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Behind a veil of
THE flying techno-jargon was as thick as Kamuela fog, but not so thick as to obscure the cool quotient in Sony's new consumer electronic products this year. |
Never too early
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The dozens of new products include tiny digital music players at $90; a 400-disc combined DVD and CD player for $400; a digital camera smaller than a deck of cards for $500; digital video cameras that also take still shots, starting at $400; and the new go-anywhere-and-be-online Vaio laptop computer for $2,200.
"It's not easy being a Sony employee," because all their paychecks go to buy new products, laughed Karl Okemura, vice president of the Consumer Electronics Group.
Most of the new products will be rolled out in the coming months, said spokeswoman Jamie Lum.
A mini digital video recorder, called the PC 1000, made its U.S. debut at Hilton Hawaiian Village yesterday. It was the first time the small camcorder had been presented to an audience outside of Tokyo, the presenter said. Such debuts are normally done at large consumer electronics events in major cities, but Honolulu got this one because Sony's Japan headquarters appreciates Hawaii's brand loyalty, Lum said.
The local market provides one-third of Sony Hawaii Co.'s estimated $200 million in sales. Two-thirds of the total comes from Sony Hawaii's business with U.S. military exchanges around the world. "We're proud to serve all the military bases internationally -- globally," said President Don Kim.