Sony's 'Quantum of Solace' VAIO laptop revealed as expensive, deadly

Someone over at Gadget Review has finally got their hot hands on the James Bond Quantum of Solace laptop -- and contrary to reports, it hasn't exploded, shot poison darts or been used to defuse a bomb... yet. Believe it or not, this machine isn't actually a piece of high-tech spy gear -- it's a garden variety Sony Z series with the usual kit: Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 128GB SSD or 320GB hard drive, 3G connectivity, 4GB RAM, 13.3-inch LED backlit LCD, fingerprint reader, Motion Eye camera and Blu-ray drive. This piece of cinematic history will be limited to 700 units, and it's expected to set you back a cool $4,000 -- but hey, check out that 007 logo! If that doesn't get you some action, nothing will. This babe / danger magnet ships at the end of October, we suggest employing Odd Job to help you nab one.

[janalleman @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:09AM]

and for that price you get a macbook keyboard! great rip-off sony!

[fh @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:15AM]

Hahaha, you're funny!

Do you write your own material?

[Muhammed @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:16AM]

try not being that ignorant, please.
it just makes me sad, people like you.

[noyp @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:21AM]

Wat you talking 'bout Willis? They've been using keyboards like this for a while.

[Mark @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:28AM]

Hahaha you poor pathetic macboi. Go look outside that bubble you live in and do some research - you'll find that keyboard style was first used on mainstream notebooks by a little company called Sony on their Vaios way back in 2003. Apple subsequently ripped off the design (as they do with every pile of poo they make) and put it on their macbooks.

[Takashi @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:43AM]

Seriously, I always thought they stole those good looking keys from the ZX Spectrum and from the garden variety european ATM machines.

[Jaster @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:12AM]

Actually I think Sinclair had the first keyboard in that vein back in the early 80's

[Rynth @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:25AM]

I wouldn't, wise be the person who buys one of these and keeps it in the box.

Give it 10 years and you'll make ten times the money you paid for it!

[Mario @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:50AM]

"Actually I think Sinclair had the first keyboard in that vein back in the early 80's"

Almost, though the Sinclair ZX Spectrum's keys were fashioned out of gummy bears, which would slowly melt as the computer reached its operating temperature of 2000 degrees centigrade.

Happy days!

[loosely_coupled @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:09PM]

That's the first thing I thought. I'm not sure who copied who, but man does it look like a macbook.

[noyp @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:09AM]

I will honestly slap anyone that buys this for $4000.

[Ayman @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:56AM]

You want to Slap JAMES BOND!!! you got balls

[OneLove @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:17AM]

First of all, james bond gets all of his equipment for free from MI6 and then sells it on ebay. Secondly, you know how many hookers I can get for $4000?

[Ryan Trevisol @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:48AM]

Thank you. The only James Bond paraphernalia worth that much is the Omega watch he wears.

[Jash Sayani @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:10AM]

Sony VAIO is always expensive !

[Muhammed @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:14AM]

Isn't that the best looking laptop out there or what?!!

[Revels @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:45AM]

Nah, that'd be the Macbook Air. Those cursor keys are a bit 'off', the clip between the trackpad buttons is unsightly and those buttons/holes above the function keys are aesthetically poop.

[TMM @ Oct 3rd 2008 5:37AM]

No, it isn't.

And where did I see that kind of keyboard before, again ... only better?

Pfff.

Sony is the Microsoft of hardware.

[tanooki2003 @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:23AM]

Sorry but if I am dropping this kind of money on a laptop then i will just buy a high-end Clevo barebones notebook PC and add my own high performance parts that can easily tear up this Sony in every aspect, including screen size and resolution, graphics, sound, the number of internal speakers..etc. All but the goofy keyboard.

it's nice but definitely not worth the price. Now maybe if it is $1300 then we'll talk.

[icepop4who @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:46AM]

but you can't buy sexiness in a clevo

[Mark @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:26AM]

Hahaha you poor pathetic macboi. Go look outside that bubble you live in and do some research - you'll find that keyboard style was first used on mainstream notebooks by a little company called Sony on their Vaios way back in 2003. Apple subsequently ripped off the design (as they do with every pile of poo they make) and put it on their macbooks.

[Jason @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:33AM]

Well this kind of "chiclete" keyboard FIRST appeared on the Mitsubishi Pedion, announced in 1997. That was a 3.1 pound 0.7" notebook...almost 12 years ago.

I'm not familiar with any "pile of poo" that Apple has ever made. But I do remember Sony Dynamic Digital Sound, Multi-Media Compact Disc, HiFD, MiniDisc, Atrac audio, Memory Stick, UMD, and Super Audio CD...

[Mark @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:32AM]

Not familiar with Apples piles of poo? How about Macbook Air, iphone, ipone 3g, 2G ipod, 2G ipod nano, Macbook Pro, iMac desk lamp edition, iMac original, PowerBook, MacPro, OSX, iTunes, Quicktime, that horrible server they came up with, Safari and Steve Jobs....

[Tonicboy @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:26AM]

Ok, this James Bond product placement madness has got to stop.

[Adderz @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:43AM]

You mean this is worse than what we went through with Shrek 3?

[pekosROB @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:45AM]

True, but since Sony made the movie, of course they will whore themselves out to promote it. Well, them and just about every other corporation. Nothing new there!

[MrShawn007 @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:38AM]

How could someone justify spending $4000 on a laptop like this? $2000 would sound about right.
With that price point I would expect all of the premium bells and whistles with a removal HD camcorder where the motion eye sits.
-I'm just dreaming i guess...

[daschupa @ Oct 2nd 2008 6:22PM]

Really? You can get a laptop with 128gb of ssd for $2,000?

[Wes @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:39AM]

Can you get one from the Nerd Herd at Buy More?

[holycow @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:37AM]

haha.. Chuck is brilliant!

[simon @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:00AM]

The 007 Vaio - approved by agents like Sarah

[TareX @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:40AM]

$4,000 what?
Go get a top-of-the-line Quad-core, dual 9800GTX SLI, with a wide-angle 17"er Sager notebook for less than that.

The money people pay to look "hip" with other people who are tech-dumb....

[tanooki2003 @ Oct 2nd 2008 12:19PM]

That is exactly the point I was trying to make in my Clevo comment

[kL @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:46AM]

MacBook keys?

[webon @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:37AM]

NO

[eiki @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:05AM]

btw, its a 13.1" screen

[andy @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:40AM]

How come I never see James Bond use Sony Notebook with his own 007 logo inscribed on them throughout the movie (Casino Royal ref)... he used regular Sony laptops while we can imitate him by buying the same laptop with his logo at a premium.

[DJ @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:43AM]

I'm assuming that Q equipped this with Sony's infamous exploding battery technology too!

[Bad Beaver @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:00AM]

So while blatantly overpriced it comes with that awesome chick-repellent screened onto the lower right. Thumbs up!

[Dave 8o] @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:08AM]

That keyboard looks like it came off a Sinclair Spectrum

[cesium @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:49AM]

Fuck that, I'm going to get the 007 logo lasered onto my cheap(er) vaio

[nxp3 @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:13AM]

Jesus cristh...4K, I'll paint my own 007 logo.

[Hellaphunt @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:17AM]

You shuold buy one... or two. Tell us how you feel afterwards.

[Hellaphunt @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:20AM]

Does it come with TS files?

[Big Bad Bun-gee Cord @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:44AM]

Oh really a fingerprint reader? Well i'll be damned. I just bought 700 of them. It cost me 2.8 million plus shipping and handling. I am going to resell them all on ebay for 900 dollars each, since thats all these pieces modern consumer whore marketing s**t are worth.

[webon @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:40AM]

that dont sound no good a business deal dude

[ted @ Oct 2nd 2008 12:40PM]

expensive, yes, high performance, yes. It has bluray read-write drive, 128gb SOLID STATE drive (if you chose the 320 GB HDD drive, price comes down by about $1k), 1600x900 resolution screen with 100% color saturation, LED backlight, anti-reflective coating (and is actually suitable for outdoor use as well), all carbon-fiber chassis, DDR3 RAM (better and faster than anything before it), etc etc etc.

worth 4k, perhaps not. at 3.4lbs and very fast, perhaps to some.

my point is this...it is NOT a sub-par laptop for its size and profile...in fact it is quite powerfull given those specifications. it is a fairly standard run of the mill VGN-Z590 computer. slightly less powerfull versions come in production Z540 (3gm ram, 1366x768 resolution, 320 GB HDD, 2.4 ghz) or Z570 (same but 2.53 ghz) versions. Customizable as well. I have the Z540, have for about a month, and could not be happier with it.

[vishaaall @ Oct 3rd 2008 2:18AM]

you sound quite happy and rich, i agree with all your points.

[霽月瀛台 @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:17PM]

Are we back to the old time?
Costy laptop.

[Mark @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:25AM]

It looks like my Sony X505 especially the keyboard
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djxLKQQEf34