Sony has announced the latest additions to its Vaio range of
notebooks - including one which can be used as a digital video
recorder and one which Sony claims is the smallest ever Windows XP
notebook.
The first machine, the Vaio C1, is based on Transmeta's TM5800
processor, which runs at 867MHz, has 128Mbytes of double data rate
(DDR) memory.
The machine doubles as a digital video recorder, using an external
TV tuner unit and the bundled GigaPocket software to record TV
programs to its 40Gbyte hard disc drive.
Sony has been bundling GigaPocket in Vaio desktop machines for some
time, but this is the first notebook computer to include the
software. The software has never been included on a notebook before
because of the processing demands it puts on the machine. However,
recent improvements in mobile processor technology, coupled with a
hardware MPEG2 encoder chip which relieves the processor of much of
the heavy work, have enabled Sony to do this on the C1.
The second new machine, the Vaio-U, is the smallest Windows XP
notebook to date, the company said, and noticeably smaller than
Toshiba's Libretto mini notebook computer. Like the Toshiba, Sony
has chosen a Transmeta Crusoe processor, but gone for the faster
TM5800 model.
Because it is so small, the machine is easy to hold with one hand
on each side of the main body. Sony has included a number of design
features to accommodate operation with two thumbs. Under the right
thumb is a pointer, used to control the cursor, while under the
left thumb are two buttons that mimic left and right clicking on a
mouse. There is also a zoom-in button on the right hand side of the
screen.
Inspiration has also come from the world of mobile phones, where
one-thumbed operation for typing and sending e-mail is so common it
is becoming second nature for many.
The ThumbPhrase system makes use of a shadow keyboard arranged like
that of a mobile telephone, with one button representing several
characters or letters, which is used by the left thumb while the
right thumb controls functions such as capitalisation or switching
between the different Japanese kana and kanji characters.
Both machines were previewed in early March, at the same time as
Sony announced a new version of its Clie PDA, and are scheduled to
go on sale in Japan on 27 April. Overseas launch dates have not yet
been decided, Sony said.
In Japan, the Vaio C1 will cost ¥230,000 (£1,222) and the Vaio U
¥150,000 (£797).