SONY LAUNCHES NEW 5GB COMPACTVAULT DRIVE FOR HIGH QUALITY PHOTOS AND VIDEO

PARK RIDGE, N.J., Nov. 8, 2005 - Sony Electronics today announced the debut of the Compactvault™ removable hard disk drive that uses Compact Flash type II slots, such as those found in digital still cameras. The new drive is designed for photo enthusiasts and so-called "prosumers".

The Compactvault drive has a capacity of 5GB, offering the increased capacity required for high quality photos and video. Measuring just over 1 ½ inches wide and less than 1 ½ inches high, the Compactvault drive can hold up to 1,600 JPEG images (at 3MB each) or 200 minutes of MPEG4 video. The new drive also features high transfer speeds of up to 12MB/sec.

"The Compactvault drive signifies a marked advancement in hard disk media for digital cameras, with its increased storage capacity and very reasonable cost," Mike Lucas, Sony Director of Consumer Media and Data said.

Shipping will begin later this month with a suggested retail price of $199.99. The Compactvault drive will be available online at SonyStyle.com, SonyStyle stores and authorized retailers nationwide.