Canon NoteJet
{{short description|Notebook computer with built-in printer}}
{{Infobox computer hardware
| name = Canon NoteJet
| logo = File:Canon Computer Systems wordmark.svg
| logo-size =
| logo_caption =
| image = Canon NoteJet.jpg
| image-size =
| caption = Canon BN120C
| invent-date =
| invent-name =
| conn1 =
| via1_1 =
| class-name =
| class1 =
| manuf1 =
| designfirm =
| manufacturer = IBM Japan, Canon Computer Systems
| introduced = 1993
| discontinued = 1995
| cost =
| processor =
| frequency =
| memory =
| slots =
| rom =
| coprocessor =
| connection =
| ports =
| power =
| color =
| dpi =
| speed =
| language =
| weight =
| dimensions =
}}
The Canon NoteJet is a series of notebook computers which include a printer and scanner that was manufactured from 1993 to 1995 by a joint venture between the Canon subsidiary Canon Computer Systems Inc.{{Cite web|last=H. Lewis|first=Peter|title=Canon laptop has a built-in ink-jet printer|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-04-19-1993109128-story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210320114147/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-04-19-1993109128-story.html|archive-date=2021-03-20|access-date=2021-03-20|website=The Baltimore Sun|language=en-US}} and IBM subsidiary IBM Japan.{{Cite web|last=Edwards|first=Benj|date=June 18, 2015|title=7 Bizarre FrankenPCs That Are Better Off Dead|url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/7-bizarre-frankenpcs-that-are-better-off-dead|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121151353/https://www.pcmag.com/news/7-bizarre-frankenpcs-that-are-better-off-dead|archive-date=January 21, 2021|access-date=2021-03-15|website=PCMag|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Athow|first=Desire|date=Jan 13, 2016|title=12 ground-breaking laptops that dared to be different|url=https://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/12-innovative-and-ground-breaking-laptops-that-dared-to-be-different-1312887|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116101850/https://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/12-innovative-and-ground-breaking-laptops-that-dared-to-be-different-1312887|archive-date=16 January 2016|access-date=2021-03-15|website=TechRadar|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Lewis|first=Peter H.|date=1993-04-18|title=The Executive Computer; Canon's New Laptop Packs a Nice Printer Inside (Published 1993)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/18/business/the-executive-computer-canon-s-new-laptop-packs-a-nice-printer-inside.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214065010/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/18/business/the-executive-computer-canon-s-new-laptop-packs-a-nice-printer-inside.html|archive-date=14 December 2009|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite magazine|last=Nadel|first=Brian|date=August 1993|title=Canon NoteJet 486: Hybrid Office|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H53CIZnYLZwC|magazine=PCMag|language=en|publisher=Ziff Davis, Inc.|volume=12|issue=14|page=226|access-date=2021-08-02|archive-date=2021-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802143328/https://books.google.com/books?id=H53CIZnYLZwC|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Calem|first=Robert E.|date=1993-03-07|title=Tech Notes; A Computer Cum Printer (Published 1993)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/07/business/tech-notes-a-computer-cum-printer.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224141434/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/07/business/tech-notes-a-computer-cum-printer.html|archive-date=December 24, 2014|issn=0362-4331}} The Canon branded series was sold worldwide except in Japan, where the similar IBM ThinkPad 555BJ and 550BJ was sold. The European model did not use the NoteJet branding and was branded as the Canon BN120C, BN22 or BN200.
Reviews during the general availability of the series were mixed. Historical analyses viewed it either extremely positive or extremely negative.
History
Canon, one of the largest printer manufacturers globally,{{cite magazine|last=Kirchner|first=Jack|date=July 1997|title=100 Most Influential Companies: 27 Canon Inc.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HOYtntaY99UC|magazine=PCMag|page=226|access-date=2021-08-02|archive-date=2021-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802143324/https://books.google.com/books?id=HOYtntaY99UC|url-status=live}} released their first inkjet printer in 1985.{{Cite web|date=August 26, 2015|title=Canon celebrates 30th anniversary of launch of first Bubble Jet inkjet printer|url=https://global.canon/en/news/2015/aug26e2.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706171049/https://global.canon/en/news/2015/aug26e2.html|archive-date=2017-07-06|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Canon Global|language=en}} They joined the x86 PC market in October 1992 as Canon Computer Systems Inc.{{Cite magazine|last=Quinlan|first=Tom|date=1992-10-26|title=Canon set to put its name on systems|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hFEEAAAAMBAJ|magazine=InfoWorld|language=en|publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.|page=36|access-date=2021-08-02|archive-date=2021-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802143331/https://books.google.com/books?id=hFEEAAAAMBAJ|url-status=live}} and launched the Innova PC line in 1993.{{Cite magazine|date=7 Dec 1993|title=With Innova, Canon Makes Its Presence Felt in the PC Market|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7k7q-wS0t00C|url-status=live|website=PCMag|page=60|access-date=2 August 2021|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802143336/https://books.google.com/books?id=7k7q-wS0t00C}} Canon combined these products in the NoteJet series. Bubble Jet and BJ are trademarks owned by Canon,{{Cite web|date=1994|title=Brochure - Canon NoteJet II 486C|url=http://www.1000bit.it/ad/bro/canon/CanonNotejetII486C.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315194558/http://www.1000bit.it/ad/bro/canon/CanonNotejetII486C.pdf|archive-date=15 March 2021}} 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.
Models
{{external media
| float = right
| video1 = [https://youtube.com/watch?v=Nb4J-k6re5o 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.
The Canon NoteJet 486 received the award of merit by BYTE magazine in January 1994.{{Cite magazine|magazine=BYTE|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Byte/90s/1994/Byte-1994-01.pdf|date=January 1994|title=Awards of merit|page=64}}File:BN200-DE in Nova71-SF.jpg with a view on San Francisco as a mobile office setup.]]
The 550BJ was launched in Japan{{Cite web |last=October 2017 |first=Avram Piltch-Online Editorial Director 05 |title=25 Years of ThinkPad: The Best and Most Innovative |url=https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/best-thinkpads-of-all-time |url-status=live |access-date=2021-05-11 |website=Laptop Mag |date=5 October 2017 |language=en |archive-date=2019-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423165808/https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/best-thinkpads-of-all-time}} on 19 February 1993.{{cite magazine|last=Kellar|first=David|date=1 February 1993|title=IBM/Canon alliance spawns notebook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q3uWYPSLDrcC|magazine=Computerworld|access-date=2 August 2021|archive-date=16 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516015341/https://books.google.com/books?id=Q3uWYPSLDrcC|url-status=live}} It was developed within the new self-contained IBM Personal Computer Company which was set up in 1992, separate from the IBM corporate hierarchy.{{Cite journal|last=Sakakibara|first=Kiyonori|date=June 1995|title=Global New Product Development: The Case of IBM Notebook Computers|url=http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/j.1467-8616.1995.tb00088.x|journal=Business Strategy Review|language=en|volume=6|issue=2|pages=25–40|doi=10.1111/j.1467-8616.1995.tb00088.x|issn=0955-6419|access-date=2021-03-19|archive-date=2021-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802143336/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8616.1995.tb00088.x|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}} The computer components were developed by IBM Japan and printer components were developed by Canon, with both logos engraved on the machine. The BJ stands for Bubble Jet which is Canon's printer technology. Although ThinkPads are known for their usage of the TrackPoint pointing stick, this machine comes with a "Mini Mouse II-B" The machine gained popularity mainly amongst beginners and students.
Reception
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". According to The Wall Street Journal, users have complained that the NoteJet series was too heavy and expensive.{{Cite news|last=Wagstaff|first=Jeremy|date=2000-04-17|title=New Gadgets Show Fliers the Light|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB955464499189369056|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-16|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210321214442/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB955464499189369056|archive-date=2021-03-21|issn=0099-9660}}
PCMag listed it in a 2015 article as one of the 7 "Bizarre FrankenPCs That Are Better Off Dead". 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. PC World listed the Canon NoteJet 486 in a 2006 as one of the greatest PCs of all time.{{Cite web|date=2006-08-11|title=The 25 Greatest PCs of All Time|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/126692/greatest_pcs_of_all_time.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211013438/https://www.pcworld.com/article/126692/greatest_pcs_of_all_time.html|archive-date=2021-02-11|access-date=2021-03-16|website=PCWorld|language=en}}
Further developments
The NoteJet series was silently discontinued.
Canon left the U.S. PC market in January 1997 due to low sales.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010414072423/http://www-6.ibm.com/jp/pc/prod/ha/0241.html|title=Official website (IBM ThinkPad 555BJ)}}
- {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961031120752/http://www.ccsi.canon.com:80/computers/notejet3cx/index.html|title=Official website (Canon NoteJet IIIcx)}}
- {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970714020321/http://www.ccsi.canon.com:80/care/download/notejets.html|title=Canon Notejet Downloads}}
- {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980209185241/http://www.ccsi.canon.com:80/care/faq/notejet3.html|title=NoteJet III/IIIcx Specifications}}
- [https://github.com/GaltresIT/Canon-BN200 Canon BN200 diskette backup]
- [http://www.pcang.com/fang/thinkpad_555bj.htm Pictures of the ThinkPad 555BJ]
{{Canon}}
{{IBM personal computers}}