Hayashi: In launching the project, the mechanical design team voiced a desire to do something that would only be possible with domestic production. This led to discussions with the designer, and the decision was made to try using a new material, aluminium. So talks were started with the designer on the assumption that the palm rest would be made from extruded aluminium. Hanamura: Actually, even before this VAIO SZ project started, some basic feasibility studies had been done on this by the mechanical design team, and it was because they could see it was practical that they brought up the topic with the designer. — But why did you choose aluminium? Hanamura: A while back I was in charge of audio design, and we made a point of using this material for high-end audio equipment. That was why I wanted to use this durable, high-quality metal for something like the palm rest, which is always being touched. Alumite treatment for the surface of the aluminium ensures that it is tough and there are no worries about corrosion. — In other words, there are both design and practical advantages. Hanamura: Initially we did face a problem in not being able to form a thin sheet, but we decided to treat this as a challenge, and we teamed up with the vendor to conduct tests at the research level. At first the vendor said that it was impossible to form sheet of 0.7 mm, but we got him to try it anyway and somehow he succeeded. Going from there to mass production, however, was a struggle. — So you can be very particular about even things that have nothing to do with the basic performance of the computer — and that's what makes the VAIO special. Kawase: The usual method is to put thin sheet aluminium in a press, but that way you can never make the edges sharp. But you can do it with extrusion, and get clean edges like this. We also cut the metal so as to create a bevelled edge around the touch pad. To make a straight cut-out is simple, but by cutting the edges at an angle like this, we give it a feeling of metallic solidity. The R-shaped part on the front of the palm rest would be difficult to create with a press so that it could wrap underneath like this without any seam, but that too can be done with extrusion. It invests it with a sense of density. All of these things take time and money, but we had them done anyway. (laughs) Kawase: It may be impossible to tell from a distance of five metres whether this panel was made from sheet metal or extruded aluminium, but when you use a computer you are only 30 centimetres away, and there are parts that you actually touch, so the person using it can tell the difference. We wanted to make it look as if it had been carved out of an ingot of aluminium, so there was a strong feeling that we should use extruded aluminium. And there's another thing: once you have got a designer to sketch pictures of a new product, it's almost always too late to come up with any special requests. So ideas like the aluminium palm rest need to be thought out well beforehand. We wanted to be able to go to the designer and say, "This is an idea we have been kicking around for a while, and we'd really like you to incorporate it." Of course, you can't just push your own ideas, so you talk it through with the designer to ensure that you're both thinking along the same lines. When it comes to being well-prepared, I think we were able to do that with this palm rest. Kawase: If you didn't know it was 0.7mm, you would probably think it was thicker. If the metal were 0.8mm or 1mm, we could do it with a press. But I can bet you that we couldn't then get that feeling of density, even if we used thicker sheet. — Does this also mean it's stronger? Hanamura: It's pretty tough. With extrusion, the hot metal is quenched . This means that a form which has been extruded is stronger than sheet metal of the same thickness that has been formed with a press. — What was most difficult? Hanamura: Without doubt, the finishing. It was so difficult to get the hairline finish stipulated by the designer. Kawase: And it wasn't just the hairline finish. We had to ensure the alumite treatment just right, and bring out the glossy feel. Apparently the finishing was that much more difficult because we had gone with this specially extruded, ultra-thin aluminium. My first reaction was "Why can't you do it?" I hadn't thought of it as being a particularly difficult request. But then when it was explained to me, I learned that it is not an easy thing to create the hairline finish we had imagined using the sort of material that can be extruded at a thickness of just 0.7mm. Hanamura: Every day I would go to the designer with the latest sample. Just to get this one part finished to the designer's satisfaction took a long time. — What I thought was unusual this time was the use of two different LCD panels in the same series. It is interesting to see how one model evokes the prestige image while the other is more obviously a standard version, and yet they both clearly belong to the same series. How did you go about achieving this? Kawase: The LCD panel comes in two types, one of carbon and the other of magnesium. They are of different thicknesses, but since the bottom half of the computer is the same shape for both models, it was necessary for us to ensure that neither panel looked out of place when mounted. If the bottom half looked like a solid lump, the overall effect would be unbalanced, especially in the case of the carbon LCD panel, which is very thin. So what we did was to design the bottom half so that it appears to be made up of two parts. Then, when you close the lid, the appearance is that of upper and lower layers sandwiching a middle section. And the middle section is of just the right depth to balance well with either of the LCD panels. We also made use of different colours and finishing so as to accentuate the difference between the middle and lowest sections, and it is angled so that, when seen from the side, the distinctive design sweeps upwards from the palm rest to the LCD hinge. The engineers were very helpful in ensuring that we ended up with two very thin models, and I think the design concept we adopted is also effective in emphasizing just how thin they are. Also, since the bottom is cut steeply back along the underside, the computer appears even thinner when you look down at an angle. When you look straight at it, you can't tell that one LCD panel is thinner than the other, so we have used colour to differentiate the two at a glance: the magnesium alloy model has a silver palm rest, while the carbon one has a darker, gunmetallic palm rest. Despite the fact that this is a mobile notebook, it sports a key pitch of 19.05mm and keys that are of the same height and width as you would find on a desktop's keyboard. What's more, the keystroke is 3mm. I think it was exactly right to have a palm rest made from extruded aluminium and a keyboard that extends right up to the edges. You see, if there were blank "margins" to left and right of the keyboard, the juxtaposition with the aluminium palm rest would make the design look exceedingly tacky. But thanks to the fact that the keyboard stretches as far as possible, you naturally end up with this simple appearance. We have the mechanical engineers to thank for being able to fit a keyboard with a 19.05mm pitch and a 3mm stroke into a mobile notebook of these dimensions. Kawase: At first, I was anxious that it would look as if the three different parts — palm rest, keyboard, and the panel above the keyboard — had nothing in common, creating an ugly appearance. But my fears were put at rest when I saw the final product with its smart, integrated design. Hayashi: This new model, the VAIO SZ, was designed and manufactured in Nagano, where the functions of design, production and quality control are all concentrated. From the early design stages, all of the so-called blocks involved with production joined in the discussions. This meant that right from the start all aspects of the product — including quality issues, its ease of manufacturing and its appeal — were being considered together. I don't think we have been able to create such a highly finished product before. Also, this product is packed with features, so it inevitably poses several problems for manufacturing. But here too, because the production people had been in on the discussions from the start, despite the innate difficulties it posed, we were able to improve not only ease of manufacturing but also quality through the development process. Nishino: I think this is a product that has truly benefited from having everyone concentrated in the same place — from the engineers who actually make the software, and the various designers, to the evaluation team. We could immediately test something, modify it, and then test it again in rapid succession. From that point of view, I think we really made the most of having everything in Nagano. Hayashi: It has been like rearing a child with the greatest care and attention, for a whole year. So as we send it out into the world I would like to ask the users to give it just as much care and attention as we have. The VAIO SZ is truly representative of the sort of design we can achieve in Nagano, and well worthy of its "Made in Japan" label. I can recommend it with total confidence.