Sony announces VAIO W... netbook!

Sure, the Japanese press release translates to "internet book," but there's no mistaking that 10.1-inch screen and 1.6GHz Atom running Windows XP on 1GB of RAM: Sony's new VAIO W is a netbook, folks. We're not sure how or why the company decided to enter this market after six months of hawking the overpriced VAIO P and insisting that netbooks were a "race to the bottom," but we're itching to see what the US price tag on this guy is -- with a nicer-than-usual 1366 x 768 screen, what we're hoping is a typically-solid VAIO keyboard, and some sort of home media-streaming software called VAIO Media Plus, the W could be a big winner if it's not crazy-expensive. Fingers crossed! Video after the break.

Update: We just watched the video -- kind of an ugly little bastard, innit? ASUS and Acer are way beyond this chunky design language now, and honestly, we expect way more from Sony.

Update 2: Reuters is reporting a Japanese price of ¥60,000 or about $629.

[Via Engadget Japan]

[Adam @ Jul 7th 2009 12:33AM]

I would take one I think.

[rheza @ Jul 7th 2009 12:36AM]

me too!

[CH3BURASHKA @ Jul 7th 2009 12:51AM]

Yeah, you would take one. But would you BUY one????1?1????1??

[adrian @ Jul 7th 2009 8:07AM]

I don't think it's ugly. It may be a bit chunky but it looks well built which is more important to me.

[Eddy Munn @ Jul 11th 2009 5:44PM]

@Adrian: Nobody said it looks ugly.

[holy_moly112 @ Jul 7th 2009 12:34AM]

If the price is right, this might be one of the first netbooks to own.. for me. =D

[holy_moly112 @ Jul 7th 2009 12:50AM]

I believe the price of that bad boy is 59,800 yen, converted to dollars.. that's $729.. ouchies.

Source = http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/Special/Computer/Vaio/W/index.html

[tetrisnoob @ Jul 7th 2009 1:04AM]

Actually 59800 yen is around 629 not 729. still ouch, but it's now closer to the price range of a netbook.

[Nipponese @ Jul 7th 2009 1:04AM]

um, more like $626.

[holy_moly112 @ Jul 7th 2009 1:07AM]

Actually your both quite right and wrong, the price I converted it into was Canadian Dollars, its actually $724, and for the US, its $624. Still, its expensive.. =O

[Paul Mensah @ Jul 7th 2009 3:31AM]

uuugh actually its $622

[hitsthings @ Jul 7th 2009 10:41AM]

You fools! The exchange rate fluctuates!

[takamaru @ Jul 7th 2009 11:15AM]

I bid $1 Drew!

[clicclic @ Jul 7th 2009 2:12PM]

Excited about the WXGA screen. Too bad they won't/can't/haven't stuff(ed) in decent graphics...

[ishism @ Jul 7th 2009 12:39AM]

Not impressed. With you or the netbook.

[Down @ Jul 7th 2009 12:42AM]

I think that the Core 2 Solo is the sweet spot for low-cost laptops but decently functional for everyday activities. Much better than all this atom crap.

[AK66 @ Jul 7th 2009 12:44AM]

would /love if the battery were caseflush.

[solarmoo900 @ Jul 7th 2009 12:44AM]

wtf is with that trackpad...

and curious what those I/O are in the front

[Tushar @ Jul 7th 2009 1:50AM]

Yeah!! looks as if a "hello-kitty" collectors edition!!

[graywolf790 @ Jul 7th 2009 12:44AM]

Hi, pot.

I'm kettle.

You're black.

Bash netbooks, then make one that can actually compete?

.........

Sony=dumbassess (great audio products and playstation family, though)

[munir @ Jul 7th 2009 1:49AM]

actually, you should be pot, so that you could call the kettle black. Lord knows the kettle isnt a racist.

[Non-Anonymous @ Jul 7th 2009 12:44AM]

...Like every other netbook out there.

[MrFairladyz @ Jul 7th 2009 12:45AM]

where did all the sexy go?

[webon @ Jul 7th 2009 1:19AM]

into the vaio p

[HotDogMaki @ Jul 7th 2009 12:47AM]

I don't know how you get "Internet book," but I looked at the original page and it definitely says NetBook. Google translation FAIL.

[japporeactor @ Jul 7th 2009 12:52AM]

There's no such a the Japanese press release translates to "internet book" thing, since the sony japan homepage says "the first sony netbook".

The price falls a bit over the range of the new gen asus/acer here (around 10.000yen more).

[Davorin @ Jul 7th 2009 12:47AM]

i don't know, its seems a little hello kitty to me, id get it for my 6 year old

[Rollins @ Jul 7th 2009 12:51AM]

Until another manufacturer puts a 1366x768 resolution screen on a netbook that doesn't suck for other reasons (see: Dell Mini 10, Acer's 11.6" netbook), Sony's got my support.

[Al @ Jul 7th 2009 1:25AM]

Well there is the Gatway(forget the model number atm), which is similar to the Acer in looks(after all Acer owns Gatway now), which also has the same res. However, it has a slightly slower(but I read it maybe better for mulititasking) than the Atom, AMD based cpu, not like the one see on the HP DV2, and a ATI based card that is better than the GMA950 and even better than the 4500HD gpu in my thin and ultra portable machines.Best part is the starting price of $400.

[Benson @ Jul 7th 2009 2:49AM]

One of the HPs had 1366x768, right? Thought it looked pretty nice, if I'd been in the netbook market at the time.

[Information Central @ Jul 10th 2009 2:07AM]

Because you want a bizarre resolution that matches only plasma TVs of several years ago?

[JohnWesleyHarding @ Jul 7th 2009 12:51AM]

I actually think it looks nice, and not particularly "chunky". I like the idea of having 1366 x768 resolution, and the keyboard looks a lot more usable than most netbooks (I used the Toshiba one at Best Buy, and was truly impressed). Something I am interested in is the speakers on this thing. I would have to say the biggest problem (of the few ones I have) with my AAO were the speakers.

[Joaquim @ Jul 7th 2009 1:55AM]

The Samsung NC10 easily has the most usable keyboard. The trackpad suffers a bit for it though.

[Alan Partridge @ Jul 7th 2009 12:56AM]

"...the overpriced VAIO P..."

It's not overpriced its just expensive, theres a big difference. Unless you can name a product with the same features, quality of materials etc for a cheaper price...

[aeth @ Jul 7th 2009 12:57AM]

Not using all of the room to make a larger keyboard? That's what's going to guarantee failure

[Wiizer (Michael Pachter MUST DIE.. Professionally) @ Jul 7th 2009 12:57AM]

Oh Sony...

You're not even first place in the "race to the bottom".. SAD FACE : (

[kwirtee @ Jul 7th 2009 12:59AM]

Aren't they a bit late to the party? I thought that the next "new thing" was 'kinda thin and kinda light' notebooks.

[Al @ Jul 7th 2009 1:28AM]

If that is the case then they are already way early to the game(though at a higher price in part due to the materials used, and/or parts used and the Sony tax), with the Vaio TT, G3(sold only in Japan, but Conics sells them world wide) and Z, all under 1.4in thick, and under 3.4lbs.

[charliex @ Jul 7th 2009 1:29AM]

Sony have been there and done that, x505 etc.

It reminds me a bit of a rounded off Vaio TR series, which i think still ranks better than most netbooks 1280x1024

[Peter @ Jul 7th 2009 1:03AM]

oh, Mr. $ONY.. I thought somebody said he would never want to release any "cheap" products like so called "netbooks"...

now see what's going on here..

[JJ @ Jul 7th 2009 1:06AM]

my laptop, phone and tetherberry.com own all these stupid netbooks, their carriers, and overpriced tethering plans. good job sony.

[Philipp @ Jul 7th 2009 1:50AM]

It's the Hello Kitty Netbook

[Al @ Jul 7th 2009 1:31AM]

They should have kept the nub/point stick from the P, and they should have take a page from their Z line, which has relatively no wasted space. I wonder if any part of this machine is carbon reinforced, like a few of their other devices.

[BobTurbo @ Jul 7th 2009 1:34AM]

So when is Apple going to join the party?

[AnnoyingPoster @ Jul 7th 2009 9:59AM]

jump off a bridge fanboy

[iphonerulez @ Jul 7th 2009 5:45PM]

Not likely Apple will be joining the profit-shedding netbook crowd, unless the MacBook Air is considered a netbook. The iPhone is Apple's netbook mini, so there's no need for Apple to crawl around in the muck with Sony and Asus who are bottom-feeding off the crustaceans. A $700 iPad is as low as Apple will be sinking into the depths of iPoverty.

[Nick Stropko @ Jul 7th 2009 1:34AM]

http://digg.com/hardware/Sony_announces_VAIO_W_netbook

Digg it up! :D

[simon @ Jul 7th 2009 1:39AM]

Would i buy it? No... but ugly little bastard... hardly.

[LondonConsultant @ Jul 7th 2009 3:11AM]

"kind of an ugly little bastard, innit?"

+1 for the innit...

[plwh888 @ Jul 7th 2009 1:45AM]

If its come with 3G or 3.75G, i will buy it !!!