Top quality sound…from a notebook PC. Bloomberg Boot Camp, a report on today's technology. More and more consumers and companies have been buying notebook PCs to replace desktop computers. Notebooks have become more powerful…and have features like built in wireless networking. But where they often fall short…is in sound quality. Creative Labs is hoping to repeat its success in the desktop PC soundcard business…with a new card called the Audigy 2 ZS Notebook. Creative's Jared Peck….says the card can deliver top quality sound for music, DVD movies or games…

"It's a THX certified solution. You've got 24 bit quality playback. But on top of that, we've added some really cool things like virtual surround over headphones and the ability for really the first time ever, to plug a notebook in and get surround sound…and actually get up to 7.1 audio out of it."

Creative includes a dongle that plugs into the card for the 7.1 audio speaker connections. There's also an optical output. About who the company expects will buy this, Peck says…

"We really see a lot of different consumers that are going to be interested in this because the notebook audio has been so far behind. And this is such a significant jump for it. If you're listening to music on your notebook, this is going to give you really, really clear, clean audio…which is something that's just not available in a notebook now."

The only real competition comes from add-on USB audio devices. The Audigy 2 ZS Notebook sells for about 130 dollars. Bloomberg Boot Camp, I'm Fred Fishkin.