Hey Sony, where's the 1.86GHz VAIO P for America?

We already asked this question with "1.6GHz" in place of "1.86GHz," but seriously Sony, is there some sort of weird embargo on high-speed chips to America that we aren't aware of? While we Yanks have exactly one CPU option for the newly released VAIO P (that'd be the 1.3GHz Atom), those in Japan can order up the VGN-P90S with a 1.86GHz Atom Z540 processor. Of course, it's a ¥15,800 ($174) option over the baseline Z520, but an option nonetheless.

[Thanks, Erica]

Read - Sony's VGN-P90S page
Read - Order page

[FLaSHBaCK @ Jan 29th 2009 6:15PM]

Now with that on it, i might consider buying it.

[AK66 @ Jan 29th 2009 6:18PM]

I second that. I don't believe sony has treated america very nicely throughout this whole thing. Basically, They think "Hey, lets see how many low-end systems we can ship out before they realize that they run like crap?" Then, they release the new systems with better processors so we get screwed out of the money. Sony, as well as other manufacturers are always gonna be one step ahead of us.

[Ris @ Jan 29th 2009 6:47PM]

There are a few sites offering this model for the states already as far as I know

[AK66 @ Jan 29th 2009 6:58PM]

Yes, but how many of those sites can be trusted.

I like to order directly from the maker. It adds a sense of security.

[Chin-Poh (I wuv you Yu Yu Hakusho Abridged!) @ Jan 29th 2009 7:03PM]

But would you pay another $150 for this when most already call it grossly overpriced? Vaio's in Japan have options that we will never get like with the Vaio TT and Z being available in several unique lid engraving designs and colors.

[AK66 @ Jan 29th 2009 7:08PM]

What you just said didn't make sense.

If most say that these are overpriced, (which they aren't,)

Then wouldn't adding custom engraving and colors make them further overpriced?

Quite a contradictory statement, my friend.

[bobartig @ Jan 29th 2009 7:18PM]

@AK66: It might be the case that the yield of 1.86 GHz parts that meet their thermal/power needs is still horrible, and Sony anticipated not being able to meet demand in the US market. In that case, its better for Sony to have smaller launch elsewhere, so you can get the products to customers and do further failure analysis with a shipping product.

It's annoying for us not to be able to get the units, but if they shipped some very small number of units, then sold out, it would be even more frustrating.

Think of it as more of a soft launch. Or, maybe that's just me, and *my* coping mechanism.

[AK66 @ Jan 29th 2009 7:21PM]

I see what you mean,

But they're mass releasing these in Japan as we speak?

[AK66 @ Jan 29th 2009 7:30PM]

Sorry I didn't read that last comment correctly.
What I meant to say was.

Isn't Tokyo the largest city in the world?

What a small market that is...

[Pegsinho @ Jan 30th 2009 4:32AM]

"Isn't Tokyo the largest city in the world?"

No it's about the 10th or 11th largest. But that's irrelevant anyway. If Microsoft or Apple or some other US company were having a 'soft launch' do you think that would involve Japan?

[Dayle @ Jan 29th 2009 6:17PM]

Awwww Americans don't get something first for a change, now you know how we Europeans feel

[unzarjones @ Jan 29th 2009 6:49PM]

Oh stop whining. Are you French?

[Ridgecity @ Jan 29th 2009 10:32PM]

It's probably their serious lack of money that's causing it...

[bartoron @ Jan 29th 2009 6:17PM]

It's in Japan, obviously.

[unzarjones @ Jan 29th 2009 6:52PM]

Crap. I replied to the wrong guy. I must be Polish.

[Smbogan @ Jan 29th 2009 9:26PM]

Or maybe it just makes you racist...

[iKurt @ Jan 29th 2009 6:17PM]

Get a Macbook Air instead, it has OSX and is the thinnest ultra portable ever. I have one and I love it.

[zomg0t @ Jan 29th 2009 6:20PM]

That's because you're an idiot.

[AK66 @ Jan 29th 2009 6:22PM]

You realize that the macbook air is only that thin because they increased screen size so that they can spread a slew of low-end parts over a distance.

Douchebag.

[Rollins @ Jan 29th 2009 6:22PM]

http://suplido.com/joel/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/vaiop-sized0028.jpg

[jollyllama @ Jan 29th 2009 6:44PM]

To be fair, you guys telling him he's an idiot for liking a different product is about as dumb as him saying that about you. Chill out, people.

[Major4Play @ Jan 29th 2009 8:32PM]

Do you write Belkin reviews at the weekend ?

[Lundmark @ Jan 30th 2009 5:25AM]

Well, the MBA might actually work for doing stuff.

[Major4Play @ Jan 29th 2009 6:17PM]

I'm sure that 260Mhz will make all the difference......

[AK66 @ Jan 29th 2009 6:20PM]

It does make all the difference with a computer that can barely handle vista.

One red dash for you, sir.

[Wolfticket @ Jan 29th 2009 7:16PM]

Best thing to do with computers that can barely handle Vista: Not install Vista on them.

[AK66 @ Jan 29th 2009 7:26PM]

When it runs Vista standard, where are people gonna pull the XP discs from, out of their asses?

[Major4Play @ Jan 29th 2009 8:31PM]

No actually sir a 1.8Ghz Cpu does NOT give much of a power upgrade over a 1.6Ghz.

A red minus for us both cause I'm crazy like that.

[Erb @ Jan 29th 2009 8:58PM]

Drag and drop disk contents to flash drive.

[Naruto @ Jan 30th 2009 4:01PM]

It's 560 GHZ not 260 GHZ more, so that'll make a huge difference. That's basically a 50% clock speed upgrade. Anyone's that compared the 1.3 ghz and 1.6 ghz can easily tell the difference, and that's only a 300 Ghz jump.

[sockatume @ Jan 29th 2009 6:18PM]

I'm not sure it's that much of an issue. The big thing you'd want CPU speed for on an Atom is video decode, but the GMA500 chipset that comes with the Z series does hardware HD decoding for you (if you have software to support it).

[Rollins @ Jan 29th 2009 6:21PM]

It's an issue because the 1.3GHz chip can barely handle Vista. Basic responsiveness isn't the greatest.

[loosely_coupled @ Jan 29th 2009 10:38PM]

- "The big thing you'd want CPU speed for on an Atom is video decode"

You mean besides actually being able to run the operating system and applications...

[Living Brain Donor @ Jan 29th 2009 6:21PM]

It'll show up probably in a few months. It looks like the 1.6 and 1.86 CPUs are a BTO option only, and have a lead time of about 6 weeks. I just ordered one a few days ago, and delivery is scheduled for 3/7. Probably they have component supply problems (imagine that!) and don't want to have too many yanks hollering about a two month wait for their computer.

[Fanfoot @ Jan 29th 2009 6:22PM]

Can't be bothered to care really. This thing is already too expensive by half even for the 1.3GHz option. Why would anybody buy this?

[Boards of Canada @ Jan 29th 2009 6:30PM]

Because its the ultimate form factor for mobility. Running xp or win7 on that must be very responsive.

[Barth @ Jan 29th 2009 6:42PM]

You can get them with 1.86ghz in the US just look around the net for about 3 minutes.

[bigcow05 @ Jan 29th 2009 6:45PM]

Japan generally keeps the best products for themselves, before shipping them out later. Not sure if this article is really news..

BTW am I the only one who read VGN-P90S as VGN-POS?

[Patriks7 @ Jan 29th 2009 6:56PM]

"Sony [...] is headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan" (Wikipedia)
I really wonder why Japan gets the upgrade first. It really makes no sense to me what so ever!

[AK66 @ Jan 29th 2009 7:05PM]

And I also wonder why their sales are falling, and why they are laying off jobs?

Lack of global distribution.

So many people own Sony in Japan as it is, and Sony is continuing to feed electronics that won't sell because people have no need for them.

[Robb @ Jan 29th 2009 7:04PM]

I say we keep calling it a netbook until they release the 1.86GHz version here... then keep calling it a netbook just to piss them off

[charliex @ Jan 29th 2009 7:06PM]

dynamism.com i bought my x505's there, sony have a long history of not releasing all the models outside japan.

[Jeremy Goldstone @ Jan 29th 2009 7:18PM]

Hi, I'm Jeremy Goldstone from Sony Electronics Corporate Communications. I've been reading the thread and I have an official answer for you:

"The P Series is the ideal companion PC, allowing users to take it with them anywhere and everywhere for the ultimate computing on-the-go experience. We wanted to make sure the balance between price and performance was fair and after rigorous testing the Intel 1.33Ghz processor seemed to be the ideal candidate."

[AK66 @ Jan 29th 2009 7:50PM]

And I believe Engadget had something about how poor the P runs Vista.

FAIL to you and your company.

[Nerd @ Jan 29th 2009 7:53PM]

Oh yes, you're right. We forgot to account for the difference in average temperature in the US compared to Japan, and therefore the different performance level of the VAIO between Japan and the US. Or maybe you need to hire a few mathematicians over there. There's a big supply that can see if two numbers are equal at most elementary schools in either country.

[LloydChiro @ Jan 29th 2009 7:59PM]

Are you the security guard or are you the janitor?

Get back to work before your boss sees you playing on the intertubes.

[pika2000 @ Jan 30th 2009 1:49AM]

LOL @ the comments. But yeah, this is just another sign of Sony's illogical marketing choices. Too many regional exclusives or product segmentation only confuse consumers and hurt Sony's own bottom line.

[Jamar @ Jan 30th 2009 10:03AM]

Take some JP-market high-end models, toss WIndows Vista in English onto them, and try selling a couple before you start talking about price/performance balance or what have you, hmmm? I'm tired of having to jet to Japan every time laptop upgrade time rolls around because you don't sell your full line-up in the US. Oh, and the keyboard, too- it's nice having @ on its own key, among other things.

[Bao @ Jan 29th 2009 7:26PM]

By the time I can afford one this option will probably be available so I'm happy.

: )

[peter @ Jan 29th 2009 7:55PM]

The United States is now a third world country. This explains all.