The name "Sony" is basically a combination of a few different words. The Latin "sonus" is the root of many English words having to do with music ("sound" and "sonic" are two good examples). Add to this the word "sunny," and the Japanese term "Sonny-Boys," which is used when talking about precociously talented children, and you get "Sony." This multi-lingual name is perfectly fitting, considering the breadth and range of Sony's influence in the sphere of modern electronics. From their origins in radios, Sony operations have grown to encompass a huge range of different industries. These can basically be divided into three loose categories: storage devices, compression technologies and video gaming platforms. Sony's influence in storage devices is now primarily felt in its almost complete dominance of the minidisk market. These tiny and contained digital discs continue to provide a clearer-sounding alternative to analog cassettes and a smaller alternative to compact discs. Sony has also innovated and led in the increasingly vital memory stick and zip drive markets. In the gaming arena, the Sony Playstation has done extremely well, spawning (a true indication of video-gaming success) a number of sequels, including the PlayStation2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable. The most recent of these, the Playstation 3, is slated for release in the United States in the fall of 2006. Though the company has been careful to keep many of its details a secret, it has already attracted a huge amount of attention, due partially to the success of its predecessors.
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