The PC-Z1 device is as easy to handle as a mobile phone and provides performance similar to PCs, the company said in a . It is designed for an audience that relies mostly on the Web for computing.

Sharp is positioning the PC-Z1 as a "third mobile tool following in the footsteps of notebook PCs and mobile phones to create a new market," the company said.

The PC-Z1 runs the Ubuntu flavor of the Linux OS, which can start up in as little as three seconds, the company said. Its software includes the Firefox browser to access online applications and Adobe Flash to play YouTube videos. The device also includes applications for users to create documents and spreadsheets, the company said.

The device has a 68-key keyboard for data input. It weighs about 409 grams (0.9 pounds) and offers a 10-hour battery life.

For Internet access, the device includes built-in IEEE 802.11 b/g wireless networking. It has 512MB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage. An additional 16GB of storage can be added through a Secure Digital memory card slot. The device can be used as an e-book reader, for which Sharp will provide content like novels and comics.