Sharp Actius RD3D

There's a reasonably capacious 60GB hard disk to cater for local storage, with a DVD writer available for archival if necessary. It's dual format, supporting DVD-RW and DVD-RAM, although these are the current underdogs in the format wars. That means you may find compatible readers less common, and the media itself is also slightly more expensive than its DVD+R equivalent. As far as playback goes, there are a surprising number of 3D DVD movies available, notably those made for IMAX cinemas.

Elsewhere, there's little to complain about. The keyboard is tolerable, if not especially tactile, but it's at least solid and sensibly laid out. More importantly, the touchpad is responsive, although an external mouse would be preferable for most applications. Build quality is rugged throughout, and the screen is thankfully well protected from knocks. Don't get any ideas about carrying it around with you though, as the 4.6kg mass will slow you down considerably.

Technical support is available through the reseller, but warranty claims are handled through Sharp in the US, making matters complicated should something go wrong.

While this is a specialist product, it's a fascinating piece of technology. Given its uniqueness, value is a moot point, but it's not outlandishly priced over otherwise comparable notebooks - especially when you consider the two LCD screens. But, as exciting as it is, the technology is still limited in both application and support.

Author: Ross Burridge