 | |
 Canon BN120C | |
| Manufacturer | IBM Japan,Canon Computer Systems |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1993 |
| Discontinued | 1995 |
| Type | Laptop,printer |
TheCanon NoteJet is a series ofnotebook computers which include aprinter andscanner that was manufactured from 1993 to 1995 by ajoint venture between theCanon subsidiaryCanon Computer Systems Inc.[1] andIBM subsidiaryIBM Japan.[2][3][4][5][6] The Canon branded series was sold worldwide except in Japan, where the similarIBM ThinkPad 555BJ and550BJ was sold. The European model did not use the NoteJet branding and was branded as theCanon BN120C,BN22 orBN200.
Reviews during the general availability of the series were mixed. Historical analyses viewed it either extremely positive or extremely negative.
Canon, one of thelargest printer manufacturers globally,[7] released their firstinkjet printer in 1985.[8] They joined thex86 PC market in October 1992 as Canon Computer Systems Inc.[9] and launched the Innova PC line in 1993.[10] Canon combined these products in the NoteJet series.Bubble Jet andBJ are trademarks owned by Canon,[11] which have been used by IBM for their printer-laptops.
According to Canon, the printer in the NoteJet is 70% smaller than any printer they developed before.[11]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 The Canon BN22 (BJ Notebook) printing laptop |
The Canon branded models were released globally, except in Japan where the IBM branded ThinkPads were released. The NoteJet branding was not used in Europe.
| Model | CPU | Display | RAM | Disk | MSRP | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NoteJet 486 or BN22 | Cyrix 486SLC, 25 MHz (manufactured by TI) | 85MB, 130MB or 180MB | $2499 | [5][12] | ||
| NoteJet II 486C | 486SLC2, 50 MHz | 10.3 inchDSTN | 4MiB | 130MB or 260MB | [13][11] | |
| NoteJet IIIcx or BN 200 | Pentium, 90 MHz | 800x600 | 16MiB | 810MB | [14][15] | |
| BN120C | Intel 486, 100 MHz | 16MiB | 810MB | [16] | ||
| ThinkPad 550BJ | IBM 486SLC, 25 MHz | 9.5 inchSTN | [17] | |||
| ThinkPad 555BJ | 486SLC2, 50 MHz | 10.3 inchDSTN color LCD | 12MiB | [17] |
The Canon NoteJet 486 received the award of merit byBYTE magazine in January 1994.[18]
The 550BJ was launched in Japan[19] on 19 February 1993.[20] It was developed within the new self-contained IBM Personal Computer Company which was set up in 1992, separate from the IBM corporate hierarchy.[21] The computer components were developed by IBM Japan and printer components were developed by Canon, with both logos engraved on the machine. TheBJ stands for Bubble Jet which is Canon's printer technology. Although ThinkPads are known for their usage of theTrackPoint pointing stick, this machine comes with a "Mini Mouse II-B"[17] The machine gained popularity mainly amongstbeginners and students.[17]
PCMag reviewed the NoteJet IIIcx in 1996. They noted the slowness of the scanning feature while appreciating the quality documentation from Canon. They concluded that the PC performance was average, but noted the high amount of extra peripherals available. They noted: "the point isn't really how well it works, but that it works at all".[14] According toThe Wall Street Journal, users have complained that the NoteJet series was too heavy and expensive.[22]
PCMag listed it in a 2015 article as one of the 7 "BizarreFrankenPCs That Are Better Off Dead".[2]TechRadar listed it in a 2016 article as one of the 12 "ground-breaking laptops that dared to be different", and argued that was sad that the NoteJet was a one-of-a-kind.[3]PC World listed the Canon NoteJet 486 in a 2006 as one of the greatest PCs of all time.[23]
The NoteJet series was silently discontinued.
Canon left the U.S.PC market in January 1997 due to low sales.[7]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
