it was an iPad 12 years before Steve Jobs walked out on stage it was an ultrabook before Intel trademarked it it was a two-in-one before anyone had coined the phrase 2 & 1 that's why it's so cool but it's also why you've never heard of it sharp and vitam had created a fascinating product with no category and no effective way to market it to consumers people didn't know how to take advantage of the devices unique skillset and capabilities I actually had one of these in my house growing up and I was going to use it for this video but unfortunately the display cables are damaged so the display isn't really video worthy so I decided to buy one for this video and I almost wasn't able to find one there were only two listings on eBay one of them didn't work and then this one ended up being a pretty good deal at 40 bucks you know what you don't need to pay $40 for privacy calm today's video sponsor privacy comm allows you to shop online safely without risking your sensitive information by generating virtual credit cards the free version of privacy comes with 12 cards per month and privacy is now launching two new paid versions pro and teams to supplement the free version for just 10 bucks a month the pro account comes with 1% cash back on everything you purchase as well as a larger limit of thirty-six cards per month that you can create the teams can't cost 25 bucks a month and comes with everything that the pro account features as well as a dedicated Account Manager and an increased limit of 60 cards per month so head over to privacy comm slash Luke neon II with the link in the description below to get a free $5 just for signing up regardless of which plan you choose to go for so that'll do it for this video I hope you guys enjoyed this is actually the second video that I've made on the sharp mobile on try pad I made a video back at the very start of this channel it was one of the first videos I ever made and I thought this was so fascinating that I'd give it another try for almost 5 years later so as usual don't forget to Like comment and subscribe please consider following me on twitter at luke me on e and don't forget to check out my subreddit which is linked down in the description below and with that I'll see you all in the next videowhat I really had to have was a powerful desktop computer then someone told me about Dell I got on the Internet Dell built a desktop the year is 1998 and the world of computers is filled with beige box after beige box after Bondi blue box after beige box there really were not a lot of particularly innovative desktop or laptop designs on the market well except for this one this video is sponsored by privacy calm which lets you shop online safely by generating virtual credit cards they recently introduced new plans so stay tuned until later in the video to hear about them and if you check out the link in the description below and head over to privacy calm slice Luke me honey even get a free $5 just for signing up this is the sharp mobile on tripod and it's one of the most fascinating mobile devices I've ever seen in a time where laptops weighed close to 10 pounds and where several inches thick the tripod breaks every rule of a traditional laptop before the concept of tablets or two-in-ones or ultra books even existed this device launched with a sub 1 inch design touchscreen folding display and all-day battery life the mobile on tripod which was developed in tandem with the much cooler named Veda Cleo was overlooked when it came out and was not a success by any means despite its commercial failure however this was a very cool and innovative machine let's run through the hardware the display of the Tri pad is actually very interesting it's a nine-point 4-inch passive-matrix touch display with a resolution of 640 by 480 the touch screen aspect is actually very similar to what you would find in an old-school GPS from the 2000s it uses resistive touch so basically there's a thin film suspended on top of the glass with an air gap when these two films come into contact it closes a circuit and detects an input the downside of this is that it can only detect one input and it basically has to be used with a stylus to have any sort of precision the display itself is also quite outdated even for 1998 it's a passive matrix DST n display which was already starting to look outdated next to active matrix LCDs and even advanced CRTs at the time DST n which stands for double layer super twist pneumatic is a more advanced version of a matrix display it essentially splits the display into two different segments which allows it to be refreshed a little bit faster even with this more advanced technology however these displays are less responsive less color accurate and have much worse viewing angles when compared to active matrix displays if you move the display even a small amount the colors shift like crazy it's hilarious sharpen vitam shows these displays because they were a lot less expensive and lower power which allowed for a better battery life but because they refresh so slowly any motion on the screen has an insane amount of ghosting so what powers this display well again this was a pretty slow device even for 1998 standards it uses a single core MIPS 4000 series processor clocked at 84 megahertz the system has 16 megabytes of memory in total yes that's 16 megabytes total storage and RAM here's the cool part though you can actually choose how much you want to allocate to storage and how much is RAM there's a slider in the system settings that adjusts the allocation so if you store a ton of documents like 9 or 10 megabytes worth of documents you can shift it over that way a little bit to make some more room like I said the hardware was very limited even for 1998 so critics were quick to note that this was not a full fat laptop but then again have you seen the thing this is not a traditional laptop in any sense let's consider that we're talking about a flippy folding wacky two-in-one and the year is 1998 people didn't even know what to call this thing because the idea of a two-in-one didn't exist it was marketed as a sort of PDA laptop hybrid a sort of a handheld but bigger type of thing which was a little bit vague and confusing and part of the reason why it wasn't a smashing success weird marketing aside there are three main ways that the Tri pad is supposed to be used you've got the most traditional way it's kind of like a laptop but the screen is more elevated because it's hinged at the middle and can move on two axes which means the display is actually a lot closer to you and more adjustable in terms of angle and height than in a normal laptop it's actually pretty cool and it does make up for some of the limitations of this rather dismal display next up you have which sharp called presentation mode it's basically tent mode for presentations that let's be honest with the viewing angles of this display there's not a chance that anyone would actually be able to see what's on the screen and finally there's tablet mode when the display folds all the way over and you can use it like a tablet for image editing or taking notes or something without a keyboard I guess because the keyboard is hidden and there's no on-screen keyboard the try pad ships with Windows CE II which is kind of like a late 90s version of Windows RT from the original surface despite sharing its visual identity with Windows 95 and 98 this is actually a different kernel and is specifically built for low-power devices it definitely leans into the handheld PDA hybrid association with a bunch of bundled software that's all pretty lightweight it actually ships with a whole very very stripped-down version of the office suite there's pocket Word Excel PowerPoint and pocket access it also comes with a light email client calendar contacts book task list document explorer internet explorer File Viewer image editor and it even comes with solitaire it's very graphically simple very late 90s but it's actually a really fun app and it works very well there's also some pre-installed sharp software and there's two of them that I think are very interesting first up is the voice recorder app there's not a lot to it predictably but the combination of the very cheap tiny tiny mic and unreal amount of compression in order to fit on to this tiny amount of storage leads to some frankly horrifying voice recordings oh boy I bet you this is gonna sound just fantastic it's gonna sound so good next up we have a really cool app called ink writer which is a notepad that allows you to mix text and handwritten drawings to make for a very interesting note-taking device you can essentially take notes with illustrations and for the late 90s it's cool it even recognizes groups of drawings and allows you to individually rearrange different elements who so that's a lot of bundled software this thing was pretty loaded and that all fits in about one megabyte but on top of that the tri pad is also meant to be a connected device so it has an expansion slot where you could put a wireless card it has a modem it even has an IR receiver that allows for wireless file transfer to a PC and also in addition to all that connectivity this is definitely a device that's meant to be used away from the power outlet amazingly the sharp mobile on tri pad is rated for 12 to 16 hours of battery life now it's starting to make sense why we have a very dim passive-matrix display and low-power 84 megahertz processor 16 hours of battery life is nuts this product was way ahead of its time by any measure it was an iPad 12 years before Steve Jobs walked out on stage it was an ultrabook before Intel trademarked it it was a two-in-one before anyone had coined the phrase 2 & 1 that's why it's so cool but it's also why you've never heard of it sharp and vitam had created a fascinating product with no category and no effective way to market it to consumers people didn't know how to take advantage of the devices unique skillset and capabilities I actually had one of these in my house growing up and I was going to use it for this video but unfortunately the display cables are damaged so the display isn't really video worthy so I decided to buy one for this video and I almost wasn't able to find one there were only two listings on eBay one of them didn't work and then this one ended up being a pretty good deal at 40 bucks you know what you don't need to pay $40 for privacy calm today's video sponsor privacy comm allows you to shop online safely without risking your sensitive information by generating virtual credit cards the free version of privacy comes with 12 cards per month and privacy is now launching two new paid versions pro and teams to supplement the free version for just 10 bucks a month the pro account comes with 1% cash back on everything you purchase as well as a larger limit of thirty-six cards per month that you can create the teams can't cost 25 bucks a month and comes with everything that the pro account features as well as a dedicated Account Manager and an increased limit of 60 cards per month so head over to privacy comm slash Luke neon II with the link in the description below to get a free $5 just for signing up regardless of which plan you choose to go for so that'll do it for this video I hope you guys enjoyed this is actually the second video that I've made on the sharp mobile on try pad I made a video back at the very start of this channel it was one of the first videos I ever made and I thought this was so fascinating that I'd give it another try for almost 5 years later so as usual don't forget to Like comment and subscribe please consider following me on twitter at luke me on e and don't forget to check out my subreddit which is linked down in the description below and with that I'll see you all in the next video\n"