Terashima: In making this VAIO SZ, we didn't just focus on features and performance. We took great pains over even the smallest details of design and quality. We were aiming to create not just a computer, a tool, but something good enough to be picked by people much as they would a luxury item. We realized that the wrong approach would be to see it simply as a successor model to the VAIO S, which was a bestseller worldwide — in other words, to assume that all we had to do was upgrade it a little. No, we deliberately set our sights high. Specifically, we aimed to improve mobile performance, and at the same time upgrade computing performance. From Design came the opinion that "Those two objectives conflict." Nevertheless, in the end we built something that effectively meets both of these contradictory aims. In that sense, you can probably say that we had quite a hard time in the design phase. — Who are your target users? Terashima: We had in mind the sort of high-end user who doesn't just look at a computer's features, but a purchaser with a discerning eye for good products who would specify this model by name. When we look at owners of this series, there are basically a lot of business people, so we've incorporated various security features. Hayashi: The key target is the 'Executive business person'. The sort of user image that we were anticipating during the development process was an executive-class business user, the sort of person who looks like they only need a computer to do their work. We wanted to create the sort of sophisticated machine that users would be happy to brag about. — Did you set yourselves specific numerical targets, or was there some sort of Holy Grail you were aiming for? Hayashi: It wasn't a numerical target, but from the VAIO S onwards we have been committed to building high-performance mobile computers. And that's why we decided that we absolutely had to use a standard CPU — not a ULV (ultra-low voltage processor) — while at the same time extending battery life, and of course keeping the dimensions and weight down for mobile use. — Please explain the design concept. Kawase: This being the successor to the VAIO S, which also earned high marks for design, we put priority on the sense of prestige — a premium product worthy of executives. First, we had to find a way to express this high quality in the design, and we had to make it fresh and innovative while still delivering the message that it was a sturdy, no-nonsense business computer. I thought this was a bit of a tall order, but for this model we already had a main theme — an aluminium palm rest — so it was relatively easy to settle on an image, a design that would make the most of this feature.