Wouldn’t you know it. Sony picked the same day to take the wraps off its first Blu-ray Disc-enabled notebook computer, the VAIO AR, which will be available this summer. The AR Premium version plays the new Blu-ray Discs with full 1080p HD resolution on a 17-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) widescreen display with Sony’s XBRITE Hi-Color LCD technology. The AR model also has an HDMI connector and an included cable that lets owners connect to most high-definition televisions for those times when you want a larger viewing experience. Sony high-capacity BD-R and BD-RE Blu-ray Discs hold up to 50GB of data, which is pretty astounding, and for those working in HD video, this might be the perfect solution, though the AR Premium Blu-ray Disc-enabled model will go for about $3,500, which is pretty steep. The AR Standard will start at about $1,800. It’ll be interesting to see which manufacturers ultimately decide to support the Blu-ray format.
