In another tease, Sony promises to redefine the laptop

Let's make a list of the features we really need in a 2010-generation notebook. We'll start with solid-state storage at 500 GB. From there...You know, we might be satisfied with just that.

It's one more indication that PC manufacturers could very well be ready to implement a breakthrough that changes the nature and profile of typical laptop computers: Over the weekend, a giveaway promotion on Sony's New Zealand Web site clearly states the company plans to unveil new, and probably vastly improved, Vaio notebook computers during CES week next month.

That's all the site says, of course, but even amateur speculation could reveal what Sony and competitors like Dell are up to these days: The one feature dragging down the usefulness and practicality of so-called ultralight notebooks has been the external hard drive that dangles off the side like a ball and chain. Last March, Samsung announced its plans to ship 500 GB solid-state disks as options -- albeit premium ones -- for its notebook PCs. That plan was launched the following summer, albeit slowly; and last week, Toshiba said it would join the fray with its own half-terabyte SSD.

A half-terabyte is a very sufficient capacity for most consumers, enough that they wouldn't need a dangling conventional HDD attachment if they were ready to invest in an ultralight. Last June, Dell told BetaNews that Samsung could be one of its SSD suppliers in the future, albeit in limited capacity. Last week, Dell made waves with a teaser ad of its own for a new Adamo brand -- in fact, its waves may have been too big, accidentally revealing some critical information about it through its online catalog database.

There's really only one real breakthrough that notebook computers need; it involves several advances all at once, but it's all the same breakthrough: A solid-state disk would enable 1) drastic weight and form factor reductions; 2) power savings; and 3) significantly faster boot times. It would not enable cost savings, although one of SSD's other historic tradeoffs -- high sustained transfer rates, especially at the speed necessary for HD video -- appears to have been reconciled in recent months.

Every other possible advance in notebook computer design would be, by comparison, incremental: better displays with lower power, reduced power CPUs with respectable performance, reliable 3G connectivity. While any combination of these would make for a desirable premium notebook, their sum would not be greater than the obvious breakthrough of high-capacity, lightweight, reliable, low-power storage. If that's what Sony, Dell, and maybe others are preparing for (Samsung itself would be in an awfully good position), then the big manufacturers may truly have a viable plan to get them through what might otherwise be an awful 2009.

Citing the villain from the preview trailer for the upcoming Star Trek movie (who was equally incorrect), Sony's New Zealand site bears the title, "The Wait is Over." Of course, you have to wait until CES week to find out what that means.