New Sony Notebook PCs Provide Powerful Entertainment Without Overpowering Your Space

Sony's full-sized notebook PCs go wide this month. The new VAIO® A series PCs pack big screen entertainment into a stylishly transportable package.

With a 17-inch WUXGA (1920x1200) display, the VAIO VGN-A190 model claims the highest resolution display available on a notebook computer. And Sony's own XBRITE™ technology ensures that video playback is crisp and vivid.

Users can create and watch DVD movies with the built-in DVD+/-RW drive, as well as live or recorded TV with the aid of Sony's own Giga Pocket™ Personal Video Recorder and what is likely the most powerful TV tuner ever offered with a notebook. The Sony-engineered tuner is part of an AV entertainment dock that comes standard with this model.

The AV entertainment dock also includes a variety of analog and digital AV ports and Sony's S-Master™ digital amplifier, which preserves music quality from the PC through delivery to the specially tuned stereo speakers for true sound fidelity.

"Sony knows entertainment," said Mike Abary, general manager of VAIO PC marketing for Sony Electronics. "For the A series, we are using various AV and IT components, software and services developed throughout the company to deliver the best entertainment experience possible on a notebook PC."

Technology on Display

To ensure that the quality of video playback is optimized for almost any environment, A series notebooks employ an ambient light sensor. ErgoBrite™ technology, originally developed for Sony's stand-alone IT displays, automatically adjusts screen brightness to accommodate various lighting conditions. No more worrying about struggling with configurations when plugging your PC into an external display device as Sony's Smart Display Sensor™ automatically adjusts to a compatible screen resolution and aspect ratio when using an external monitor or projector.

Intel® Centrino® mobile technology provides the processing muscle for this PC, while allowing the unit to run quite, cool and efficient. The mobile processor also contributes to the computer's thin profile, making it the lightest notebook of its kind.

Enhanced Software for More entertainment Options

In addition to hardware breakthroughs, the A series also sport newly enhanced Sony exclusive software. Among these are Click to DVD™ and SonicStage™ Mastering Studio applications for effortless DVD burning and professional quality re-mastering of analog music to digital formats. VAIO Media™, Sony's entertainment networking software has also been updated to support a wider variety of digital content formats for video and music.

VAIO A series notebooks will be available at retail and online at www.sonystyle.com in a variety of configurations. In addition to the VGN-A190 model that will sell for about $2,800, the VGN-A160 model with a 15.4-inch wide format display will be available for $2,300 including the AV dock. For business users, the VGN-A130 model will be sold through business-to-business channels and online at sonystyle.com. It has a 15-inch 4x3 aspect display and will be available with an optional business dock.

Editor's Note: Sony Electronics' Information Technology Products Division (ITPD markets VAIO® notebook and desktop computers, CLIE™ handhelds and branded storage products. For additional information about Sony computer products, consumers can call (888) 315-SONY, or visit Sony's web site at: www.sony.com/vaio. For complete specifications and digital images, the news media is invited to visit Sony Electronics' news and information Web site at www.sony.com/news.

For further information please contact: Valerie Motis of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-858-942-8016, valerie.motis@am.sony.com; or Christopher Downing of Ruder-Finn/Switzer, +1-415-348-2733, downingc@ruderfinnswitzer.com, for Sony Electronics Inc.

SOURCE: Sony Electronics Inc.

CONTACT: Valerie Motis of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-858-942-8016,
valerie.motis@am.sony.com; or Christopher Downing of Ruder-Finn/Switzer,
+1-415-348-2733, downingc@ruderfinnswitzer.com, for Sony Electronics Inc.

Web site: http://www.sonystyle.com/

Web site: http://www.sony.com/vaio

Web site: http://www.sony.com/news