Sony introduces limited edition VAIO Nebula FW laptop
By Donald Melanson 
posted Nov 2nd 2009 9:19PM
posted Nov 2nd 2009 9:19PM
Sony's done plenty of limited edition "Signature Collection" laptops before, but it sure does seem to be particularly excited about its new VAIO Nebula FW model -- how else can you explains such imaginative advertising copy as the blurb above? Better still, the laptop demands a relatively non-premium starting price of $809.99, and packs some more than respectable specs across the board, including a 16.4-inch display, your choice of Core 2 Duo processors, up to 8GB of RAM, a range of SSD or standard hard drive options up 500GB, and a Blu-ray drive that comes at no added cost to the base price. Of course, if that nebula design is a little too flashy for your liking, you can also still grab the laptop in basic black or brown for the same price.
that is one attractive laptop. specs, design, blu-ray. apple, apple, apple. if you dont give me blu-ray by the time i graduate college i am going with a sony laptop
800 dollars, you get the 4650 card also, that's a great deal. Go Sony.
If it were Apple introducing an $800, 16.4", discrete graphics, blu-ray packing laptop, this article would be labeled BREAKING, there would be a 2,000 word review tomorrow labeled FEATURED, and engadget would spend a good 30 minutes talking about it on their podcast.
However, since this is Sony, none of that will happen.
I WANT this thing. What's the screen resolution? LED backlit?
Well, of course. Because for one, apple doesn't release new products as fast as other PC makers do, and for two, apple doesn't make $800 laptops.
I have it. Screen res 1080p (glossy), ATI4650, Blu-Ray, 4gigs, 320gb@7200rpm.
Sony Vaio's have a bad reputation for some reason but the FW is kick ass. No problems going from Vista to 7. Only needed to reinstall ATI drivers.
FULLY customizable. Check it out at www.sony.com
should have named it ftw laptop
@Jeff:
Advertising, Advertising, Advertising, Buy Sony laptop, Advertising, Advertising, Advertising...
I have the equivalent FW non-fancy lid design and a MBP and they are both great computers. Spec-wise the Vaio has the Apple beat hands down. However, the speakers on the FW really suck ass. Also, the touch pad is terrible on the FW and the aluminum build of the Apple beats the Sony. Unfortunately Apple has a long ways to go to match the specs. BTW the Sony does NOT have a LED screen. I was hoping the Sony would be like a portable blu-ray player but the speakers are so terrible it won't work as such.
Too bad it looks like a futon mattress manufactured in the 1980s.
That actually looks really cool, but IDK if I'd prefer to buy a 3rd party laptop cover with that design instead. Never the less it's definitely unique.
So Who's gonna buy this?
Every true geek on the face of the planet... and elsewhere!
I would I think it looks good and the specs are good.
Pretty nice specs for the price, and I like the design. Although it is kind of silly when skins are so easily available.
so, why was i down ranked? i mean, all i was was doing was asking a question. i wasn't downgrading this product. Guess you guys just don't like questions at all.... I would actually get on, if it weren't for the fact that i'm broke.
that's pretty goddamn awesome actually
Sony. Seriously. Stop making awesome things.
I'm supposed to hate you.
If this keeps up I will buy another Vaio and no one wants that. Except me.
haha i agreee..stop it sony!
Pretty cool. The FW is at the top of my consideration list already. Good price.
Great computer and great price, but I find the lid design hideous. I'd be embarrassed to pull that thing out of my bag in all of my classes.
It's 16.4" how big is your school bag!? That _is not_ portable and probably not light. Heck I'm getting fed up with the lack of portability with my SZ and it's 13.3" of carbon fibre goodness. So when does the X come out?
S
actually I'm in class (not paying attention, lol) and posting this comment on a 1 month old FW. It weighs about the same as my old 15.4 inch laptop and its actually slightly slimmer. Fits in my backpack perfectly. Battery life isn't half bad either for something of this size.
Man I hate how these deals show up after the school year starts. The specs seem worth it, and we're not even forced to buy it in that garish colour.
$800? Sony not bad. Will sell n be a success
i saw this on the sony site the day windows 7 came out.. i thought it was simply amazing with all the spec choices.. damn sony is coming back with a vengeance
My nebula is bigger th... never mind, it's blueish.
sweet! that will totally match my trapper keeper.
It's a shame it would have that unsightly "VAIO" emblem in the middle of the picture.
Cool, yes. I'm not big on oversized logo fashion statements.
Maybe that's just me.
A notebook with a Blu-Ray drive, they're talking some business here. Even the price sounds good for once!
:D Yay Sony VAIO.
I actually have the black and grey model of this laptop, I got it back in August, and it kicks ass. Unfortunately the Studio XPS 16 from Dell is probably a better deal at some price points now.
I'll never buy a dell again. The complete lack of long-term support (I've had this laptop for two years, and the drivers for the laptop stopped being updated on the website about 6 months after i bought it) and s$%^ quality of the build means dell will never be in my dorm room the moment I can afford a new laptop.
This computer makes that tempting. Very tempting
Welcome to last year,
Population: you
Looks nice! I just hate the memory stick, hope it has a standard SD reader
Haha.....I'll buy almost anything if its shiny and made by apple.....typed an email in only 45 minutes......8 gb for $2,599.....19 minute battery.......just watching the battery percentage go down 54%, 53%, 52%
So apart from being a bit big and not very portable, what's the caveat? This thing looks too good to be true.. anyone?
No its true.
And as far as portability, it goes well in a back pack so its nice for college kids.
Source: I has it!!!
Nice!
Argh if it only ran OSX I'd buy it instantly :'(
this is a great deal.
but the usb placement is odd.
Really like the nebula design. Specs are respectable too. Can't bite though :\
Does anyone know if Sony is going to update the FW series anytime soon? Every other series got that new fancy web feature when 7 came out. This one...nothing. I want it, but as soon as I buy it they will make it better.
Yea, I've been waiting to see if they upgrade the graphics on the Z series, at least to a 9400... searching engadget, it seems that they usually update in january or somewhere in Q1 in the past few years...
Yeah I've been wanting to upgrade too. However I'm waiting until they include the new i7 cpu's and hopefully USB 3.0
As per my comments above these Sony FW series are really amazing deals. Only downsides are the crappy speakers and less-than optimal touch pad. Otherwise specs blow away the MacbookPro and that's coming from an Apply fanboy.
I'm sorry but your fanboy card has been revoked, please destroy it as soon as possible, for further inquiry call the toll-free helpline at 555-1234
I configured a Dell Studio 16 with a 2.66GHz P8800, 320 GB SATA HD(7200), 4GB SDRAM, and a 15.6 in. 1920x1080 screen, Blu-Ray (bag-o-hurt) & 3 years onsite support for $1800. A similarly configured Sony FW (with or without nebula design-your choice), plus a 16.4 inch monitor (3 year warranty minus onsite service) comes in at $1390, about $400 less.
Don't flame me here ... I'm just looking at specs ... but a 15.6 in. Apple MBP, similarly configured, will run you $2400 ... without blue-ray and with the smaller 15.6 in. screen which outputs only 1440x900, as opposed to 1920 X 1080 on the Sony or Dell. It has an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT-but it's limited to 256MB, compared to the Sony's Radeon HD 4650 with 1 GB or Dell's Radeon HD 4670 with 1 GB. The MBP does come with a backlit keyboard, however. It's beautiful engineering and some folks love the OS, but it's still $1,000 (plus or minus a $10 spot) more than the Sony- and without blu-ray and a 1920x1080 screen.
Too flashy design is what gives additional "force" to this VAIO.
http://www.probjave.com/kategorija/ekonomija/
Soon they'll start to copyright designs of galaxies.
Just called Sony and the Nebula is already on back order {thanks, Engadget}. Said could still get one if I am willing to wait a week.
Consider me willing.