Man, that first edition
VAIO P was
not the one to buy. Just a month after we saw the thing
unveiled at CES, we've already learned that a
Gobi-equipped version is on the way. Furthermore, Corel has just proclaimed that all future VAIO Ps will ship with its own InstantON technology to alleviate slow boot times associated with running Windows Vista on an Atom CPU. As with most
alternatives, Corel's version of the software enables users to surf the web, check email, chat online and play back photos, videos and music in seconds after turning on their machine, and it sounds like Corel has crafted a customized interface specifically for this
pocket-friendly(ish) PC. If this just made your decision to run out and snag a VAIO P, you can find the Corel-equipped version now in Japan and elsewhere later this month.
[Via
GadgetMix]
Update: In order to address some understandable confusion with this release, Sony has provided the following response: "
All of the P Series shipped to date come equipped with Gobi mobile broadband technology and the instant-mode option, but certain feature deployment varies region by region. As such, the mobile broadband feature is exclusively supported by the Verizon Wireless network for all US customers."
posted Feb 18th 2009 10:23AM
isn't corel the graphic arts company? They make OS now?
Yes, Corel makes image editing software and other apps like WInDVD and WinZip. InstantON is not an operating system, simply another program that boots instantly in the foreground while Vista loads in the background.
A simple google search got me all this info. Something you could have done if you weren't more interested in being the first poster.
Way to go for being so pessimistic.
Corel still exists?
That's what I was thinking, but then I realized the my cousin, who's a lawyer, said Corel's WordPerfect is the preferred software for legal documents.
So they are still ticking around.....
But the flagship software of Corel is CorelDraw...and is still used a lot.
and don't forget Painter™
If you have the instant on thingum why would you turn on the os. I dont know how much word processing or photo editing I would do on such a small device.....
Yeah...but GPS wont work with instant-on OS. I wonder if Ubuntu has an app for GPS and turn-by-turn navigation.
This is already included in the shipping Vaio P, at least it's installed on mine. The interface is similar to that of the PS3 or PSP, but it's running an older version of Firefox.
You know, I was just going to ask about that. I remembered the Vaio P (as well as a couple other Vaios) that had an XMB-like instant-on function.
To the folks of engadget: Does the Corel InstantON mean there will no longer be the XMB-like interface?
The Gobi chipsets have been in the VAIO P from the beginning, they just didn't solder on the SIM card slot in the US models. And I'm pretty sure the Corel InstantON technology they are referring to is the XCROSS instant boot OS that the Ps have shipped with from the beginning as well.
Ever heard of stand by and hibernation?
Yep. They've both apparently important parts of Corel's business plan for the last 10 years.
All the Vaio P's have an instant mode, it resembles the PSP's XrossMediaBar. Heck theres button you can push for the instant mode instead of the regular power button.
It can get choppy at times and websurfing is a chore, but it does boot up fast.
will it come with a price tag that drags it back into the realms of reality for netbook performance?
Didn't you guys review this machine? I have it and not only does it include the Gobi chip, it also already has the Corel InstantON, which resembles the XMB interface (yes, it was from Corel). The problem with the Gobi is that Sony did not put the SIM slot in there. However, Sony did NOT mention it was going to put one in in the earlier press release; it only stated they were going to put the same Gobi chip in the other models. That was a major misunderstanding.
What's next instant food?
@Darren/Engadget
This is nothing new!
1) The Sony VAIO P already ships with the Gobi module (WWAN radio) - only it's software restricted to CDMA/EVDO (Verizon) and GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA roaming (Vodafone only), plus it's also missing the SIM holder - this is why I hacked it last week: http://tnkgrl.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/sony-vaio-p-hsdpa-mod/
2) The Sony VAIO P already ships with instant-on software from Corel in the form of an XMB interface that supports surfing the web, etc...
Instant ON + Tegra + Touchscreen (/w swivel screen) = A new PC in my pocket.