Sony today debuted a new model with a 266-MHz
 Toshiba Portege |
Toshiba also released a new high-end notebook model today, which weighs in at only 3.8 pounds, one of the lightest on the market. The Portege 320 CT also uses a 266-MHz Pentium MMX processor and comes with a 3.82GB hard drive.
Sony is offering customers 90-day limited Internet access free with purchase of its new model. The VAIO model weighs 5.75 pounds with the CD-ROM drive and eight-hour batteries installed.
Sony said that the new notebook began shipping today through Sony Direct as well as its usual retail distribution channels for an estimated retail price of $3,699.
Meanwhile, Toshiba packs in a large 12.1-inch screen into its diminutive Portege design. It also includes two stereo speakers, a USB (universal serial bus) port, and a 56-kbps internal modem. The model will be available in early March for an estimated retail price of $3,699 through Toshiba's traditional retail channels.
Toshiba, long the market leader in notebooks, also introduced a new model in its midrange Satellite Pro line. The 470CDT incorporates a 200-MHz Pentium MMX chip, a 2.02GB hard drive, and a 12.1-inch screen. Speakers and a 33.6-kbps modem are also part of a model that will be available in February for $2,949.
In other notebook news, (see related story), IBM today cut prices up to 32 percent across its ThinkPad line of notebooks.