After Sony's unorthodox
VAIO P, did you really expect the outfit's first "
real netbook" to burn the house down? With Microsoft's
inane hardware restrictions still firmly in place on Windows XP-based netbooks, there's only so much differentiating Sony can do, and evidently those subtle tweaks didn't exactly justify the higher-than-average $499 price tag.
Computer Shopper managed to give the unit a spin a few weeks prior to its US release, and while it definitely appreciated the 1,366 x 768 resolution display, the cramped keyboard, painfully lackluster 3-cell battery and commonplace performance didn't exactly elicit huge grins across the review room. Naturally, the design here is pretty notable, but with ASUS' Eee Seashell line already lookin' pretty decent for a lot less cheddar, we'd agree that Sony's going to have to do better than put
a pretty face on a vanilla set of innards to get our next five Benjamins.
posted August 3rd 2009 4:52AM
So then, nothing new!
We really didn't need a review to tell us that the Sony W was crap, Sony didnt even try.
Seashell is one of the best netbooks around, with the its 10 hour battery. Another notable netbook is the TOSHIBA NB205 with 9 hour 6 cell.
It's 4:05am; I can't go to sleep. And I have work at 8:30am where I will have plenty of time reading about the latest and ...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
"did you really expect the outfit's first "real netbook" to burn the house down?"
Not with its features...
Maybe with its battery... :D
Is it just me, or is Sony pretty much the Apple of the PC world? Even the "exploding" part they've got a certain link.
Because all Apple products explode.
If what you say is true they're going to be blowing my house down. Lucky I have home contents insurance.
glossy screen + lower than 6 cells battery = not 4 me
sony has done really good laptops, such as the TT, and I was awaiting something really different with these netbooks, but this is not what I wanted.
"Sony's going to have to do better than put a pretty face on a vanilla set of innards to get our next five Benjamins."
Engadget writers are big hyprocrits, they say this about this Sony but if it was Apple a computer like this, they would probably be saying it's a "solid" machine and worth the money.
If it was an Apple computer it would be five benjamins to start off with. Times that by three, dawg.
wouldn't
Meh...
Who Cares.....Stop Spamming!
I like the design of this netbook, except for the polka dot trackpad; that just looks stupid.
i wonder what did you have to smoke to actually write that summary.
here are some quotes from actual article:
"At $499, the VAIO W might seem a little on the pricey side for a netbook. However, given its superb high-res screen, the premium is actually tiny"
"Whether the Sony VAIO W is a competitive entry in the netbook market depends on what you need from a netbook. Despite the pedestrian exterior, we like the stylish interior design, and the extra room afforded by the 1,366x768 display is a pleasure. We’re disappointed in the battery life, however. If the three-cell battery delivered closer to average performance—or if an affordable six-cell upgrade were available—we would highly recommend this netbook. But as is, we feel we have to hold back a bit.
That said, there's no going back from this screen resolution. If you've ever been frustrated with the scrolling issues on a 10-inch netbook LCD, you might just be willing to trade in battery life for the excellent display on the Sony VAIO W."
spw you said it resolution is everything with a netbook - that and the keyboard which Sony have no doubt done a great job on. Using a 1024 x 600 netbook is frustration itself. So many program pop up screens create problems to get to buttons at the bottom. Windows Mobile Device Center just one of these. Yes I would trade battery life for 1366 x 768 and shell out more for a bigger 6 cell battery. Nice to have the choice of bulk or power with 2 batteries albeit at a cost.
@grant
Of course Dell and HP already have the same 1366x768 options with the 6 cell battery - no need for compromise there.
This Sony netbook is nothing beyond average