Sony eVilla
| Company type | Product |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consumer electronics |
| Founded | June 14, 2001 |
| Defunct | September 13, 2001 |
| Fate | Withdrawn from market; production discontinued |
| Products | Internet appliance (eVilla) |
| Owner | Sony |
The Sony eVilla was an Internet appliance produced by Sony that is no longer available. It was first introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2001 and became available for purchase on June 14, 2001, with a launch price of $499 USD following a development period of 18 months. Subscribers paid a monthly fee of $21.95 to use the device for Internet browsing, email communication, audio and video playback, and file storage via Sony's proprietary Memory Stick.
Sony withdrew the eVilla from the market on September 13, 2001, less than three months after its release, offering complete refunds for both the hardware and subscription charges. Company representative John Dolak explained that the product "fell short of our expectations" and "did not function as intended."
Sony's entry into the Internet appliance sector occurred during a downturn in consumer interest, as competitors were pulling out or discontinuing similar offerings. By the time the eVilla was launched, only about 150,000 such devices had been sold in the previous year. Many potential buyers found these appliances' restricted capabilities difficult to justify when compared to more versatile personal computers available at comparable prices.
Hardware and software
The eVilla was equipped with a 266 MHz Geode GX 1 processor, alongside 64 MiB of DRAM and 24 MiB of built-in flash memory. The unit weighed approximately 31.5 pounds (14.3 kg) and measured 11.81 × 16.18 × 15.82 inches (30 × 41.1 × 40.2 cm). It featured a portrait-oriented 15 inch Sony Trinitron display with a resolution of 800×1024 pixels.
Although it did not include a hard disk, storage was facilitated through Sony's Memory Stick cards. Input peripherals such as a keyboard and mouse connected via PS/2 ports, complemented by two USB ports for additional devices. The device contained an integrated 56K V.90 modem and an unused Ethernet connection.
Operating on BeIA version 1.0 developed by Be Inc., the system supported Java applications, Macromedia Flash, certain formats from Microsoft Office, and featured RealNetworks' RealPlayer software. A significant drawback was its inability to download or save images and media content from websites.