IBM has had its first cautious stab at a notebook-size computer – but only in Japan – and it is buying the thing OEM from Ricoh Co. IBM Japan’s new 5499 Online Note starts at the equivalent of $1,414, weighs 4 lbs 10 oz, and is built around the highly-integrated 80C186 version of the 8086. It uses an IC memory card as the program entry and storage medium, and has 640Kb memory and monochrome liquid crystal display of 640 by 400 pixels. The battery lasts three hours in continuous use, the 5499 can exchange data with other IBM machines such as the AS/400 and PS/55 Japanese version of the PS/2. The version with 128Kb secondary store and 1,200bps communications is $1,414, 2,400bps and 256Kb costs $1,780.
