iTWireTV Interview: Dynabook's dynamic future is in sharp focus as Matthew Tummi...

Thursday, 26 August 2021 22:40

iTWireTV Interview: Dynabook's dynamic future is in sharp focus as Matthew Tumminello speaks

With Toshiba since the early 90s, and since February 2020, Dynabook's ANZ Product Marketing Manager, Matthew Tumminello long career has given him unique insight into one of the world's top PC makers, now reborn into a dynamic 36-year old startup.

Toshiba. For well over a century, the company and its earlier iterations have been major technology pioneers and innovators. Examples of this include bringing X-ray tubes and radio transmission tubes to Japan in 1919, while introducing the first electric washing machines and refrigerators in 1930s Japan.

There were many other technological developments since, but a couple of other highlights include launching the world’s first colour video phone in 1971, and launching the first commercial laptop in 1985 being the T1100.

This laptop brought the concept of Alan Kay's "Dynabook" to life in ways that have evolved into the slim and svelte ultrabooks and tablets we all know and love, which today come in many flavours from many companies, be they running Windows, macOS, Android, ChromeOS or the wildly successful iPadOS.

Toshiba's long history of innovation is extremely impressive, and it continues underpinning Dynabook, the computing division of Toshiba that was 80.1% acquired by Foxconn-owned Sharp in 2018, and renamed to Dynabook, the name Toshiba used for its range of computers in Japan, with Sharp buying out the rest of Toshiba's shares at the end of June 2020.

Toshiba still exists as a major global company, but with Dynabook now owned by Foxconn, the manufacturer making many of the world's top tech products, to their owners' exacting specifications, such as iPhones, it's no surprise to see Foxconn deciding to acquire and own major brands of its own as its flexes its impressive manufacturing muscles.

The Dynabook of 2021 still offers the product range that Toshiba made famous, including the Satellite Pro, Portégé and Tecra, and its X-series hydrids, along with a range of Toshiba-branded storage products comprising of hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, SD and micro SD cards, as well as a range of accessories, from external DVD drives, cables, dongles, port replicators, keyboards, mice and more.

While Dynabook's models aren't yet back in JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, or Harvey Norman as yet, they are available from various resellers, they are available to business buyers, and Dynabooks are available to schools and the education sector, and Dynabook is working to grow its brand recognition and marketshare again, so it's a company and a brand we'll definitely be hearing from much more in the future.

So, here's my video interview with Matthew, followed by a summary of the topics we spoke about - please watch and read on!

• I started by introducing Matthew, welcoming him to the program, and asking him to tell us the Dynabook story.
• We then spoke about the Dynabook vision of Alan Kay, and some of the history there, after which we explored what makes Dynabook different from its competitors, and how Dynabook plans to retake the buoyant marketshare it enjoyed under the Toshiba brand name.
• I noted Dynabooks can be purchased from computer resellers like Scorptec, CentreCom and even the TV Shopping Network, and I asked where else can you buy then, and when they might be back in sale at places like JB HiFi, Officeworks, Harvey Norman and similar big-name retailers.
• Matthew explained Dynabook's key focus market sectors for Australia and New Zealand, the education-focused range Dynabook offers, and then we moved onto Matthew's memory of his first computer, his own history in the world of tech, and how he sees Dynabook and the computer industry evolving.
• We ended with my usual questions about the best advice Matthew has received in life thus far, and his final message to iTWire viewers and readers, and to your current and future customers and partners.

So, please watch the video interview above for a trip down memory lane and a look into the future, and to learn more about Dynabook and its dynamic future!

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