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hbgator

Tue 11 Apr, 2006


Fujitsu to launch PCs with advanced disk drives

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TOKYO Fujitsu Ltd.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> <b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> said on Tuesday it would launch desktop personal computers equipped with Blu-ray disk drives in June in Japan,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> becoming the first company to release PCs compatible with the next-generation optical disks.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> <b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
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The announcement comes one day after Toshiba Corp.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> <b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> unveiled a plan to launch in mid-May notebook computers that can handle HD DVD disks,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> which compete with Blu-ray disks in the market for high-definition optical disks.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
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Fujitsu also plans to launch notebook PCs with HD DVD drives in June,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> catering for both camps.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
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The new desktop PC from Fujitsu comes with a 37-inch liquid crystal display <b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>(LCD)<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> screen and is expected to sell for around 600,000 yen <b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>(<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>$5,063)<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> a Fujitsu spokesman said.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
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He added the notebook PC was likely to retail at about 400,000 yen <b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>-<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>-<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> in line with the expected retail price for Toshiba's HD-DVD compatible notebook PCs.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
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Another Japanese electronics maker,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> NEC Corp.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> said on Tuesday it aimed to launch HD DVD-compatible personal computers by autumn this year and that it would consider offering PCs equipped with Blu-ray drives as well if there was demand.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
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At the core of both DVD formats are blue lasers,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> which have a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD equipment,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> allowing disks to store data at the higher densities needed for high-definition movies and television.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>