Released by Sony:
VAIO launches VAIO Pocket - Blending Top-End Audio Player with Digital Photo Album in one
Up to 20,000 songs and 20 hours non-stop operation, intelligent playlisting and photos too - VAIO Pocket moves the audio player on to the next level
14 September 2004 - VAIO Pocket, a new class of dual function media player aimed at the discerning, style-aware consumer, will hit the stores across a select number of European countries next month. Not only does the launch introduce a completely novel combination of picture viewer and intelligent audio player, it marks a key point in the evolution of the VAIO concept. The VAIO Pocket is the first VAIO product to go beyond the conventional limits of the IT world in the sense that it is not a notebook, a PC or a handheld organiser. Future VAIO products will continue to reflect the broadening scope of the brand while remaining focused on its core value: developing the potential of digital audio-visual technology.
The VAIO Pocket exemplifies the VAIO ideal perfectly. It gives users a personal library of thousands of pieces of their favourite music, but uniquely it also acts as a tiny digital photo album. With the VAIO Pocket, users can store and view their photographs, creating a compendium of experiences and moods to be enjoyed and shared whenever and wherever they want. The VAIO Pocket is also perfectly suited to general use as an external, portable hard disk. With 20GB and 40GB versions available, users have the option of keeping significant amounts of data on the player as well as music and pictures.
The VAIO Pocket uses miniature hard disk technology to give users immense personal storage capacity of up to 10,000 songs (with the 20GB version*) or up to 20,000 songs (with the 40 GB version*). It can communicate with PCs and even link directly with digital cameras, making it easy to build up a huge collection of sounds and images that fits into the palm of the hand. Sophisticated system design ensures the necessary stamina, with up to 20 hours of non-stop playback from a single charge.
The VAIO Pocket has a hybrid technology LCD screen designed to be viewed in daylight without difficulty, and delivers top quality, high colour reproduction of digital images. In general use the screen displays the intuitive and powerful Grid Sense interface, which makes the VAIO Pocket so simple to operate. Touching the bump-textured area beside the screen selects and activates on-screen buttons directly, and in a way which instantly feels natural. This fingertip control is augmented by intelligence within the VAIO Pocket itself which monitors what users listen to, and when, then builds up playlists which can be revisited at any time. Without ever thinking about it, users link their own soundtracks to different moods and activities and the VAIO Pocket preserves them for future enjoyment.
A cradle charger provides all the necessary connections for collecting content from a camera or PC, and even an audio output for listening to music through conventional speakers. In addition a sophisticated remote control makes track selection simple thanks to a highly readable three-line backlit display ideal for browsing song titles. Powerful Sony software for managing music on the PC, via Sonic Stage v.2.1, and rapid-fire drag and drop file transfers to the VAIO Pocket comes as part of the package. In addition music downloads can be done easily via the Sony Connect Service that launched in June (in UK, France and Germany only), which has a pick of over 300,000 songs downloadable in ATRAC 3 format. (* using ATRACPlus 64Kbps mode at 4 min per song).
For more information on Sony Europe, please visit www.sony-europe.com
