Sony Japan have just launched a multimedia player with a 20GB hard disk drive and a 2.2-inch colour LCD screen with 320-x-256 pixel resolution. The Vaio Pocket VGF-AP1 screen displays track information when songs are being played and displays, if available, album art. On the right-hand side of the display is a touch-sensitive panel dubbed ‘G-sense’ that is used to control the player. Users navigate through the on-screen menus by running their fingers over the panel in the appropriate direction.

It’s this G-sense panel that I think is useless. It consists of a 25 protuding buttons that are arranged in 5 rows of 5 buttons. According to the Flash presentation you drag your finger through the buttons in order to navigate part way through the menus on the screen. It seems like a 1980s equivalent of a trackpad. Whilst it’s undoubtedly easier to work by touch alone, because there is some feedback, it’s an irrelevant interface because this Vaio also comes with a separate remote control with traditional buttons and an LCD display.

I think Sony have created this Vaio with a view to future extensibility, hence a non-specific user interface on the main machine. I would have thought though that something equivalent to the standard job wheel, 4 way cursor systems that are on most MP3 players and other audio visual equipment might have been more appropriate.