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Sony announces new Crusoe-based Vaio

By Douglas F. Gray

(IDG) -- Sony Electronics announced Wednesday that it will use Transmeta's Crusoe processor in its new Vaio notebook, which will be available in the United States next month.

The Vaio PCG-C1VP Picturebook notebook uses Microsoft's Windows 2000 or Windows Me and features a Crusoe TM5600 667MHz processor. The machine, which is aimed at the corporate market, is one-inch thick, weighs 2.2 pounds, and can run for between 2.5 and 5.5 hours on the standard battery. With optional batteries, the notebook can run for as many as 20 hours, the company said in a statement.

Sony, which expects to ship the Vaio next month, also has a promotional deal through wireless access provider GoAmerica Communications for a free wireless modem for users who sign up for a wireless plan. The notebook also comes loaded with a suite of Sony's own multimedia-creation programs, including MovieMaker, PictureGear, and DVgate, Sony said in a statement.

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The Picturebook has a 15GB hard drive, 128MB of RAM, a MagicGate Memory Stick media slot, and an i.Link IEEE 1394 high-speed interface.

With Windows Me, the notebook will cost $2,000, while with Windows 2000 it will cost $2,100, the Park Ridge, N.J.-based Sony said in the statement. Additional features include the quad-capacity battery, available for $400, and 64MB of additional memory for $200.