Sony applies next-gen snowflake tech to boost VAIO W's appeal
By Tim Stevens 
posted November 17th 2009 9:17AM
posted November 17th 2009 9:17AM
posted November 17th 2009 9:17AM
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Next Gen snow flake? Is there a first Gen snow flake?
Yes. The Raindrop.
I know Raindrop is 8 years old and all, but I hear it's much better with the battery life than Snowflake on netbooks.
The people at Sony are sniffing to much snow, methinks.
The snow flake will make the machine much faster than other Atom based netbook, it works in similar fashion as those Type-R stickers.
How does that compare the flame paint jobs?
Nowhere near as good as a 6-inch diameter exaust tip.
Windows 7 Starter is NOT an upgrade from Windows XP, it's a downgrade.
Windows 7 Home Premium would have been a welcome upgrade, but not Starter.
can you please explain, how is not an upgrade?
Isn't Windows 7 just a less hardware-demanding, faster version of Vista? Vista, despite the problems many have had with it, is one secure bitch of an OS. Taking the security of Vista and the XP-like speed of Windows 7, I'd prefer Windows 7 Starter over XP anyday. Yes, there are arbitrary limitations, I hear, but (a) I'm sure there are work around and (b) if not (a) then I could live with it. Furthermore, on a netbook with a 1.6 GHz Atom processor, I really don't see the huge loss of not having Home Premium.
Windows 7 Starter severely limits what you can do with the OS. For one thing, you can't even change the wallpaper or color scheme. All of the 7 goodies (and even the Vista ones like Sidebar) are missing, such as the Aero Peek and the snap-to-side windowing.
It's not simple registry hacks either, Microsoft has gone out of there to severely block lots of the OS functionality.
There's really no point to use Windows 7 Starter over XP Home Edition, let alone XP Professional. 7 Starter exists only because Microsoft refuses to sell XP anymore, and needs a cheap OEM version of 7 to give out to vendors.
Lack of skills means I have to post this picture as a link:
http://blurredproductions.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/picard-facepalm2.jpg
Are you sure about the no change in specs? A quick google search reveals that sony is now selling it with 2GB RAM and 250GB HDD, atleast in India
http://netbookindia.net/news/sony-vaio-w-updated-now-comes-with-windows-7-starter-and-more-new-features/
Well, they did mention the larger 250gb drive in the post. But even with another 1gb of ram ($25), that's still no excuse for the cost of this thing, not to mention the design.
I don't know how everyone else feels about it but I think the biggest problem with VAIO is the higher cost point added to the proprietary memory you have to buy for upgrades.
Eh?
What are you talking about? Last time I checked that used the same ram and hdd as everyone else (except apple, they use diff ram).
My Macbook says they don't. No one uses proprietary memory anymore.
Phil Schiller: Ha Ha Ha! sssshhh 'still it is windows' :D
These netbooks are starting to become unnecessary now. Recently, there has been many ultraportables released in the market with the Atom-killing CULV processors,decent graphics (even tho it's mostly GMA 4500MHD, some have discrete graphics, or the ability to switch between the two), 10+ hours of battery life, 11 in. to 14 in. displays, and all for under $850 shipped. I really don't see a reason for anyone to get a netbook over a CULV equipped ultraportable at this point.
Is $500 a good enough reason for you?
I could buy a netbook for 500 and have the extra 350 for booze money.
Except that the CULV laptop he just described can also be purchased for $500. See the Dell Inspiron 11z.
Really, netbooks are on their way out, or at least the Atom processor is.
@BOGRASH
"Is $500 a good enough reason for you?"
No, but $599 is.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115670&cm_re=SU7300-_-34-115-670-_-Product
So what's stopping you from saving up a extra hundred or two to get 10x better hardware, is there some kind of weird circumstance dictating you must have a netbook this second?
These netbooks with crappy Atom CPUs are no longer worth $500 when compared to CULV equipped laptops. Current netbooks should be at no more than $350, then maybe $400 when the next-gen Atom hits the market or a ION solution is added to the specs.
@daytripper
$350 for brooze money, when it could instead be used to get you a better (less frustrating) laptop?! Seriously, what the hell are you doing on Engadget?! You ani't no techie? Your priorities a'screwed. No one chooses brooze over hardware, $350 for the girl Yea, but not brooze.
(Oh, I recommend you don't drink $350 worth of brooze by yourself, you might end up in a ditch somewhere.)
You can buy an HP MIni 311 for $399 base config, and that at least has the ION graphics. Looks like Sony is trying to charge some sort of style premium here, but ultimately going to lose out to the newer ION based netbooks.
1366x768 is still better than 1024x600.
but wait - i thought only Apple makes overpriced, underpowered pretty-looking comptuers!! Sony better back off somebody else's turf!
Barf. At least macs come with OSX. Browser preferences aside, if you don't admit OSX is better than Win7 Starter you're seriously kidding yourself.
If you don't admit that you're a stupid little fanboy you're seriously kidding yourself.
Ok buddy. Sounds like you're comparing a VAIO W to a MacBook.
Well then, where is the $499 MacBook to compare it with??
uh, the point is that even at $499 it's still overpriced, underpowered, and "pretty"
just goes to show how long computer products are crippled to last these days: a whole's seasons worth of fad