{"video_id":"FLG08-xJGyM","title":"This WEIRD Japanese Laptop LOOKS 20 Years Old… - Panasonic SF-SV2","channel":"Linus Tech Tips","show":"Linus Tech Tips","published_at":"2024-05-04T14:53:29Z","duration_s":541,"segments":[{"start_s":0.52,"end_s":6.08,"text":"this laptop came out in 2022 and it's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":3.639,"end_s":11.599,"text":"packed full of Modern Hardware but just about everything else about it looks","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":8.24,"end_s":13.719,"text":"like it came straight out of 2002 and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":11.599,"end_s":19.279,"text":"I'm not even exaggerating from its matte screen to its delightful round trackpad","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":16.92,"end_s":25.519,"text":"Panasonic has used nearly the same design on its let's note lineup for the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":21.96,"end_s":29.4,"text":"past 20 years but for their customers","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":25.519,"end_s":31.439,"text":"that's a feature not a bug and honestly","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":29.4,"end_s":37.559,"text":"I can kind of see their point I mean sure it's a little on the thick side but","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":33.92,"end_s":42.6,"text":"on top of the usual suspects usba HDMI","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":37.559,"end_s":47.719,"text":"Thunderbolt 4 we've got Ethernet VGA an","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":42.6,"end_s":51.76,"text":"SD card reader and do my eyes deceive me","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":47.719,"end_s":55.039,"text":"a DVD drive wait a user swappable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":51.76,"end_s":58.48,"text":"battery this raises so many questions","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":55.039,"end_s":61.519,"text":"for me I mean what did happen to laptops","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":58.48,"end_s":64.239,"text":"that actually have port on them why are","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":61.519,"end_s":69.6,"text":"these ones exclusive to Japan and with all these features does it have a place","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":66.36,"end_s":72.08,"text":"for me to plug in this message from our","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":69.6,"end_s":76.32,"text":"sponsor build Redux build Redux assembles fully customizable gaming PCs","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":74.32,"end_s":79.36,"text":"suitable for any budget all you got to do is pick your favorite games see how","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":77.799,"end_s":82.439,"text":"they perform using their online pc builder then relax and do your gaming","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":81.2,"end_s":86.0,"text":"stretches so you're ready when it arrives head to build Redux","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":87.6,"end_s":94.68,"text":"docomo into a police cruiser can probably probably tell you Panasonic","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":91.6,"end_s":97.159,"text":"makes laptops and much like Epson they","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":94.68,"end_s":102.28,"text":"offer a far more varied selection in Japan compared to the West the let's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":100.079,"end_s":107.84,"text":"note line began production in 1996 and it would continue to receive","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":104.68,"end_s":110.759,"text":"periodic updates over the years in 97 it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":107.84,"end_s":117.039,"text":"got its first optical drive in 98 it got a mobile phone that's kind of weird in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":113.52,"end_s":119.88,"text":"'99 it got Wi-Fi and in 2000 it got its","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":117.039,"end_s":126.6,"text":"signature circular trackpad more on that a little bit later first by 2002 2003","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":124.119,"end_s":132.28,"text":"the let's note looked nearly identical to what's in my hands today speaking of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":129.759,"end_s":138.68,"text":"what do we have here today we've got a 12in IPS display with the more","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":134.879,"end_s":141.599,"text":"traditional 16 by10 aspect ratio love to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":138.68,"end_s":147.959,"text":"see it an 11th gen Core i5 processor 16 gigs of ddr4 memory and a 512 gig PCIe","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":144.68,"end_s":149.28,"text":"Gen 4 Samsung NVMe Drive our machine","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":147.959,"end_s":154.44,"text":"could be configured at the time of ordering but there were only a handful","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":151.04,"end_s":157.599,"text":"of options for CPU RAM and storage the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":154.44,"end_s":160.4,"text":"keyboard has minimal Flex to it and nice","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":157.599,"end_s":165.44,"text":"long travel on the key switches but the layout is kind of cramped and the keys","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":162.56,"end_s":170.72,"text":"are a touch on the mushy feeling side I'd describe it as pretty okay for touch","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":168.36,"end_s":175.44,"text":"typing that is at least ignoring the unfamiliar Japanese layout for me uh but","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":173.0,"end_s":179.4,"text":"if you're henpecking it's probably a great experience and if the Target","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":177.44,"end_s":186.159,"text":"demographic is on the older side that makes a a lot of sense and it is more on","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":183.84,"end_s":190.799,"text":"that later first did I mention that the battery is not the only thing you can","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":188.159,"end_s":195.28,"text":"replace on this thing you can also swap out the entire keyboard with a US","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":193.159,"end_s":201.72,"text":"Standard lip I mean can this thing get any cooler believe it or not like many","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":198.2,"end_s":204.12,"text":"of the other advantages of the sv2 this","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":201.72,"end_s":208.84,"text":"sort of thing used to be common entire companies existed to import Japanese","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":206.519,"end_s":212.959,"text":"laptops and then replace the keyboards with localized l outs but then with the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":211.319,"end_s":218.28,"text":"wide breadth of choice in the laptop Market these days it seems like these","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":214.92,"end_s":221.879,"text":"Services have failed the test of time","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":218.28,"end_s":224.64,"text":"what hasn't is this trackpad for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":221.879,"end_s":229.48,"text":"whatever reason Panasonic decided 20 years ago that their trackpad theirs was","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":227.68,"end_s":234.0,"text":"going to be circular and that's a decision that they have stuck with to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":231.239,"end_s":238.439,"text":"this day while it does have modern features like support for multitouch it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":236.92,"end_s":243.439,"text":"doesn't really have a lot of room on it for multiple fingers but then it turns","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":240.72,"end_s":248.879,"text":"out that that's barely an issue the left and the right click are both physical","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":245.76,"end_s":251.72,"text":"buttons so you just use it two-handed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":248.879,"end_s":255.88,"text":"and scrolling can be done with a single Finger by just spinning around the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":253.959,"end_s":263.28,"text":"outside like you're a DJ scratching a record w w w okay this is actually","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":260.28,"end_s":265.24,"text":"pretty cool and as an extra bonus you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":263.28,"end_s":269.56,"text":"don't have to worry about Palm rejection since it sits comfortably right in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":267.12,"end_s":274.16,"text":"between your hands on the wrist rest I would wouldn't personally trade away my","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":271.12,"end_s":275.72,"text":"larger more modern design though I mean","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":274.16,"end_s":283.88,"text":"you can't even move the cursor all the way across the screen without lifting your finger so given the obviously ample","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":281.68,"end_s":290.68,"text":"internal room they have to work with why is Panasonic still putting these archaic","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":286.6,"end_s":292.479,"text":"designs out specifically in Japan well","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":290.68,"end_s":297.28,"text":"there are a couple of reasons for that but the main one is that for one reason","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":294.919,"end_s":302.44,"text":"or another Japanese companies tend to devote a lot of development resources to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":299.96,"end_s":310.4,"text":"the domestic market and the population of domestic Japan is old how old are","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":307.28,"end_s":312.919,"text":"they so old that according to the world","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":310.4,"end_s":318.56,"text":"economic Forum they have the oldest population of any country on Earth as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":316.28,"end_s":324.44,"text":"you'd imagine then this permeates many aspects of modern culture including the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":321.319,"end_s":326.72,"text":"decisions of it departments for large","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":324.44,"end_s":332.639,"text":"companies you see when it's time to replace all your laptops companywide it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":329.319,"end_s":334.08,"text":"is much easier in terms of training to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":332.639,"end_s":339.72,"text":"transition over to something that is familiar for your users and this is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":336.84,"end_s":344.319,"text":"especially true for older users similarly if you're making decisions for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":342.039,"end_s":348.96,"text":"an IT department in an older company with lots of withering technology you're","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":346.8,"end_s":354.52,"text":"going to need machines that still work with those older devices hence the VGA","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":352.24,"end_s":359.08,"text":"ports for example and this is not an issue that's exclusive to Japan as we","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":356.919,"end_s":362.72,"text":"saw not that long ago when we discovered NX","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":360.28,"end_s":367.72,"text":"a company that manufactures brand new Windows 98 PCS that is a little","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":365.56,"end_s":371.16,"text":"different though in that scenario it's assumed that those systems are going to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":369.16,"end_s":376.199,"text":"be used for controlling industrial Machinery that depends on Legacy Isa","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":373.919,"end_s":380.44,"text":"cards or ancient software with the Panasonic it's much more about the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":377.88,"end_s":384.919,"text":"day-to-day use I can roll into a meeting room and whether it's HDMI thunderbold","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":382.599,"end_s":390.479,"text":"or even VGA I can output to the projector and if I need to transfer a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":387.24,"end_s":394.16,"text":"file from someone I can use usba USBC an","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":390.479,"end_s":397.199,"text":"SD card or even yeah the included DVD","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":394.16,"end_s":399.52,"text":"drive with no dongles required and it's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":397.199,"end_s":404.479,"text":"all on a shockingly lightweight package thanks to the magnesium alloy","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":401.44,"end_s":407.16,"text":"chassis I got to say having gotten used","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":404.479,"end_s":411.52,"text":"to modern laptop designs it does feel a bit more like a novelty at this point to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":408.96,"end_s":416.759,"text":"me but I still can't help feeling a bit sad about some of the things that we've","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":413.16,"end_s":418.52,"text":"lost along the way I mean sure I can","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":416.759,"end_s":424.8,"text":"open up my modern machine and replace the battery if it fails but what I can't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":421.759,"end_s":427.08,"text":"do is swap in a new one to get me","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":424.8,"end_s":432.52,"text":"through the rest of the day or put an extended capacity one in if I don't mind","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":429.68,"end_s":438.24,"text":"having a bit of a caboose on my machine and I mean even the optical drive kind","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":435.36,"end_s":442.84,"text":"of hits me in the feels this 11th gen model is likely to be the last laptop","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":440.72,"end_s":446.68,"text":"that Panasonic makes that is widely available with this feature they've","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":445.039,"end_s":449.52,"text":"actually already sold this one out through their own website and when we","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":448.08,"end_s":453.52,"text":"attempted to purchase one at a retail Tor we were told they wouldn't be","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":451.16,"end_s":458.56,"text":"getting any more in stock so we nabbed this one new inbox from Yahoo auctions","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":455.96,"end_s":464.879,"text":"which means the only manufacturer still offering Optical is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":462.12,"end_s":468.68,"text":"Vio now a machine with so many features for usability that's also targeted at","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":466.759,"end_s":474.08,"text":"corporate it departments should have easy maintenance and upgradeability","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":470.4,"end_s":477.319,"text":"right well that's not entirely incorrect","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":474.08,"end_s":479.24,"text":"but it is certainly not the full story H","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":477.319,"end_s":484.8,"text":"part of the story is that we might have a Precision screwdriver coming with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":481.479,"end_s":487.319,"text":"in-handle bit storage and a super cool","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":484.8,"end_s":492.08,"text":"bearing sorry anyway uh the point is while the battery is obviously swappable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":489.599,"end_s":497.599,"text":"and this is really cool there's a handy little access panel here that allows you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":495.039,"end_s":502.759,"text":"to blow out the heat sink there are some bigger issues that we would be remiss to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":499.759,"end_s":504.24,"text":"not mention the M2 Drive is only","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":502.759,"end_s":511.0,"text":"accessible once the bottom cover has been removed an Endeavor that requires","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":506.159,"end_s":514.32,"text":"removing 21 screws and right","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":511.0,"end_s":516.36,"text":"it's soldered to the motherboard guys","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":514.32,"end_s":522.0,"text":"you were so close to killing my framework investment Panasonic so close","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":519.919,"end_s":525.88,"text":"so then as long as framework keeps selling serviceable laptops with user","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":524.0,"end_s":529.48,"text":"upgradable RAM something that you can find a link to down below by the way","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":527.959,"end_s":533.0,"text":"Panasonic won't be showing up to eat their lunch anytime soon if you enjoyed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":531.76,"end_s":538.12,"text":"this video check out the one on the Epson Endeavor a tank of a desktop PC","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":536.08,"end_s":542.44,"text":"from a company that usually makes printers and project vectors","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1}],"full_text":"this laptop came out in 2022 and it's packed full of Modern Hardware but just about everything else about it looks like it came straight out of 2002 and I'm not even exaggerating from its matte screen to its delightful round trackpad Panasonic has used nearly the same design on its let's note lineup for the past 20 years but for their customers that's a feature not a bug and honestly I can kind of see their point I mean sure it's a little on the thick side but on top of the usual suspects usba HDMI Thunderbolt 4 we've got Ethernet VGA an SD card reader and do my eyes deceive me a DVD drive wait a user swappable battery this raises so many questions for me I mean what did happen to laptops that actually have port on them why are these ones exclusive to Japan and with all these features does it have a place for me to plug in this message from our sponsor build Redux build Redux assembles fully customizable gaming PCs suitable for any budget all you got to do is pick your favorite games see how they perform using their online pc builder then relax and do your gaming stretches so you're ready when it arrives head to build Redux docomo into a police cruiser can probably probably tell you Panasonic makes laptops and much like Epson they offer a far more varied selection in Japan compared to the West the let's note line began production in 1996 and it would continue to receive periodic updates over the years in 97 it got its first optical drive in 98 it got a mobile phone that's kind of weird in '99 it got Wi-Fi and in 2000 it got its signature circular trackpad more on that a little bit later first by 2002 2003 the let's note looked nearly identical to what's in my hands today speaking of what do we have here today we've got a 12in IPS display with the more traditional 16 by10 aspect ratio love to see it an 11th gen Core i5 processor 16 gigs of ddr4 memory and a 512 gig PCIe Gen 4 Samsung NVMe Drive our machine could be configured at the time of ordering but there were only a handful of options for CPU RAM and storage the keyboard has minimal Flex to it and nice long travel on the key switches but the layout is kind of cramped and the keys are a touch on the mushy feeling side I'd describe it as pretty okay for touch typing that is at least ignoring the unfamiliar Japanese layout for me uh but if you're henpecking it's probably a great experience and if the Target demographic is on the older side that makes a a lot of sense and it is more on that later first did I mention that the battery is not the only thing you can replace on this thing you can also swap out the entire keyboard with a US Standard lip I mean can this thing get any cooler believe it or not like many of the other advantages of the sv2 this sort of thing used to be common entire companies existed to import Japanese laptops and then replace the keyboards with localized l outs but then with the wide breadth of choice in the laptop Market these days it seems like these Services have failed the test of time what hasn't is this trackpad for whatever reason Panasonic decided 20 years ago that their trackpad theirs was going to be circular and that's a decision that they have stuck with to this day while it does have modern features like support for multitouch it doesn't really have a lot of room on it for multiple fingers but then it turns out that that's barely an issue the left and the right click are both physical buttons so you just use it two-handed and scrolling can be done with a single Finger by just spinning around the outside like you're a DJ scratching a record w w w okay this is actually pretty cool and as an extra bonus you don't have to worry about Palm rejection since it sits comfortably right in between your hands on the wrist rest I would wouldn't personally trade away my larger more modern design though I mean you can't even move the cursor all the way across the screen without lifting your finger so given the obviously ample internal room they have to work with why is Panasonic still putting these archaic designs out specifically in Japan well there are a couple of reasons for that but the main one is that for one reason or another Japanese companies tend to devote a lot of development resources to the domestic market and the population of domestic Japan is old how old are they so old that according to the world economic Forum they have the oldest population of any country on Earth as you'd imagine then this permeates many aspects of modern culture including the decisions of it departments for large companies you see when it's time to replace all your laptops companywide it is much easier in terms of training to transition over to something that is familiar for your users and this is especially true for older users similarly if you're making decisions for an IT department in an older company with lots of withering technology you're going to need machines that still work with those older devices hence the VGA ports for example and this is not an issue that's exclusive to Japan as we saw not that long ago when we discovered NX a company that manufactures brand new Windows 98 PCS that is a little different though in that scenario it's assumed that those systems are going to be used for controlling industrial Machinery that depends on Legacy Isa cards or ancient software with the Panasonic it's much more about the day-to-day use I can roll into a meeting room and whether it's HDMI thunderbold or even VGA I can output to the projector and if I need to transfer a file from someone I can use usba USBC an SD card or even yeah the included DVD drive with no dongles required and it's all on a shockingly lightweight package thanks to the magnesium alloy chassis I got to say having gotten used to modern laptop designs it does feel a bit more like a novelty at this point to me but I still can't help feeling a bit sad about some of the things that we've lost along the way I mean sure I can open up my modern machine and replace the battery if it fails but what I can't do is swap in a new one to get me through the rest of the day or put an extended capacity one in if I don't mind having a bit of a caboose on my machine and I mean even the optical drive kind of hits me in the feels this 11th gen model is likely to be the last laptop that Panasonic makes that is widely available with this feature they've actually already sold this one out through their own website and when we attempted to purchase one at a retail Tor we were told they wouldn't be getting any more in stock so we nabbed this one new inbox from Yahoo auctions which means the only manufacturer still offering Optical is Vio now a machine with so many features for usability that's also targeted at corporate it departments should have easy maintenance and upgradeability right well that's not entirely incorrect but it is certainly not the full story H part of the story is that we might have a Precision screwdriver coming with in-handle bit storage and a super cool bearing sorry anyway uh the point is while the battery is obviously swappable and this is really cool there's a handy little access panel here that allows you to blow out the heat sink there are some bigger issues that we would be remiss to not mention the M2 Drive is only accessible once the bottom cover has been removed an Endeavor that requires removing 21 screws and right it's soldered to the motherboard guys you were so close to killing my framework investment Panasonic so close so then as long as framework keeps selling serviceable laptops with user upgradable RAM something that you can find a link to down below by the way Panasonic won't be showing up to eat their lunch anytime soon if you enjoyed this video check out the one on the Epson Endeavor a tank of a desktop PC from a company that usually makes printers and project vectors"}