Peter Griffin: Robotic dog led Sony astray

I won't mourn Aibo, Sony's US$2000 (NZ$2900) robotic dog which attracted far more attention than it deserved and has now been put quietly to sleep.

How many hundreds of millions of yen went into the development of Aibo, which by the time of its last incarnation could ask to be fed in 15 languages, stand on one paw and give you a dog's-eye view through the video camera built into its head?

It was supposed to represent a cutting-edge electronics maker. To me, it represented what was wrong with Sony - its fascination with product lines that weren't going anywhere.

Aibo belongs to one of 15 such product categories Sony is scaling back or ditching, including its Qualia high-end TV and hi-fi products. At tech fairs, I always wanted to see Sony's new flat-screen TVs, the PS3 video games console and the Vaio computers. Instead, Sony's marketeers would roll out Aibo to cock his leg and bark.

But the move to kill the robotic dog represents something fundamental happening at Sony under its Welsh boss, Sir Howard Stringer.

The company is shaking off the fug of the past few years, during which it missed the boat on the move to flat-screen TVs, let Apple steal its crown in the music player market and completely misread the market for internet music downloads.

There seems to be renewed focus within the company, which has axed thousands of staff to compete with its Korean rivals. The figures for the last quarter, a 17.5 per cent increase in profit and a 10 per cent rise in sales, signal the start of Sony's turnaround.

After letting LG and Samsung steal market share hand-over-fist for LCD TV screens, Sony's Bravia LCDs are gaining in the US, coming out on top in terms of market share over Christmas.

Its PSP handheld gaming device, which was my favourite gadget to debut last year, is flying out the factory door at a good pace. The success of the PSP led to sales for Sony's gaming division jumping 48 per cent in the last quarter.

There are a few things ahead which could put Sony back at the top of the consumer electronics market. With the PS3, complete with its new Cell processor and Blu Ray high-definition drive, there's the opportunity to win control of the living room with an entertainment all-rounder.

Sony's move outof plasma TV manufacturing could also prove pivotal. Its major Japanese rival Panasonic is betting the farm on plasma leading the way in the flat-screen TV market. The battle for the minds of consumers over which technology is better, LCD or plasma, will be fierce.

Yes, the dog is dead, but Sony is on the comeback. It took only a handful of successes, the Walkman and PlayStation among them, to make Sony the force in electronics it became.

It may only take a few more to see it regain the innovative and commercial lead.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY