Sony to Halt Clie Hand-Held Computer Production Feb 23, 2005

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Sony Corp. said it will abandon its Clie hand-held computer business in Japan because of the gadget's declining popularity.

The Tokyo-based electronics maker will stop making Clie products in July 2005, said Taichi Yamafuji Sony spokesman. The company pulled out of the overseas market in 2004.

Though Sony still leads the domestic personal digital assistant (PDA) market, it plans to withdraw as profits are expected to slide amid severe competition, Mr. Yamafuji said. PDAs have lost ground to cellular phones with advanced features.

Sony launched Clie in 2000. Sales totaled 500,000 units in 2003, down 26 percent from a year earlier, according to market researcher Gartner Inc. (AP)

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