Sony reluctantly pledges to enter netbook market, pouts
By Tim Stevens 
posted September 16th 2008 12:48PM
posted September 16th 2008 12:48PM
With Toshiba and Samsung entering the netbook fray soon, there aren't many laptop manufacturers left on the benches. Sony and Apple are the biggest holdouts, and while the House of Jobs probably thinks you should stop being cheap and just pony up for a MacBook Air already, Sony at least seems to be on the verge of adding something affordable to its line of performance ultraportables. At a recent press event, Mike Abary, Sony's Senior VP of Information Technology Products, was asked about netbooks and said: "Sony has to participate because consumers are our core competency. We have to participate." That's quite a change from his stance earlier this year, in which he called netbooks "a race to the bottom," a reluctance now being spun as "letting the pioneers in the market make the mistakes." Regardless, a mini-Vaio should make every budget-conscious Sony fan happy -- all three of you.
Now wonder their pouty about it, Sony makes high-end laptops. I'm sure they aren't terribly fond of the idea of tainting the VAIO brand with crappy hardware.
Can't speak of anyone else, but considering what you get (or what you don't get, rather), I find nearly all of these smaller under-featured 'netbooks' incredibly low value next to entry-level laptops. Of course they are smaller, but the point still stands.
That being said, if the article is any proof, it's finally dawned on the manufacturers that people *are* getting tired of the drab, boring 'business' colours of their line-ups and you know, there exists other colours/textures/designs in the world besides silver-painted plastic, charcoal grey, black and white.
Can I hear a hallelujah?
Apple will enter the netbook market in the next 12 months but it not in the way everyone thinks - it will be with an adaptation of the iphone with a wider HD screen and a foldout keyboard.
Apple should just take the old PowerBook G4 form factor, make it thinner, and put a convertible hinge and a touchscreen on it. Thus covering the netbook crowd, the people who loved the old G4, and the people who want a Mac tablet.
Though, it's hard to imagine that coming in at under $1000.
I really wish Sony doesn't produce netbooks under the Vaio name. Look at their high-class ultraportables... Netbooks shouldn't have the same brand as the TZ, Z, etc.
Also, engadget, stop it with the "im sure all the sony fan, well three of them, will be happy" kind of posts... I've seen this several times and it's just like splashing oils on the flameboys. I also shows how anti-Sony you are. Of course everyone already know that, but making it even more obvious will only make you look worse
Didn't Apple say that they're working on "product transitions" that may hurt margin? Could be that there IS a netbook sort of laptop in the works. To compete in this area, it would definitely hurt their typical margin, seeing as their cheapest laptop is just north of $1k. So a Mac netbook would have to be under $700 to "compete" in their marketplace. Maybe put their Multi-touch patents to good use, too?
Personally, if there's a tiny Mac notebook for under $700 that runs the full OSX and does Multi-touch, I would be very interested. Hopefully it would have a (user) replaceable battery.
engadget is GAY
It would make me happy as well.
I'm sure I'll buy one when they're out! :)
Sony's problem is that much like Apple, they sell higher priced products. It's fun to bash Apple for higher priced margin but Sony (for the most part) gets a pass. Of course they do not want to sell netbooks and of course they see the popularity of the new cheaply priced notebooks from Dell, Acer, etc., as a negative. They want to maintain the higher price range on these items but unlike Apple who at least uses their OS to differentiate product offerings, Sony has no real bargaining chip except the name brand they built up in the 80's.
The truth is I'd rather get another notebook with the same features and build quality at a much cheaper price. Of course, my cousin has bought $2000 Sony's even when I show him cheaper similar featured products from other companies...
Netbooks ARE a race to the bottom. Sony makes some of the finest (though overpriced) ultra-portable laptops in the industry, so it makes sense they aren't exactly super-motivated to make sucky ones.
Your netbook is adorable! I'd pet it, but I'm too busy WORKING on my ThinkPad x61!
Not surprised as Sony likes to be the trend-setter and not the follower. Get over your egos and pump those netbooks out. Preferably before xmas time so I can get one in time. ;)
Taking jabs at Sony again Engadget, nice of you to keep the Sony bashing going. I've had Vaio's for years, batteries not to good but otherwise no trouble at all. I've still got my 10 yr old 505 and besides a battery replacement it still works great. My friends have had Dells and HPs and had nothing but trouble. Never buy a cheap HP laptop they are the worst.
As far as netbooks are concerned I think Sony should stay away just because of there tendency to have a higher price. Unless they are willing to go the extra mile with the features, they will no doubt price themselves out of the market.
Yeah C1 Picturebooks ! I remember seeing it for the first time in Godzilla 2000...
Didn't catch over cuz it was too pricey... like everything Sony makes...
ok. Im willing to add $100 on top of EeePC's pricing for a netbook by Sony. I don't care if it bears VAIO brand. I just want nice design.