SONY ENTERS THE HOME PC MARKET WITH MULTIMEDIA OFFERING

To punctuate the claim that the multimedia PC is the hot new product area in computers, consumer electronics giant Sony Electronics Inc. of San Jose, Calif. introduced the company’s first PCs, the PCV-70 and PCV-90 personal computers, on June 17, with shipments starting in August.

The feature set of the units is close to what was announced by the IBM Personal Computer Company on its Aptiva line, introduced earlier on June 10. Driving the new Sony systems, which sell for between $2,200 to $3,000, is either a 166 MHz or 200 MHz Pentium CPU.

The models will offer 8X speed CD-ROM drives, MPEG-1 video capability, and feature digital simultaneous voice and data (DSVD) 28.8-Kbps modems. The company also announced it will use ATI Technologies’ 3D RAGE accelerator, combining 3D, 2D, and MPEG-1 video playback integrated into a single chip solution.

Future Sony PC peripherals will be stackable, much like stereo components. They will be manufactured in 1/2-, 1/4-, and 1/8-height configurations and will have the same look and feel as the Sony violet and gray PCs. The specially constructed PC mini-tower features a door that slides up and down to reveal the floppy disk and CD-ROM drives inside.

The display, which costs an added $599, has an integrated 3D sound system, containing two built-in midrange speakers mounted on either side of the display and a subwoofer built into the tilt/swivel stand underneath. The audio system delivers a theater-like experience that defies its compact design.

The major new addition to this generation of PC is 3D. It will make the PC a better game machine and thus able to compete with dedicated game platforms. The Nintendo 64 and other game systems have created a new level in visual expectation from the user and the PC must keep pace or lose out. In addition, 3D capability will allow the system to view the plethora of 3D websites slated to appear on the World Wide Web in the next 12 months.

Sony’s concern in entering the PC market at this stage is that its dominant position in consumer electronics is threatened by not having a competitive offering in the multimedia PC arena. The concern is well founded considering that more PCs shipped into homes last year than did televisions.

For mass storage vendors, this PC model makes new demands. Sony PCs come with 32 Mbytes of main memory, a 2.5-Gbyte hard drive, and an 8X CD ROM drive. The faster rotation rate of the CD ROM drive will make games more interactive.

By contrast, the IBM Aptiva offering also comes with 32-Mbytes of RAM and an 8X CD ROM drive, but offers a higher capacity 3.2-Gbyte hard drive. In addition, some Aptiva models will feature a 100-Mbyte Zip drive from Iomega Corp. of Roy, Utah.

IBM is also offering Aptiva models containing the home automation systems feature Home Director, a system for controlling lights and appliances throughout a consumer’s home with simple, inexpensive plug-in connectors—all on the home’s existing wiring.

The question for PC makers is what features will create the greatest demand from the most buyers. Suppliers are betting on 3D graphics and offering MPEG-1 video. The availability of digital versatile disk players this fall may force PC vendors to MPEG 2 video sooner than planned.

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