New Sony A200-Series laptops with widescreen display & double layer DVD

Sony launches the VAIO A200-Series of laptops, including both consumer and professional models. Most are distinguished by large-diagonal widescreen LCDs delivering the convenience of more workspace for everyday use, and outstanding visuals for viewing DVDs and gaming.

Brussels, 14 September 2004 – Sony launches the Sony VAIO A200-Series of laptops, including both consumer and professional models. Most are distinguished by large-diagonal widescreen LCDs delivering the convenience of more workspace for everyday use, and outstanding visuals for viewing DVDs and gaming.

Better still, Sony’s exclusive X-black screen technology ensures improved contrast, colour reproduction and brightness compared to conventional panels. Subtle and continuous ergonomic enhancement is provided by the Auto Luminance Sensor, which monitors ambient lighting conditions and automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen for comfortable viewing and battery saving.

When it comes to creating DVDs, users are in for another pleasant surprise. All Sony VAIO A200-Series machines feature dual format, double layer DVD burners that can read and write both the competing industry standard disc formats. The outstanding advantage of double layer DVD is that it provides nearly twice the capacity of ordinary DVDs, with no need to turn the disc over during recording or playback. This means users can record up to 4 hours of DVD-quality video on a single DVD.

On the move, the Sony VAIO A200-Series showcases Intel’s newest Centrino mobile technology, giving users the tangible advantages of boosted performance and longer battery life. Fast wireless networking is a standard feature, and several models add Bluetooth for effortless linking with handhelds and mobile phones. High-end models come with a neatly crafted wireless mouse for the last word in comfort and ease of use.

At home or in the office, the Sony VAIO VGN-A217S (VGNA217S) model in particular can become very much more than just a laptop. The S-Master AV Docking Station transforms it into a true multimedia entertainment system with capabilities normally associated with desktop machines. The Sony VAIO VGN-A217S has a high-quality TV tuner and MPEG encoder that lets users watch and record TV, while Sony’s own S-Master digital amplifier and specially engineered 2 x 10W speakers provide rich, powerful audio.

With the Docking Station, the Sony VAIO A200-Series can fairly claim to be a replacement for your desktop, hi-fi system and VCR. Subtle and continuous ergonomic enhancement is provided by the Auto Luminance Sensor, which monitors ambient lighting conditions and automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen for comfortable viewing and battery saving.

“We believe the Sony VAIO A200-Series offers the ideal solution to the problem of portable versus desktop,” says Jun Koyama, Director of Sales and Marketing for Information Technology Europe. “It’s a remarkably capable laptop in its own right, but add in the S-Master with the A217S and you have a new definition of mobile television. This is what VAIO is all about: making audio-visual IT work.”