NetWalker PC-T1: Sharp announces mini tablet for Japan for next month

The iPad hasn’t landed in Japan yet, giving domestic competitors some room for their own announcements for tablet PCs. Sharp, for example, today unveiled [JP] the NetWalker PC-T1, which looks like a tablet variant of the PC-Z1 the company introduced last year. Both models look pretty similar, it’s just that the older device lost the keyboard to become the T1.

Featuring a screen size of just 5 inches, the PC-T1 is still really tiny, but the TFT boasts 1,024×600 resolution and is LED back-lit. Other specs include:

• OS: Ubuntu 9.04
• 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 CPU
• 512 of memory (fixed)
• 1.5GB of storage space
• Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g
• USB port, microUSB port
• SD/SDHC card slot
• Bluetooth 2.1＋EDR
• pre-installed software: FireFox, Thunderbird, OpenOffice.org etc.
• weight: 280g (120g less than the PC-Z1)
• battery life: 6 hours (4 hours less than the PC-Z1)

Sharp plans to start selling the PC-T1 in Japan in late May in two colors (silver and black). It will cost a whopping $510 in this country, but if you live outside Japan, you can pre-order the device now for $654 at Geek Stuff 4U (they’ll ship it anywhere).