Sony Shows Off New Hand-Held PC : Technology: CD-ROM discs allow tiny machine to play electronic books and other ‘multimedia’ programs.

Sony Corp. on Tuesday demonstrated its long-awaited hand-held computer disc player, known in the industry as the “bookman,” and said it would begin selling the product later this year.

The 2-pound, 7-inch-wide machine uses the same basic software--and much of the same hardware--as an IBM compatible personal computer. But the unit is designed to play special compact discs known as CD-ROMs, which can store vast amounts of text, graphics and pictorial information.

The machine will also play audio CDs and will cost slightly less than $1,000.

The Sony machine, which was introduced at a conference on CD-ROM and multimedia computing here, could play an important role in the development of a new breed of interactive “electronic books,” educational software, video games and other programs that are often subsumed under the heading of “multimedia.”

Microsoft Corp. said it would support the Sony machine with software that will make it easy for publishers and other software companies to put their information onto the CD-ROM discs.

Microsoft’s involvement and Sony’s use of a version of CD-ROM known as CD-ROM XA means that discs developed for the Sony player will also work on most personal computers equipped for CD-ROM--an important step in establishing much-needed technical standards for multimedia.

Although industry experts have long expected CD-ROM to play an important role in expanding the PC universe, PC users have been slow to buy CD-ROM players, and software developers have been slow to develop titles--in part because of the absence of standards.

Compton’s New Media, a Solana Beach-based subsidiary of Encyclopedia Britannica, will play a key role in developing programs for the Sony player and other CD-ROM machines. The company on Tuesday announced a preliminary marketing and development agreement with Sony along with a series of new titles--including a line of reference books from Merriam-Webster, the Billboard History of Rock ‘n Roll on CD-ROM, and The World at its Best Travel Series.

Sony’s new player will in some respects compete against another Sony product--a smaller, cheaper device known as the Data Discman, which plays special, miniature discs and does not offer PC or graphics capabilities.

Takahashi Sugiyama, manager for multimedia products at Sony, said Data Discman--the province of Sony’s personal audio products group--would be aimed at traditional consumer markets, while the new player, produced by the personal computer group, would target professionals.

The Data Discman has not been well received by industry analysts and retailers, and many had looked forward to a more sophisticated hand-held product, such as the player rolled out Tuesday. But Sony officials said they would continue to push Data Discman, and that they would introduce improved versions of the product later this year.