But while the IT folks are buying Dell and Compaq, the suits upstairs are expensing Sonys because of looks, style and weight. You can support Windows, and that should be the major point. Apple's offering, the PowerBook G4, was introduced by Steve Jobs in the only product intro I can recall that used the words sex and power in the same sentence to describe a computer's appeal. At 5.5 lb., the computer is heavier than the Sony but packs a full-size keyboard, a DVD drive and a cinemalike screen. This is beautiful titanium hardware that could make a Sony lover stop and take notice.
Few computers inspire so much technolust.
Most IT departments, having purged their Macs in the 1990s, are loath to go back. The old issues for not running Macs, such as lack of enterprise software and proprietary protocols, are dated. There are full versions of Microsoft Office for compatibility, Internet Explorer to support Web-based applications and Outlook for connectivity. IBM's Transnote offering is the most unique among the bunch. What makes it unique is that it's the first laptop design that's not a clamshell.