The other day, a new model of Vaio type P (VPCP119KJ) was announced. When I see it’s design first, I was reminded of the design of NEC MC/R320 and MC/R330. The designs of MC/R320 and 330 had given the appearance of ’cheaply-made’ plastic lunch-box, which had been far from high-quality image. Nevertheless, they are strangely attractive even today. Why? Perhaps, plastic lunch-box image is a typical symbol of day-to-dayness and casualness.
In spite of the fate that a commoditized product has to face the day-to-dayness and casualness, most of PC designs haven’t been able to exclude the high-quality image completely. Even Ipad, which strongly features the casualness still contains certain high-quality image. In the context of Japanese culture, Ipad’s design mightn’t able to give an impression of 100%-natural casualness, I guess. Therefore, in this Ipad-fever situation, Sony’s decision on adopting this design seems to get a point to some extent.
Of course, another interpretation on this design may be possiple, which means that Sony implies the fate of MC/R330 in the new model of Vaio type P.
Though I don’t own neither Blueray HDD recorder nor Vaio type P, I think that one-point improvement on moving image file’s transfer will make these products more attractive. The cycle paths of moving image file’s transfer shown in Fig above are immediately required to be completely two-way possible, smoother and more convenient. The path from Blueray HDD recorder to Net-walkman already seems to be perfect.
