We've always loved the super-expensive
VAIO TT with a passion, but apparently the netbook onslaught was just too much for the
well-reviewed 11.1-inch machine to take: it's gone from Sony's US website, and we're guessing that it's not going to return. That's too bad, since we've always felt the TT was one of the
more beautiful laptops ever made, and while we could never justify its fully kitted-out $4,450 price tag, we always had one on our
want list. Hopefully Sony has some grander plans for this size point than the sadly-generic
VAIO W -- in the meantime, light a candle and check our unboxing and hands-on gallery below.
Update: We just heard back from Sony -- yep, the VAIO TT is gone, and it's not coming back. Shed a tear, will ya?
posted August 19th 2009 7:32PM
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Niice.
Vaio TT T_T
I LOVE TT's !
The new Vaio TiTS with a 9 cell battery.
I'd just like to point out that the TT is a piece of junk in comparison with the older TZ in terms of materials usage. Spec is more palatable though. Price is not.
The TZ could be used as a portable DVD player, jukebox and picture viewer with the InstantON software and dedicated front hardware keys (without booting into an OS). It was also lighter and slimmer in certain places, making it less clunky. Mine is exactly 2 years old and I still get 4+ hours on my regular battery and 7+ hours on my extended battery. Won't be replacing it any time soon...
My only caveat is the inability to get 1080p out of it, even using software like PowerStrip. Otherwise, it's an awesome ultraportable.
The TZ > TT. TT was fat in the wrong places, heavier and lacked the dedicated front AV buttons and the ability to be used as a portable DVD player & jukebox. The only thing missing from the InstantON software was DivX/Xvid support.
Mine is exactly 2 years old and still getting 4+/7+ hours on the regular/extended battery.
My only caveat is the lack of HDMI/DVI output and a maximum resolution of 1680x1050 over D-SUB, even when forced with PowerStrip under Windows 7. :-(
Until another laptop
They were both great and just evolutions of the same thing (yes, I have both). The whole point is that they're killing that line of laptops, if you think of TT as TZ2, then there won't be a TZ3 the way things are looking right now...
Stupid double-post.
On the good side, the TZ/TT's should come down in price. The TZ in Canada is about $1,200 - $1,600 CAD now.
If I were to upgrade, I'd probably be looking at the Z-series for HDMI.
I used to have wet dreams about the TZ. Sexy and smooth like an Audi TT, but the sonu TT looks shiny like a Japanese Honda Civic.
What other sub 12 incher has a DVD drive too?
Lg has a like two and one them I can think of is the X100 which is 10.6in device but that was only out in certain parts of the world. http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=698245
never mind the LG dvd drive is external. The Asus U2 does have it built in but the battery life is measly 2 hours.
The VAIO TT was mostly sold with a Blu-ray drive with HDMI out.
am i reading this right? $4450?! what was this thing made out of?
It is made of nothing special. Just another example of how Sony is out of touch with reality.
Because it is thin and light, Sony positioned it as a high-end model and charged people arms and legs if they want something like that. However, the world moved on and the game suddenly changed; Asus, the once second-tier laptop brand invented something called the "netbook" and gives people a choice in portable computers. Guess what, nobody is willing to shell out $4500 for a pretentiously over-priced hardware like the TT anymore!
Well at that price if I am not mistaken it has like two 256gb SSD drives, and external blu-ray drive, hdmi, the SU9600 1.6ghz C2D and a few other options ticked.
Heaven forbid that there be a premium brand. Of course everyone wants the generic shit that Dell or Acer pump out. I hope you caught the sarcasm.
Not everyone thinks about the $ sticker. Some people actually care about aesthetics. Its why Apple has done so well. Apple however have one thing Sony dont...OSX.
If i didnt buy Macs my next choice would be a Sony.
First of all, the standard unit is $2200. This gives you a dual core intel, 3 GB of ram, 160 GB hard drive, cd burner, card readers and all the ports you would expect. But beyond that it comes with some really nice features: carbon-fiber chassis; arguably the best laptop keyboard made, XBrite screen that is gorgeous, and a very nice trackpad. You will not get into the 4k price range unless you add a bunch of options to it. Notice that Nilay wrote "FULLY KITTED-OUT $4,450 price".
Some people are so blinded by hate for Sony that they cannot admit when a quality product is worth its price. I suggest he probably has never seen one much less ever used one.
$4450 is kind of high when you consider a Dell E4200 runs about $2000. Or a Thinkpad X200s runs around $1300 (carbon fiber top). They are both lighter. However they don't have an optical drive and I guess that's this machine's selling point. Toshiba has one that has an optical drive and is much lighter than this for a lot less (R600), I know it too can be configured up to $5000 as well, but at least there are cheaper configurations available.
They need to make something like the Vaio P only with an 11 or 12" screen and and a Core 2 Duo, forget the optical drive, KEEP THE TRACKPOINT and sell it for $2000 base going up to $3500. That would be a winner. It better weigh less than 2lbs.
My x200s will be relegated to backup machine status if that happens.
@ Adderz
"Heaven forbid that there be a premium brand. Of course everyone wants the generic shit that Dell or Acer pump out. I hope you caught the sarcasm. Not everyone thinks about the $ sticker. Some people actually care about aesthetics. Its why Apple has done so well. Apple however have one thing Sony dont...OSX. If i didnt buy Macs my next choice would be a Sony."
Well you know what? Most of us normal people don't have the $$$ to shell out for an overpriced laptop that looks pretty. I go for bang for buck and if it looks decent, all the better. Functionality over fashion.
@ Adderz
"Well you know what? Most of us normal people don't have the $$$ to shell out for an overpriced laptop that looks pretty. I go for bang for buck and if it looks decent, all the better. Functionality over fashion."
For some people the small size of Vaio TT's is functionality. If one routinely has to open a laptop in confined places like an airplane or carry it around all the time small size counts far more than cost. It depends on where one places priorities... to each his own.
I like my Vaio SZ but in retrospect if I had the decision again I would have gone TZ with an external monitor and keyboard. Yes far more $$, but for me the compactness with full functionality would be worth the premium. Good looks are just a bonus.
@simon
"For some people the small size of Vaio TT's is functionality. If one routinely has to open a laptop in confined places like an airplane or carry it around all the time small size counts far more than cost. It depends on where one places priorities... to each his own."
Well, lucky for most of us, that functionality of small size doesn't come with a price sticker of $2200 - $4500 any more. The average consumers got many choices in netbooks, thin and light notebooks from Asus, Acer and many other brands for well under $800 dollars.
And that, is precisely the reason why Sony is withdrawing this over-priced TT from its sales catalog - not many people are interested in it.
I guess the reason why the TT isn't sold anymore in the US but in the rest of the world it is caus the USruble simply breaks up the market for Sony. Over here the starting version goes for about £1600 and the high-end £2800. Which isn't that bad after all for such a laptop.
Further comparing this to a netbook is totally the wrong market. It's like comparing people who buy a Fiat panda to those who want to have a Mini. Both small but pricing is pretty different same for those who drive it. Heck even the idea of comparing some low-end flimsy laptop to a carbon shelled high-end laptop makes no sense at all.
That said it's a shame that the US is performing so poorly as they are supposed to be the consumer country #1 in the world. By being that for years it ensured the rest of the world that producers are willing to keep improving while now this might wear out a bit. Ie.. please you yanks take your creditcards out of the fridge and start spending like madmen again, we need it.
What are you talking about i just went on there site you are still about to buy the TT http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchCatalog?storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10551&in_dim_search=&keyword=TT&x=0&y=0
Take a closer look...
^^^^ A HA HAHAHA
NOOOO~!!!!
I love the T series, I'm currently typing on my TT.
I hope they make a new T series. I like the Z's but the T's size and design are lovely.
R.I.P.
Nah, the TX series is definitely my favorite, even without a mic and built in webcam. I get almost 12 hours off my large capacity battery with my stripped down version of XP. Keyboard still looks and feels new whilst my TZ (long sold) keys looked KFC'ed after a month of use. Good riddance. All the other options are superfluous for me. I even bought a backup TXN in white for when/if I lose it.
X505... THERE I SAID IT!! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?
There is still good selection of TT, TZ and TXN models available - these are factory refurbished by Sony with Sony warranty, same units that are sold at Sony Outlet Store but at lower prices (cheapest TZ is $829):
http://www.clearanceclub.com/depot/quelle_browse.cgi?keyword=vgn-tt
http://www.clearanceclub.com/depot/quelle_browse.cgi?keyword=vgn-tz
http://www.clearanceclub.com/depot/quelle_browse.cgi?keyword=vgn-txn
TTFN?
The replacement for the VGN-TT will be called the VPC-X.
Could you please inform about a net site where more info about this model (VPC-X) is available?
I really like the Sony T series. It's too bad I can't afford them. LOL.
The Sony Vaio, especially the TT, is one of the only reasons I miss using Windows.
I bought my TT the 12th of this month and it came home today, replaced my old and trusty TX. Surreal.
I guess I'm lucky I got mine for $1000 on Amazon.
I have an idea to get sony back on selling these : take out the optical drive, make it slimmer, and call it the TT Slim, and then lower the price of the old TT.
But this is really so fascinating? Sony's churning out new generations like crazy, and has always been. There's probably a TW model around the corner.
Next up the Macbook Air.
Replacing a high-end subnotebook with an overpriced netbook, great idea Sony …
I really loved Sony's T series...never was able to afford one, though. The TZ looked sweet in the extreme, but I didn't feel like taking out a mortgage to buy one. Today I use an Asus HE1000 netbook for most of my portable tasks, and it works just fine.
That is sad news indeed. My first Sony ultra portable was the V505, that was the smallest laptop ever! I used that thing for years and years and always got compliments on it. Build quality was good too.
I had been eyeing this VAIO TT, but I was hoping it'd get updated and offer DVI out instead of analog. RIP TT.
i got a Vaio VGN-Z530n
it is the best laptop i have ever used after the x200 thinkpad, i am still debating if i should sel this one and get the x200 again.
i really liked it alot more
but this has teh dual graphics... which is gona be good for starcraft2
do you guys think GMA 4500 will run Starcraft 2?
i mean it runs everquest 2, and coh very well