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Major Japanese computer companies such as Sony, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Panasonic make some amazing notebooks that pack style and functionality into cases that weigh as little as 1.8 pounds. There's just one catch: They produce them for their home market and don't sell them in the United States.

But Dynamism does. The Chicago-based company caters to a small but committed clique of buyers with a yen (no pun intended) for the newest, the lightest, and the coolest.

For example, among the products Dynamism currently markets is Sony's VAIO U3, a compact model introduced in Japan last fall. It features a slightly redesigned keyboard so a user can operate the notebook while holding it in both hands. Also released in Japan and now available through Dynamism is the Sharp Zaurus SL C-700 personal digital assistant, sporting an internal keyboard.

But bringing cutting-edge products to the U.S. market is not without its pleasures and pitfalls, says Douglas Krone, Dynamism's chief executive, who attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

Adapted for America

A self-described technophile, Krone founded Dynamism in 1997 simply because "they have such great stuff in Japan." The company customizes Japanese-market models by installing U.S. versions of Windows and drivers.

"It's not that hard to get the software working passably, but we really tweak it to make it wonderful and seamless," he says.

Dynamism also provides tech support and serves as an intermediary for warranty service. "Our offices get it fixed in Japan, then we FedEx it back to you," says Krone.

One potential stumbling block for U.S. buyers turns out not to be a huge problem: While the notebooks' keyboards have Japanese characters, they are typically dual-language models with standard QWERTY layouts. Some characters are in slightly different positions, but Krone says most customers adjust quickly.

A More Mobile World

Why are the thinnest and lightest notebooks made only for Japanese customers? Two reasons, says Krone: One, "Japan is such a mobile society--people spend time commuting, and they want a computer they can keep with them all the time. That means something small and lightweight." The other reason is primarily financial: Japanese consumers are willing to pay more for the newest, most innovating electronics devices.

Most of the products sold by Dynamism don't make it to the U.S. through official channels because most American buyers want desktop replacement-like notebooks, Krone says. "Corporations want powerhouse [laptops] with big screens and 2-GHz processors," he notes. But a small group of stateside buyers covet the Japanese-market machines.

Dynamism customers tend to be fellow technophiles and early adopters, says Krone.

"They're executives who travel a lot and want a 2- or 2.1-pound notebook," he says. Many return to Dynamism repeatedly for the newest, hottest models. And although some may assume this demographic is made up entirely of gadget-loving guys, Krone reports this isn't true; many of the company's customers are women.

While some Japanese lightweight machines eventually arrive in official U.S. versions, Krone says fewer are making the jump into this market.

"In the old days, much wasn't released because it was too niche for the mass market. Then there was a drive to release everything, everywhere, all the time. But now they're reverting back," he says.

Small Wonders

Krone says Dynamism is selective about the notebooks it chooses to sell, but it has no shortage of interesting units. "Almost everything we sell has Wi-Fi now, and they continue to get lighter and lighter," he says. Dynamism has also begun selling other Japanese-market miniaturized electronics devices, such as super-pocketable digital cameras.

Krone says he enjoys his work, which takes him to Japan five or six times a year in search of new products to offer. Dynamism's distinctive name sums up the company's mission, the CEO says: "There's this global capital environment in the world we live in, and it manifests itself in all these unique technologies. Our company's about bringing the fruits of that dynamism to more and more people."

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