They
might not like it, but Sony looks ripe to enter the netbook market in the US. Unveiled today is the backside of this tiny "notebook PC" as described by the FCC under the model numbers PCG-1P1L and PCG-1P2L (PCG synonymous with Sony's VAIO laptop brand). We see tests for Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and both EVDO and HSPA data courtesy of
Qualcomm's Gobi chipset. What's more, with the FCC providing the exact measurement of that label (128-mm wide), we can eyeball dimensions at just over 9.5 x 4.5-inches making this netbook even smaller than the 10.3 x 6.56-inch
HP mini 1000. What impact that has on the QWERTY and trackpad (if there is one) remains to be seen. Now please Sony, just announce, we were just about to pull the trigger when you spoiled our netbook purchasing party.
P.S. It runs Windows according to the label's mention of the "Windows logo."
posted December 1st 2008 8:28AM
do you think they will re-launch the VAIO UX ? it was a pretty cool "netbook" or whatever it is called !
http://showcase.vaio.eu/showcase/en/ux/consumer/main.html
I miss my 2001 3-pound Vaio ZR-something, running off a 400 MHz PII.. Those were netbooks before the time, except for the price tag (and the weird metallic lilac casing, oh well.. I guess it was stylish..?)
The Z505, still thin by today's standards.
Z505, that's the one; thanks for the correct info, sir!
What are the vertical dimensions of the standard 9" and 10" netbook LCD panels? I'm just curious if they can actually fit one in this small of a chassis. If they can, the keyboard doesn't suck and it has a pointing stick I'm in.
I guess the Windows statement negates any hope that they are using an ARM processor. This sort of form factor with 20 hour battery life would be perfect....
I used the Pythagorean Theorem and 1024x600 resolution with square pixels:
9" panel is 4.5" tall
10" panel is 5" tall
Pure theory but it should be close.
I like the 'Personal Conputer' part best, at least they're being forthright.
Might be a semi-English-literate Japanese person... they call those weird big boxy things "konpyuta"s because when n comes before p in Japanese, it becomes m.
Don't ask me why LOL.
In japanese, there are very few single consonants. In fact the only one is ん which can be read as either 'n' or 'm.' If you go by current transliteration practices, then everyone's favorite tempura is actually tenpura.
Several things point to this being an updated picturebook, the form factor obviously, the vent placement, and the mouse buttons. On my old picturebook, the left, middle and right mouse buttons were cylindrical, and kind of hung off the front, so you could push them from any direction. It appears that there is something sticking out just left of center in this picture that could be a mouse button.
My guess is that this has a large keyboard that takes up most of the chassis, and a track point erasure type mouse. Sony has never shied away from unusual screen configurations in the past, but this form factor suggests an even wider screen than the old picturebooks. Perhaps it is a standard widescreen with speakers on each side like the original eee pc? Or perhaps with typical sony disregard for pricing, this will have some insane 2:1 ration screen, and be the first over-$1000 netbook?
I just noticed that the original picturebook had a 2.13:1 screen ratio, that would fit perfectly in this chassis.
I currently have 2 of the old Picturebook series and I have always been waiting for Sony to refresh that line with C2D processors, more RAM, and a higher resolution screen... and it's FINALLY coming!
I would estimate that this 9" laptop will be 1280 x 640 with a ULV 1.3ghz C2D with 1GB RAM. Probably with a 64GB SSD totaling around $2000, and there will not be a touchpad, just that nipple thing.
"nipple thing"
LOL!
I'm willing to bet that they're going to try to pull off a wide-touchscreen ala HP Jornada or LG Phenom. I think that would be bad ass. Doubt it will be multitouch, but still.
I
well, celebrate everyone, for this is the first ever netbook with HSPA and, not or, EVDO
right, thats soooooo believable
Damn, that's disappointing. I thought it would house a 8.9" LCD again. That looks like a 7" screen with media controls + speakers on the sides. Come on Sony! Maximize viewing real estate!
that thing looks much wider than a picturebook. really wide. must not have a trackpad. i'd still hit it though
That's totally a fake picture.
Do me a favor and vote this up if you agree (so I know I am not the only one out there)...BUT..wouldn't a PERFECT netbook be similar in size and shape to a Sony TX series (11" wide screen) with a built in DVD-R and a convertible tablet touch screen? Why are all the netbooks only 7-9inches, and for that matter, why do the convertible tablets go from like a fiji p1610 8 inch screen with no built in dvd and then jump to a 12'1 inch like the HPs?
I think that the perfect size and shape would be the 11" 3lb sony tx with a convertible tablet screen. With the same relatively powerful specs. Am I alone on this??
i've been using sony [fill-in-what-you-consider-to-be-appropriate]books and desktop all-in-ones for about 12 years now. all of them were "made in japan", and some of them were even meant for the japanese market only. and all of them have really been both highest quality and high-tech! but i'd agree with some dudes stating above those sony 'books are overpriced. -- i am now using a vaio z590 (highest spec'd -- with all the bells and whistles) which wasn't exactly a bargain to buy! :)
on the other hand, i am also using a smallish hp 2133 ssd equipped custom netbook for everyday tasks like email fetching, torrents' seeding and leeching, skype calls and stuff like that. and a netbook is just fine for these tasks. i like the screen size and resolution of hp 2133, its size and weight, but the battery's performance leaves much to be desired.
i would welcome a sony netbook -- if only its batterry would offer higher uptime for my no-hands freedom, wifi + wimax, screen resolution higher than 1024x600. but i seriously doubt sony would ask something less than 1 grand for the mentioned specs!
i wouldn't be surprised if sony would offer this new netbook in vista only flavor, with no "back to xp" downgrade option. what do you think, dudes?
unfortunatelly, not all hardware may be easily downgraded to xp. for instance, i've failed doing this trick to my vaio la-2r desktop all-in-one. :(
Interesting that the teaser shows it in an envelope. A letter sized envelope is 4" X 9 1/2", awfully close to Engadget's estimate.