NEWS: Toshiba takes laptop route to deliver big push for HD DVD
Toshiba aims to put HD DVD disk drives on all its laptops next year. The company is in direct competition with Sony and Blu-ray, as it tries to counter Sony's advantage gained by all those Blu-ray drives sitting in every PS3 console. The move is seen as a significant gesture from Toshiba, as it attempts to gain an edge in the high-stakes next-generation DVD format battle.
Toshiba senior vice president Hisatsugu Nonaka explained that Toshiba should use a similar tactic to that usd by Sony with the PS3. 'The demand is there,' He said. 'people want to watch their favourite movies in high-definition on the road.'
Toshiba, which shipped 9.2 million laptops in 2006, is seeking to land a major blow against the Blu-ray camp led by Sony. However, some observers have noted that adding high-definition drives to PCs could mean higher prices – and that could hurt sales.
Sony shipped 5.5 million PS3s in the year ending March 2007, of which 3.6 million were sold, as the PS3's £425 price tag scared away some potential buyers and convinced others to opt for lower-priced consoles, such as Nintendo's Wii.
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