New Sony VAIO VX88

Road warriors who prefer to be free from the leash of a power cord and phone jack will appreciate the design, wireless connectivity and extended battery life of the new Sony VAIO VX88. A 14.1-inch LCD display and full-size notebook keyboard combine with integrated Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b) access to keep you connected and productive. The notebook also features a Low Voltage Pentium III 850MHz-M processor and high-capacity lithium-ion battery that will provide power for up to five hours between charges.

The VAIO VX88 PC comes standard with an external CD-RW/DVD combo drive that connects via an enhanced i.LINK (IEEE 1394) interface. This allows the drive to draw power directly from the notebook, eliminating the need for an external power supply. Users can watch a full DVD movie on a coast-to-coast flight, or burn presentations onto CDs on-the-spot.

Sony's PC is wrapped in a magnesium alloy casing and its hinge design maximizes screen space without adding to the unit's overall roofline. The whole package is just about an inch thin and weighs in at just over 4 pounds. And the notebook comes standard with a suite of multimedia digital editing software, including Sony's MovieShaker, DigitalPrint, Smart Capture and DVgate.

In addition to the i.LINK interface, the VX88 offers several other connectivity options, including a Memory Stick media slot and two USB ports.

The VAIO VX88 notebook PC comes with Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition for about $1,900 after a $100 mail-in rebate. The VAIO VX88P model sells for about $2,000 with the Microsoft Windows XP Professional operating system. www.sonystyle.com/vaio