What's up with companies
suddenly not wanting to call their netbooks, um, netbooks? Sony's Mike Abary sat down with
LaptopMag in order to discuss the
VAIO P, and as
always, the company didn't hesitate to shoot off a few more-than-controversial tidbits. For starters, Mr. Abary insinuated that the 8-inch machine wasn't actually a good fit for the
netbook category, noting that "the type of premium customer it is targeting probably doesn't even know what a netbook is." Furthermore, he reckoned that around 60% of prospective VAIO P buyers would be women, and it doesn't view 12-inch laptops as a threat. If you're hungry for even more one-liners that you can jump all over, head on down to the read link -- just remember, yelling at your LCD doesn't do anyone any good.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Aaron @ Jan 8th 2009 5:45PM
Maybe they're trying to compensate for something...
CT A @ Jan 8th 2009 7:27PM
They never said it was a netbook, but an ultra portable which is a different category. I don't know why Engadget is saying it's a netbook and not an ultra portable.
paul @ Jan 8th 2009 5:46PM
lol @ sony. rofl @ sony.
they need to go bankrupt so they can come down from that imaginary cloud nine.
sid @ Jan 8th 2009 7:39PM
no...
sony's not the one that needs to go bankrupt..
it's apple..
apple is much worse than sony...
they make the shittiest, underspec'd, overpriced products ever
so u see... sony just made a stupid statement...
though their product is quite good..
apple on the other hand.. deserves to die
Dave @ Jan 8th 2009 5:46PM
"...the type of premium customer it is targeting probably doesn't even know what a netbook is."
Well, I guess that means people who read this blog are out. I hope they have some way to reach their target consumer. I guess they can try running ads in O magazine or something.
Dave Chappelle @ Jan 8th 2009 7:49PM
Better yet you get this thing on Ellen Degeneres and you will get a whole bunch of lonely housewifes with IQ's lower than 6.5 buying this thing the next day and yelling for absolutely no reason whilst doing it. Maybe Oprah will give some of these away i mean it is a one of a kind device its pretty small and top of its range.
Hey Ya @ Jan 8th 2009 5:48PM
Can you say, "out of touch"?
cduran01 @ Jan 8th 2009 5:55PM
I kinda agree with them.....netbooks tend to be cheaply made with no real styling going into them.
Whatever they wanna call it, Im still getting one, and yes I know what a netbook is and no Im not a woman.
GoonieGooGoo @ Jan 9th 2009 9:23AM
I don't know if you have ever shopped for a netbook but there are definitely somes that have some style (See EEE PC 1000H, Acer Aspire One, HP Mininote, Dell)
In essence you are saying you want to spend 2-3x the price for a SONY "Ultraportable" that is :
1) slower than an EEE PC / Acer Aspire one/ MSI Wind / Etc.
2) Has a smaller screen
3) Has less battery life than the EEE PC
4) Has a smaller Hard drive
You sound brilliant......
Michael @ Jan 8th 2009 5:59PM
i knew it....i figuered they we're aiming it at women when i saw somewhere in the P's description that the keyboard was laid out so that someone with long nails could type on it...oh and all those colours.
Jonathan @ Jan 8th 2009 6:05PM
Women don't want 12 inches, they are satisfied with 8?
(what about 5 1/2?)
-Tj- @ Jan 8th 2009 6:28PM
TMI
Mr. Ford @ Jan 8th 2009 11:39PM
When you hear that size doesn't matter, know that it's just a lie made up by the white woman.
martin @ Jan 8th 2009 6:25PM
Why do companies sell themselves short like this? He could have easily said something along the lines of "We are reluctant to call this a netbook because of the high quality of our product. This premium product has the style and function that netbooks cannot touch", " Woman are also more likely to look to us than our competitors because our product is more elegant".
Basically I now they are alienating a large portion of customers by calling there product, designed for woman and something aonly a sophisticated person would like. Bahh, what can you expect from Sony.
drsilverworm @ Jan 10th 2009 12:26AM
QTF, I was thinking the exact same thing. Their PR person needs to be fired.
I want the Vaio P and am willing to pay the premium because of the wider, better keyboard, no wasted space (on bottom half), super - high resolution screen (pretty much double of any netbook on market), and vaio quality.
Planning on replacing my Vaio SZ all-purpose computer with a built-from-scratch desktop to stay at home and a Vaio P to take to class and etc sometime in the future when Windows 7 becomes available. Vaio P is not worth buying with Vista IMO, given the Windows 7 hype swirling about (20% better battery life, for example)
Mr. B @ Jan 8th 2009 6:45PM
If the specs don't suck, it's not a netbook.
LondonConsultant @ Jan 8th 2009 6:50PM
I was thinking of buying one of these, but unfortunately I know what a netbook is and so I'll wait for the man's version instead...
SimonRichards @ Jan 8th 2009 6:52PM
Netbook specs, its a netbook!
When you bring the dual core atom into the deal then we can talk.
Dave Chappelle @ Jan 8th 2009 7:52PM
You build us a dual core atom and im sure Sony will put one in for you..... and screw Atom im pretty sure IBM/Sony/Toshiba will be releasing the Cell processor in a smaller version to compete with Atom. (it will blast Atom to shreds)
SimonRichards @ Jan 8th 2009 8:01PM
I don't need to build one, seeing as they already exist:
http://ark.intel.com/cpu.aspx?groupId=35641
Nobody seems to be using them though. I wish they would.
tristank @ Jan 8th 2009 10:50PM
The dual core atom is only for desktop environments and hence uses a lot more power than the n270. The isnt a laptop dual core atom yet, but there will probably be one soon (within the next 6 months.)
AniMill @ Jan 8th 2009 7:37PM
Deal buster - Verizon exclusive... I need a small note/netbook to take to meetings and for quick client presentations. This really had potential until I saw the Verzion only stamp and also that it doesn't even output 1920x1080 at its external video port.
So close.
thehumanyawn @ Jan 8th 2009 8:20PM
I have a CRT
loocas @ Jan 8th 2009 8:56PM
I want to marry you!
sbrown23 @ Jan 8th 2009 8:24PM
Sony irritates the shit out of me sometimes. Hey, Sony! Nice NETBOOK. Now get over yourselves.
sr @ Jan 8th 2009 8:26PM
I like the device but he's right it's slower than pretty much any other netbook in the market. So maybe it isn't even a netbook. Stupid Sony banter annoys the crap out of me and this is despite the fact I actually for once like the product.
Tuan @ Jan 8th 2009 8:44PM
Engadget, read the whole interview before u intend to screw up Sony. U forgot the very important supporting sentence "And, quite frankly, there is less emphasis on speeds and feeds and more emphasis on how this product is going to make you look and feel. That type of customer probably doesn’t even know what a netbook is."
Hmmmm...
- k E n - @ Jan 8th 2009 8:53PM
maybe it has something to do with Psion suing everybody's asses for using the word "Netbook"?
loocas @ Jan 8th 2009 8:57PM
Most likely.
Ma2T @ Jan 8th 2009 9:20PM
I was thinking the same. Either that, or the term "netbook" normally means small and cheap, where the Vaio P is not cheap (and more powerful). They would rather people knew it as a mini laptop.
Down @ Jan 8th 2009 9:23PM
From the interview:
"We are also using an instant mode ,which is a Linux application that uses our Media Bar. It boots into the system in 20 seconds."
So much for 'instant' on.
mark @ Jan 8th 2009 10:33PM
And I would want this because??? I think Sony needs to come of cloud kookoo land. The base price is £849, and that's with a 1.33 ghz Atom? So it's slower then an Aspire One, a hell of a lot more expensive. A Netbook is supposed to be a small cheap second travel companion computer. This is like a piece of jewellery for the rich. The base metal Mac Book is £929 let alone other laptops, the top spec P series is priced at £1369!!!! Sorry, for a Netbook you can't beat the Acer, for a luxury laptop I'd take the Mac Book ever time.
This isn't classed as a Netbook, yet all of it's competition are Netbook's. Maybe an ultra portable work horse is it but Sony aren't selling it as that? It can't do much else then documents and email, web. Strange.
GoonieGooGoo @ Jan 9th 2009 9:26AM
How dare you say the ACER is better than ASUS in the netbook category..........???
Try upgrading the RAM and Hard Drive of the ACER Aspire One and then on an ASUS EEE PC 1000H.........and then tell me which one is better.
Also the EEE PC1000H battery life is better too.
Boards of Canada @ Jan 9th 2009 1:44AM
Ceci n'est pas une pipe.
Nate @ Jan 9th 2009 10:39AM
They don't want to call it a netbook because Psion is getting annoyed at people using their copyrighted term. Sony also doesn't want you to think it'll be anywhere near the affordable prices of most netbooks.