Sony kicks out VAIO N30 laptop, sleek LA3 desktop

While details surrounding Sony's SZ series leaked long ago, the firm is now busting out two new machines in its VAIO lineup that we've yet to witness. On the laptop side, the N30 (pictured after the break) sports a carbon fiber frame, 15.4-inch WXGA display, Intel's GMA 950 graphics set, an Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 or T7400 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 120GB shock-mounted hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, 802.11b/g, a bevy of bundled software including Office 2007 and Vista Premium, an integrated webcam, fingerprint scanner, and optional HSDPA via ExpressCard. On the desktop side, the LA3 shows off its stylish good looks and packs a 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, NVIDIA's GeForce Go 7600 graphics card, a 19-inch WSXGA+ LCD, 802.11a/b/g, and Vista Premium to boot. Of course, both systems are customizable to the hilt, but the April-bound VGN-N31M/W and VGN-N31Z/W will run you €899 ($1,213) and €999 ($1,347) respectively for the basics, while the base VGC-LA3 will ring up for €1,999 ($2,696) when it lands in May.

[Via TrustedReviews]

[humpty @ May 14th 2007 10:17PM]

Bring on the macbook pos comparisons...

[kingofwale @ May 14th 2007 10:24PM]

whether you hate or love Sony, you have to give it to them, they got good style.

[Benz145 @ May 14th 2007 10:45PM]

Engadget, PLEASE go to Sony and prod them for info on their latest UX UMPC. I'm going to die if they don't release information on it soon. I mean come on, can't someone leak us some info!!!

[William McGough @ May 14th 2007 10:56PM]

These models are already out in the U.S., and in Japan, the Type L even has a Blu-Ray burner.
This is just the time-lagged French release, without even an update in features. The processors aren't even the new "Santa Rosa" models - they are still the Merom processors which came out August 2006.

There is hope however - the Sony line is due for an update. All of the models on SonyStyle Japan are on sale, and we are seeing a new VAIO laptop pop up on one of sony's numerous international websites every couple of days.

Expect to see their laptops all updated to "Santa Rosa" with some redesign on a few series, notably the TZ and the FZ (Replacing the TX and the FE) all with the NVidia GeForce 8400M. It is likely the Type L (The all in one desktop pictured above) will receive the same update. The UX might now receive such an update yet as it still runs on a Core solo, and it might take some time to adapt its miniature custom motherboard to accept the new processors).
It is also likely that the VAIO Type R Master will receive GeForce 8600GT/GTS card options seeing as the cards fit so well into the Sony blu-ray strategy buy completely offloading all HD Video decoding from the CPU.

Sony's summer release/updates usually ends up being May 27 with updated models shipping immediately, and newer models shipping around June 6th.

Sony typically updates its models (at least in Japan, then later in the U.S. and other countries) in January, May, and September.

[William McGough @ May 14th 2007 10:59PM]

The VAIO Type N is actually more analagous to the MacBook as it starts at $999.99 U.S. and has integrated graphics. The only difference is that it is a 15", but Sony also offers a 13.3 (Type C) VAIO which (although it does not look as much like a macbook), starts at the same $999.99 and is almost exactly the same size.

[Andrew H. @ May 14th 2007 11:22PM]

wut a waste.. such a nice looking desktop and only gma 950 to play around with.

[Andrew H. @ May 14th 2007 11:23PM]

*oops i meant laptop

[michael @ May 15th 2007 12:08AM]

At any macboy comparisons: You still have to admit, while some of Sony's stuff ain't so great, their Vaio computers are hot. Great design, great look, nice set-up, and I barely have any problems on them. Carrying a macbook around these days doesn't turn up any heads when you walk by a coffee shop. But when I walk by with my Vaio, man do I get looks of "I want that!" It just feels so great to have a Vaio. The N30 here looks sweet. Too bad like most other Vaios, great quality comes at a great price.

And please, I'm no Sony fanboy. I'm more of a Vaio fanboy/Xbox360 fanboy/Samsung TV's fanboys, and whatever. I just happen to like great products, regardless of what company makes what.

[ray @ May 15th 2007 10:44AM]

I start buying Apple laptops for personal use 5 years back, precisely because of these reasons. I have to agree, short of being stuck with Windows the VAOIs are equally as good as the equivalent Mac in terms of industrial design, style, performance, etc.

[pandora @ May 15th 2007 12:25AM]

All that Glitters isn't Gold. It's really silly now every one compare any stylish sony vaio to a mac book pro coz they both look stunningly beautiful. Mac fan boys need to relax a bit. When Windows Vista came out they were screaming there lungs out saying it's a Mac OSX rip off. And then ever since Vaio releases a notebook, they automatically assume it's just Macbook rip off. There's more to life than Apple. Deal with it, Apple doesn't have the patent for the simplicity.

[Keith Russell @ May 15th 2007 12:25AM]

What the hell is WSXGA+?

Please stop enabling these consumer-hostile acronyms and tell us the exact screen resolution, please?

[myscrnnm @ May 15th 2007 1:39AM]

"What the hell is WSXGA+?

Please stop enabling these consumer-hostile acronyms and tell us the exact screen resolution, please?"

Please stop being a luddite, please?

[Robby D @ May 15th 2007 6:00PM]

@Keith: WS = WideScreen; XGA=X-Brite Screen (the kind that don't fade as much on horizontal angle change); +=probably a newer version (as compared to what is on my now 1-year-old VGN-S460, WSXGA)

I don't think the DPI is related to that tech-spec.

[Woolly Mittens @ May 15th 2007 12:48AM]

What the heck? They just decided "Santa Rosa" wasn't for them with these overpriced and underpowered offerings?

[nikster @ May 15th 2007 2:35AM]

Wooly - this may just be another piece of old news? Seems weird Sony would come out with a non-santa rosa based machine just now. That and I have seen this exact enclosure in the local mall...(the laptop).

[myalterego @ May 15th 2007 7:24AM]

by all means I agree with you, but was it entirely necessary to ask "please" twice?

[Daniel Le Clere @ May 29th 2007 11:02AM]

Are you aware of the definition of Luddite? your comment would indicate otherwise.

[nikster @ May 15th 2007 2:31AM]

the vaio N series is old, and this exact enclosure has been around in the mall for a while. it's the low end Sony, cheap, and looks like a MacBook that's been to McDonald's too many times. The bigger, fatter, thrashier brother of the MacBook.

The smaller 13" Vaios are much slicker - they actually do look good in person. This one - nah.

I don't think anything can compete with the black MacBook in the looks dept. at the moment. OF course you won't be alone since MacBooks reportedly took 10% share of the notebook market last month. Seeing that they only come in two colors, you'll see a lot of them in the cafes. Brilliant design - yes. Exclusivity - ever less so. I for one don't really care about exclusivity very much...

[mark allen @ May 15th 2007 4:48AM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WSXGA+

[Carlos @ May 15th 2007 5:32AM]

??? This is not news in the US, they are in all the stores since before Xmas, I've personally have 2 N Series notebooks, Even the Sony Style site has this for over 6 months already, C'mon guys

[myscrnnm @ May 15th 2007 11:40PM]

"by all means I agree with you, but was it entirely necessary to ask "please" twice?"

Kind of. I had to do it for parallelism, since my post was a parody of the one I quoted, and the author of the quoted post used 'please' twice.

[Ignacio @ May 15th 2007 8:33AM]

If that laptop ran OS X (as in 'officially', not OSx86), it would definitely be a hard choice for me. Good price, extremely clean lines, simple keyboard layout... beautiful! (I'm typing this on a ThinkPad, and many people would claim it has the nicest keyboard for a laptop, but the annoying back/undo forward/redo keys right next to the arrow keys drive me crazy!)

[Johnny @ May 15th 2007 11:44AM]

Come one.. Clearly the desktop model is a rip off of the 20th anniversary mac combined with the iMac!

Actually, I really don't see that much comparison to any Apple products other than it is a nice looking computer / notebook.

[Tamerlane @ May 15th 2007 2:04PM]

Well, as a MacBook owner, I'd have to say it looks pretty sweet. In fact, hardware-wise, Sony is the only laptop maker to be able to compete with Apple, also because they have more models and a faster refresh rate. But, as a Mac user, I will never go back to Windows which kinda kills the deal for me.

[Joseph @ May 15th 2007 5:20PM]

The N30 looks very similar to my N250E-W...

[irvinsu @ May 31st 2007 1:47AM]

"Are you aware of the definition of Luddite? your comment would indicate otherwise."

Luddite (noun) - one who is opposed to especially technological change

Are you unfamiliar with the English language?

[Daniel Le Clere @ Jun 2nd 2007 7:51AM]

Well really... it was a movement in the early industrialisation of Europe that opposed further mechanisation of the production process for fear of eliminating jobs. However, I'll accept your laymen's definition.

Are you saying that the person in question opposed technological change simply because he disliked technical discourse surrounding technology? Glib he might be, but he is certainly no Luddite.

I really do dislike people using words they don't actually understand.