Laptops

Sony Unwraps New VAIO Notebook

Sony Unwraps New VAIO NotebookPortable PC features wide-screen display and multiple wireless options.Martyn Williams, IDG News Service

Sony has taken the wraps off its summer lineup of personal computers for the Japan market and with it unveiled the first VAIO model in its new TR range.

The new machine, which will be available first in June in Japan, is not likely to disappoint Sony fans. Its wide-screen display gives it a distinctive look and a long list of features and good networking support rounds off the machine, for which Sony says it is yet to decide on overseas launch plans.

Intel Inside

The PCG-TR1 is based around Intel's recently launched Pentium M processor running at 900 MHz. The machine can accommodate between 256MB and 1GB of DDR266 (Double Data Rate 266) memory and it has a 30GB hard drive. There is also a built-in CD-RW/DVD-ROM optical drive, which supports CD-R writing at 8X and CD-RW writing at 4X speed.

The display is a 10.6-inch wide-screen TFT LCD with WXGA resolution (1280 pixels by 768 pixels). Just above the display there is a small video camera. It can be used to snap pictures or works with Sony's bundled videoconferencing software although it has a relatively low resolution of 370,000 pixels, which means it can manage around VGA resolution (640 pixels by 480 pixels) quality.

To aid picture capture Sony has put a capture button to the right of the main display. It is one of four buttons placed next to the display; the others are volume up/down and a zoom button.

Going Wireless

Three wireless networking standards are supported: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, and Bluetooth 1.1, in addition to the Fast Ethernet and ILink/IEEE 1394 wired networking standards. Other connectors include two USB 2.0 ports, a PC Card slot, a Memory Stick Pro slot, and a connector enabling the notebook to be used with an external monitor.

It weighs just over 3 pounds and measures 10.6 inches by 1.4 inches by 7.4 inches. Battery life for the standard pack is between 4.5 hours and 7 hours with the large battery pack providing enough power for between 7 hours and 10 hours, according to Sony.

Sony will put the PCG-TR1 on sale in Japan on June 7 for a price around $1,970.

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