Sony VAIO FW, SR laptops get unofficially detailed

As if it wasn't already clear enough that Sony had a bundle of new VAIO laptops in the pipeline, this latest leak of some seemingly official German spec sheets should clear up most of the remaining mystery, with them breaking each of 'em down to the very last detail. That includes details on two different 13.3-inch VAIO SR models, the VGN-SR19XN and the VAIO VGN-SR19VN, the former of which boasts the usual integrated graphics, while the latter bumps things up to a Radeon HD3470, along with a boost to a full 4GB of RAM and a 200GB, 7,200 rpm hard drive -- both pack a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 processor. On the decidedly larger end of the scale is the 16.4-inch VAIO FW, which looks to be available in a whole host of configurations, with options including ATI 3650 or 3470 graphics, a Blu-ray drive, and the same Core 2 Duo P8400 processor used in the SR. Of course, none of this is quite set in stone until we get the official word straight from Sony, but we wouldn't bank on any surprises with these.

[Flashpoint @ Jul 7th 2008 6:06PM]

Sony should be leading the SSD development effort.

Its in their best interest since they have so many devices on the market that would benefit and usually, I've come to see SONY as the pioneer in laptop technology in terms of ultra thin/mobility.

[Endeavour @ Jul 7th 2008 6:19PM]

VAIO SR is now a "cheap" model, the high-end version will be the new VAIO Z (13.1" 16:9)

[Flashpoint @ Jul 7th 2008 8:10PM]

BOB


When I was in China in 2002 and saw this:

http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/SonyDVDDiscman.jpg

for around $1000

I knew right away, SONY would be at the forefront of technology for a long time, bringing top quality products, but completely in a price bracket that seemed damn near elitist.

[OneLove @ Jul 8th 2008 12:09PM]

sony vaio X, Y, Z laptops are as tired as EEE pcs.

[totesen @ Jul 8th 2008 9:50PM]

Sony has the SSD disc on its ultraportable line not on the regular one. the TZ was one of the first to have them.

The SR is looking great!, not so sure about the other one

[Pengadget @ Jul 7th 2008 6:30PM]

sony isnt leading anything exept its tied for high prices with apple.

the sad thing is sony sales will always fall because no matter what they make it is one of the most expensive on the market. Like their ps3 very expensive, tvs extremely expensive and everything else.

[efua @ Jul 7th 2008 6:33PM]

yup! they make the nicest stuff but their prices drive customers away. with that said, i am def getting a fw.. i have been waiting for this update forever. my fs745p/h has served me well, almost 3 years, and no problem.

[zargon @ Jul 7th 2008 6:47PM]

I don't agree with Sony making the nicest stuff, they really only have their TVs, that are some of the best. But everything else, something as good, if not better can be found for the same or less.

I haven't consider Sony receivers or DVD players in years and now the same goes with their Blu-ray players. I have never been a fan of their computers, more money for just "style."

[Flashpoint @ Jul 7th 2008 7:01PM]

SONY charges a fair price for what they give you. Which is more than I can say for APPLE.

SONY puts out cutting edge stuff before anyone else and they have made the thinnest, smallest most attractive laptops I've ever seen - completely unmatched by most other companies.

This stuff sells very well in Japan and the business world.

[PCIV @ Jul 7th 2008 7:13PM]

what's sony's answer to MBA? thinnest, didn't you say?

I'm both a apple and sony fanboy, but I'm not one to support Sony's computers over apple's.

[Bob @ Jul 7th 2008 7:34PM]

PCIV, Sony's answer to the MBA is the X505. Only thing is Sony's answer to the MBA came 5 years BEFORE the MBA. I guess you could say the MBA was a 5 year late answer to Sony's X505.

In Sony's current lineup their SZ is more functional (read: multiple USB ports, video outs, optical burner, etc) and only slightly thicker than the MBA. The SZ also came out before the MBA - I'm seeing a pattern here.

With Sony's new lineup it sounds like the SR and Z will blow away the MBA, again. They may be a couple centimeters thicker but they will pack a lot more into the shell than the restrictive MBA package.

[Flashpoint @ Jul 7th 2008 8:01PM]

BOB

I gave you a thumbs up for your answer.

SONY has had full fledged mini Laptops running desktop functions years ago...back in the 90's. thinner, smaller and more efficient than MBA.

I lived in Japan once. The stuff I've seen SONY turn out is incredible. I remember when I was in Shanghai China in 2002 and saw a $1000 SONY Discman that played DVD's and had an LCD screen attached to a wire that fit in the palm of your hand. I was like..Oh Shit.

[benjasmine @ Jul 8th 2008 2:34AM]

sony has amazing design and engineering teams...but i guess they need to improve their customer service a bit...their customer service doesn't seem to be on the same level as their design and engineering teams...

sony SZ is awesome...portability, performance and style...SZ has them all...
carbon fiber casing, hybrid graphic system (dedicated + integrated graphic cards), 4 pounds, decent battery life, beautiful LED display, etc...

on the other hand, macbook also has a 13.3" screen, but it's 5 pound plus, and it doesn't have a dedicated graphic card...

and sony TZ is actually lighter than a MBA which doesn't have a built-in optical drive...if you need to carry an external optical drive with a MBA (and a USB hub, too, maybe?), then portability gets killed by the accessories...

i think either SR or Z will be my next laptop...

[Metkis @ Jul 8th 2008 7:24AM]

*Claps to bob*

I have altered your comment's rating, pray I do not alter it further. :P

[Aguiluz @ Jul 7th 2008 6:36PM]

"Latops" eh?

[Aguiluz @ Jul 7th 2008 6:39PM]

http://i25.tinypic.com/9qchlh.jpg

Anyway, back on topic:

How much do they cost? I'm guessing shocking numbers.

[Joe @ Jul 7th 2008 6:44PM]

Can someone confirm this:
Sony SR is a low end 13.3"?
Sony Z is a high end 13.3"?
Sony SZ will be replaced by the Sony Z?

If I have this wrong, where do the Sony SZ, SR and Z fit in?

[J @ Jul 7th 2008 6:49PM]

Double post, please delete

[GatgetMan @ Jul 7th 2008 8:49PM]

@J

Thank you for pointing that out!

Would you mind letting us all know how to go about "deleting" our double posts? We're all dying to hear!

[Bob @ Jul 7th 2008 6:45PM]

Can someone confirm this:
Sony SR is a low end 13.3"?
Sony Z is a high end 13.3"?
Sony SZ will be replaced by the Sony Z?

If I have this wrong, where do the Sony SZ, SR and Z fit in?

[GadgetBuoy @ Jul 9th 2008 3:22PM]

Sony SR is a low end 13.3"? YES with LED display, P8400, bluetooth
Sony Z is a high end 13.1" replacing the SZ? YES, with WWAN/EV-DO, HDMI, ATI graphics, Bluetooth, LED display

[inside the machine @ Jul 8th 2008 2:22AM]

oops... the Z features P8600 and NVIDIA graphics not ATI

[J @ Jul 7th 2008 6:47PM]

Double post, please delete

[GatgetMan @ Jul 7th 2008 8:50PM]

Wait a second! Didn't you just double post the posting pointing out the doubly posted post?

[jonathan @ Jul 7th 2008 6:57PM]

Nice to see they are using ATI cards at least..should be decent performance for HD and mid-range gaming.

[Khattab @ Jul 7th 2008 7:08PM]

A lot of stuff comming out of Germany these days. Glad to see this happening (as a german resident).

[Skazer @ Jul 7th 2008 7:14PM]

Really Zargon. Find me a DSLR that offers the same # of features as the Sony A200 for the same price. Their MP3 players offer some of the best sound quality along with style/good UI for a decent price. And yes, even "just" style is important for a laptop. If it weren't, everyone would just buy their Dell Vostros.

[huh @ Jul 7th 2008 7:24PM]

Are Sony computers more robust these days? I had a couple of colleagues who had them, they basically disintegrated within two years; parts falling off, breaking, you name it. These were high end Sony models used by frequent travellers. They have Macs now that seem to be lasting better.

[tanjim @ Jul 7th 2008 8:12PM]

Well I've had an RS-322 series desktop as my primary computer for the last 6 or 7 years. The only things I've done to it snce I bought it were the usual software upgrades (Office Pro, Vista, etc), deletion of the crapware that it came with (though whether it is crapware is subjective, I deleted programs like Sonicstage), and I upgraded the memory from teh stock 512MB to 2GB. Sooo, for me at least, it's an incredibly robust computer, and still pretty dang fast enough for me. I'm not a gamer, so the 2.8GHz Pentium 4 Hyperthreading it came with is smooth, quiet, etc. So ya, to answer your question, they build 'em good.

[Luis Neng @ Jul 7th 2008 7:39PM]

Before Apple releases in 2008 the Macbook Air, claiming that's the world thinnest notebook (0.76 inch), Sony in 2004 released the VAIO X505 (0.6 inch).

http://www.engadget.com/2004/06/09/review-of-sonys-superslim-x505-laptop/

[Luis Neng @ Jul 7th 2008 7:40PM]

Before Apple releases in 2008 the Macbook Air, claiming that's the world thinnest notebook (0.76 inch), Sony in 2004 released the VAIO X505 (0.6 inch).

http://www.engadget.com/2004/06/09/review-of-sonys-superslim-x505-laptop/

[Flashpoint @ Jul 7th 2008 8:12PM]

I still have this: http://www.golem.de/0210/22277-sony_dvd_discman.jpg

One of my favorite SONY gadgets of all time.

A Cd player that can be hooked to a PC to play CD's and can also use Memory sticks for MP3 playback.

[Endeavour @ Jul 7th 2008 8:23PM]

BTW, looks like they will be officially presented in the VAIO 10th Anniversary event in Berlin:
http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/gb/en/vaio10/

[Simon @ Jul 7th 2008 10:52PM]

We need innovative companies like Sony. Sure, they charge more for their products, but in return, Sony spend the money to push forward consumer product design that we might enjoy, we may like some end products while hating others, but at least they are providing us something different to choose from.

[Ace b @ Jul 7th 2008 10:02PM]

I agree...But I think they could have skipped on the Rolly idea....


Of course if they made it more advanced.....

[THJ @ Jul 7th 2008 11:12PM]

Ahh, Sony. Such wonderful hardware, such god-awful bloatware. It takes me 3x as long to clean and prep any Sony laptop vs the HP laptops (6510 and 2510) at work.

If they could clean up their product line (Do you have the VGN-919 or the TGN-919?) to a few models and ship laptops free of anything but the OS as the default - They would be the Apple of the Windows world.

[simon @ Jul 8th 2008 1:33AM]

From the comments in this thread it seems that there a more than a few people who think that Sony's got its groove back. Now if they can just clean up their Vaio proprietary apps to make them worthwhile and work TOTALLY smoothly with other Sony products.

[Nippon @ Jul 9th 2008 3:21AM]

I am a resident of Japan and have been excited about this upcoming line of Sony computers... but there has been absolutely no news or advertisements or ANYTHING about these so far over here, and the people at electronic stores refuse to even admit that a new series is coming out. Apparently the announcement is going to be on July 15th for the FW and SR, right? But the Z isn't going to be until August or so apparently??

Also, I am looking at getting a new computer because mine totally blows right now, but I cannot afford a new laptop & desktop, so it will be one or the either... anyone think that the Z will be able to handle Blizzard's anticipated new releases (Starcraft 2 / Diablo 3) if its stats are anything like the FW and SR?

[aznhandles @ Jul 10th 2008 4:11PM]

To Nippon:

I'm going to Japan in about a week. Are they selling VAIO's in English in general along with the manuals? if they do. Do you know where a shop sell English Vaio's in Tokyo? I'm very interested in the FW series. They have only announced the models for the european & US versions if I recall.

[gozer @ Jul 12th 2008 1:37PM]

it's a shame it's so hard to install a clean windows system on sony's stuff.