SAN DIEGO, July 14, 2008 ¾  Combining sizzling performance with a sophisticated design, Sony today introduced a new line of ultra-portable PCs— the VAIO® SR Series notebook.

Constructed of lightweight, durable magnesium alloy, the SR notebooks are available in five striking colors– night black, sunset pink, glossy pink, classic silver and glossy silver.

“This notebook is a dream come true for the consumer who won’t compromise profound processing power for jaw-dropping style,” said Mike Abary, senior vice president of VAIO product marketing for Sony Electronics. “It meets the needs of everyday work and play while delivering the freedom, performance and style consumers crave.”

Weighing just over four pounds, the SR notebook boasts a 13.3-inch LED backlit widescreen display and Sony’s patented XBRITE-ECO™ LCD technology for clear, crisp images that truly “pop” off the screen.

Equipped with a uniquely designed keyboard, the unit’s individual keys are slightly raised, producing a user-friendly touch and improved typing experience.

The notebook is powered by new Intel® Centrino® 2 technology, the chipset designed for lighting-fast performance, instant system responsiveness and energy efficiency.

Select models come pre-installed with the Windows Vista® Home Premium operating system. A Windows® XP Professional downgrade is also available.

With the SR notebook’s integrated 802.11n LAN technology you can wirelessly surf the web and check email with greater range and reliability than ever before when connected to a compatible hotspot. And connecting with friends and family has never been easier thanks to the unit’s optional built-in webcam and microphone.

The notebook also incorporates G-Sensor™ Shock Protection technology to counteract sudden movements helping to prevent damage and data loss.

The PC features Switch technology enabling customized “personalities” or modes for home, work and entertainment. You can customize each mode with its own wallpaper and a set of five shortcuts to correspond to various scenarios. Set your favorite websites for home, office applications for work, and programs that allow you to enjoy music and movies when you are ready to relax.

The unit comes with three entertainment software applications. Offerings include VAIO® Movie Story software-- an easy way to produce your own high-quality home movies, VAIO MusicBox software-- a fun way to enjoy music based on your mood, and Click to Disc/ Editor software-- for easy DVD/ BD video-editing and creation.

It also comes with VAIO Media™ software, a DLNA-enabled media sharing application that lets you wirelessly stream content stored on your PC throughout your home network. Movies, music and digital still images can be streamed from the notebook to a PLAYSTATION® 3 or VAIO Home Theater PC that is connected to a TV for big-screen enjoyment.

The PC  has plenty of slots, ports and jacks, including a Memory Stick® media/SD card slot, three USB ports, i.LINK® IEEE-1394 port, microphone and headphone jack and a PC Card (type-II) for easy transfer of files from external devices.

SR models are Energy Star 4.0 and EPEAT Silver compliant. They also incorporate eco-conscious features such as a mercury-free LED backlit LCD to help minimize the risk of mercury seeping into vulnerable eco-systems at the end of each unit’s lifecycle. Sony will even recycle your old PC via participating Waste Management Recycling Centers (www.sony.com/recycle).

Sony VAIO SR Series notebooks will be available at the end of the month starting at about $1,400. Pre-orders begin online today at www.sonystyle.com/pr/sr. They will also be sold at Sony Style® stores and select retailers around the country.