Sony Corp is showing a prototype of what it calls the Bookman, a portable multimedia Compact Disk player that is controlled by a version of MS-DOS in ROM. The Bookman is designed to the CD-ROM XA standard and is 7 by 6 by 2 high. It has liquid-crystal display, speaker, keyboard and a cursor pad and as well as a multimedia system, it can play standard audio Compact Disks. Microsoft Corp has promised to provide a version of its Multimedia Viewer software for the Bookman: this is designed to provides publishers with a viewing application and authoring tools for creating CD-ROM XA titles without any programming. It is also working with Mammoth Micro Productions to distribute a version of the Mammoth Tool System and run-time engine for the player. Sony says the Bookman was developed specifically for the US market with its infrastructure for MS-DOS-compatible software development and is planning to launch it in the autumn. The price is expected to be about $1,000.
