Sony's Power-Packed Notebook PCs to Feature Intel 850 MHz Pentium III Processors With Speedstep Technology

Business Wire, Oct 25, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 2000

Sony's two most powerful notebook PC lines -- the all-in-one F series and the robust XG series, a favorite among digital video editing enthusiasts -- are among the first to offer super-fast Intel(R) 850 MHz(1) Pentium(R) III processors with SpeedStep(TM) technology(2). The PCG-F690 and PCG-XG39 are the first VAIO(R) notebooks to feature this processor.

"The F690 and the XG39 outperform many desktop PCs on the market," said Mark Hanson, Sony Electronics' vice president and general manager of VAIO PC products. "With the new Pentium III 850, these new notebooks offer users lightning-fast execution and the ultimate in performance whether in the office or on the road."

Both the VAIO F690 and XG39 models come standard with a 30 GB hard drive(3), 128 MB SDRAM (expandable to 256 MB maximum) and integrated 8X maximum DVD-ROM drive with fully integrated movie playback capabilities. Both systems offer either Windows(R) Millennium Edition or Windows(R) 2000 Professional operating system.

VAIO PCG-F690 -- Power PC with a Blockbuster Display Now Available

Designed for executives with a penchant for multimedia features and large, crisp displays, the PCG-F690 is loaded with a healthy complement of business and digital video editing software.

Included in the mix are Sony's MovieShaker(TM), a simple application for producing digital home movies, and Sony's PictureGear(TM) software, designed to help manage such digital content as panoramic photography. The PCG-F690 also includes Sony's DVgate(TM) software, yet another tool to challenge a user's creativity. DVgate software helps capture full motion digital video and still photography for impressive multimedia presentations -- or video emails. The PCG-F690 is powered by a high-capacity lithium-ion battery with dual battery capability. It is 2.1 inches thin and weighs 7.1 pounds.

Blockbuster Display -- 87% Resolution Improvement Over Regular XGA

Screen

The PCG-F690 offers the digital video editing enthusiast speed, power and the ultimate in display technology. The F690 comes with a dazzling 15-inch SXGA (1400 x 1050) TFT display, featuring screen resolution improvements 87% better than standard XGA screens. The higher pixel count of the SXGA technology provides improved clarity and ease of use, resulting in a larger working desktop for users executing detailed business applications.

The new unit's all-in-one design features a floppy drive, hard drive and DVD-ROM drive. It includes an i.LINK(R) (IEEE 1394) interface(4) to support high-speed digital video, audio and data transfer capabilities among equipped Sony and other products.

It also features an ATI RAGE(TM) Mobility graphics chip with 8 MB of SDRAM, built-in stereo speakers, NTSC video out and an integrated V.90 56K(5) modem.

The PCG-F690 arrives in stores this week and has an estimated selling price of $4,000(6). The PCG-F690K, which features Windows 2000 Professional, retails for approximately $4,100(6).

Sony VAIO PCG-XG Series -- Power, Versatility and Hot-Swappable

Portability

Many sophisticated technology users find the ultimate in computing versatility is achieved through the hot-swappable multi-drive bays (including removable CD-RW and DVD-ROM drives), optional second 10 GB hard drive(3), floppy drive and an optional battery bay with the Sony VAIO PCG-XG Series. The newest models in the XG Series, the XG38 and XG39, both sport power and functionality in an eye-catching form. They weigh only 6 pounds and are 1.77 inches thin.

In addition to a hefty 30 GB hard drive(3), Intel 850 MHz Pentium III processor with SpeedStep technology and 128 MB of SDRAM, the PCG-XG39 features a 14.1" XGA (1024 x 768) TFT screen, an S3 Savage/MX(TM) graphics chip with 8 MB of video SGRAM, Sony's original programmable Jog Dial(TM) control and an integrated V.90 56K(5) modem.

Designed for notebook users who value modular convenience and high-end desktop performance, the XG39 comes with state-of-the-art digital video editing features, including such bundled applications as Adobe Premiere(R) LE and Sony's DVgate, which, when coupled with the XG's AGP-enabled 256-bit graphics chip and built-in stereo speakers, provides optimum audio and high-resolution image transfer and manipulation.

"The XG models are ideal for frequently traveling executives with heavy workloads," Hanson added. "Sophisticated multimedia projects can be executed on the fly with these quality systems."

The PCG-XG39 is expected to arrive in stores by mid-October. Its estimated selling price is $3,900(6) with the Windows Millennium operating system and $4,000(6) with Windows 2000 Professional. A $200 mail-in rebate is available on either system until January 31, 2001.

The PCG-XG38, with a mobile Pentium III 700MHz processor featuring Intel SpeedStep technology(2), offers a 20 GB hard drive(3) and 8MB VRAM. The XG38 also ships in October and has an estimated selling price of under $3,100(6). A $100 mail-in rebate is available through January 31, 2001.