The Sony Electronics Corp’s convergence PCs have arrived and they’re what you might expect from a consumer electronics company – violet and gray mini-tower-sized systems with stackable peripherals similar to stereo components. Its VAIO (video audio integrated operation) Space, a 3D graphical user interface, allows users to acces video, audio and communication capabilities and provides an applications program menu. Sony kept to its word to offer PCs at a premium price (CI No 21may), with both its PCV-70 and PCV-90 models selling at between $2,000 and $3,000. The machines will ship late summer. Sony will also launch optional peripherals soon, such as a new CPD-100VS 15-inch multiscan multimedia display specially designed for the Sony PC with integrated 3D sound, speakers on either side and a subwoofer built into the stand. The PCs are marked with a VAIO symbol that Sony will include on other products to highlight their convergence capabilities.
Sony’s PCV-70 features a 166MHz Pentium processor, 16Mb RAM, 2.1Gb hard drive, a 28.8kb DSVD modem, MPEG decoding and an 8X CD-ROM drive. The PCV-90 has a 200MHz Pentium processor 32Mb RAM, 2.5Gb hard drive, a 28.8kb DSVD modem, MPEG decoding, 8X CD-ROM drive. Sony did not announce specific software bundles.
