By Patrick Avenell
SYDNEY, NSW: In a scene worthy of the Apple sycophants at a Mac conference, Sony yesterday channelled the spirit of showman Steve Jobs to introduce its new ultra-thin mini notebook.
At the media event in Sydney, Sony marketing manager Kent Tanigaki amused the press with his off-beat antics, taking off his shoes to stand on his folder of notes. After pointing out how little his vertically challenged frame had improved, he then proceeded to remove the new Sony Vaio mini-notebook from within his folder. The whole show was intended to emphasise just how small and robust the new Vaio will be.
Information on the new model is currently very scarce, but we did manage to elicit some key features. It will be just on 14 millimetres thick, with the width being ultimately decided by the size of the VGA port. There are two USB ports, a 3.5-millimetre headphone jack, an inbuilt mono speaker and a hinged Ethernet port. Upon release, the operating system will be Windows 7.
Vaio product specialist Brendan Woolley told Current.com.au that this model has a composite carbon base, providing strength while maintaining a lightweight feel. He reported that it was ideal for use whilst resting on the palm of one’s hand. Weight has been evenly distributed within the model to further facilitate this, and there is no wasted space within the unit itself. He said the battery life was “incredible”.
“We’re pitching it at the ultra-portable business user market. I can’t comment on dates, but it won’t be far away, what I can tell you is it’s less than 700 grams, less than 14 millimetres thick, it has an 11-inch screen and it will be running Windows 7,” said Woolley.
When asked who this product will be marketed at, Woolley replied, “We’re pitching it at the ultra-portable business user market”.
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