It debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show 2001 and was released to the public on June 14, 2001 for $499 USD after 18 months of development.
[1] With the additional $21.95 USD monthly fee, users could access the Internet, send and receive e-mail, play audio and video, and save files to Sony's Memory Stick.
Sony entered the Internet appliance market as other manufacturers were getting out, canceling their plans, and discontinuing their offerings.
In addition, many customers could not justify the purchase of an inherently limited internet appliance when other manufacturers were offering more capable personal computers for the same price.
[5] One of the major drawbacks of the eVilla was the inability to save pictures and media from internet sites.