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VAIO posts

Verizon getting a little VAIO P to join its netbook offerings

by Tim Stevens posted Nov 4th 2009 at 7:44AM

Motorola's DROID is just a few days away from dropping on Verizon, but why pay $299 (minus $100 rebate) for that when you could instead pay $299 (possibly also minus $100) for a fully-featured definitely non-netbook VAIO P? Yes, Sony's littlest ultraportable looks to be coming to VZW, popping up on a test page in a configuration with 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Home Premium. Seemingly (and curiously) no SSD versions will be on offer, possibly to keep down on costs, as the subsidized $299 price is quite a bit lower than the $800 or more you'd be looking to buy one new -- not to mention a good bit more appealing than the other netbooks Verizon currently has on offer for the same price. Mind you, that two year wireless broadband contract won't pay for itself...

[Via GadgetMix.com]

Sony's VAIO X ultraportable gets gently unboxed on video

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 11:41AM

Sony's 11.1-inch VAIO X may not have the internal hardware we'd like, but there's no denying that this thing is as capable as any machine at seducing you into a purchase. The good lads over at NewGadgets have managed to secure one over in Germany, and while their version doesn't ship with an extended battery, it's still worth taking a look at. Trust us. It's waiting for you after the break, and if you're new to all of this, that giant "Play" button that'll appear is what you'll want to press.

Continue reading Sony's VAIO X ultraportable gets gently unboxed on video

Sony introduces limited edition VAIO Nebula FW laptop

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 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.

[Via Chip Chick]

Sony VAIO L touchscreen humiliates presenter on live TV (video)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 5:14PM

You know what they say in show biz: never work with children, animals, or gadgets. And if you must, make sure that you test drive your consumer electronics before going live. As you can see in the video (after the break), the kids on one overseas morning show failed to heed the last bit, to humorous results. For our part, we're inclined to believe that the unresponsiveness of the Vaio L All-In-One touchscreen herein is pilot error of some stripe, but either way the man on screen handled it like a real pro. Besides, we've seen far worse bloopers on Japanese television -- really, after the whole Yukio Mishima seppuku mess, it's hard for us to take any of this stuff too seriously. Video(s) after the break.

[Via Sony Insider]

Continue reading Sony VAIO L touchscreen humiliates presenter on live TV (video)

Sony recalls 69,000 AC adapters due to shock hazard

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 28th 2009 at 2:52PM

Oh, Sony. You've been doing so well with not making things blow up lately. Even a seemingly minor fizzle turned out to be a false alarm. While it's not laptop batteries this time, it seems that Sony has run into a bit of trouble with some of the AC adapters used for its VAIO all-in-one desktops and docking stations. Specifically, the insulation used in adapters for the company's VGC-LT and VGC-JS2 series desktops and VGP-PRBX1 and VGP-PRFE1 docking stations can apparently fail over time and pose an electrical shock hazard for users, although there have been no reports of injuries to date (and only four reports of any short circuiting). Still, it's probably a good idea to take Sony up on its offer for a free replacement. Hit up the link below for all the necessary details.

Sony VAIO X reviewed: outrageous battery claims tested, nearly vindicated

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 21st 2009 at 3:51AM

At this point you know pretty much all there is to know about the amazingly thin (0.6-inches), light (just 1.4 pounds or 2.2 pounds with extended battery wedge), and expensive ($1,299 base) VAIO X ultra-portable laptop from Sony. The only thing missing were tests to confirm or deny Sony's claim that the VAIO X battery lasts "all day and well into the night and will set the new standard for battery stamina," as proclaimed at its IFA unveil back in September in Berlin. A bold claim that Laptop Magazine has now put to the test. The result? Well, first of all, if you're hoping to get anything close to the hype then you'll have to opt for the extended battery -- the standard 4-cell battery is only rated for about 3 hours of power. Fortunately, the extended battery bolt-on (literally, it attaches to the bottom with two screws) is included in the X-series price -- smart move Sony. According to Laptop's tests, the VAIO X merrily pumped away for nearly 10 hours using WiFi (GPS and 3G turned off) thereby easily laying to waste most 6-hour, 6-cell netbooks. Impressive. For booting and processing everyday tasks, the 2GHz Atom Z550 paired with 2GB of memory and 128GB SSD did very well against netbook-class machines but suffered dearly with regard to 3D graphics performance. Likewise, the X couldn't handle full-screen flash video without chop. Sure, the mass market will ultimately shun the X as it did its VAIO X505 ancestor, but it will definitely find its niche amongst Windows 7 road warriors with pockets deep enough to afford it and egos fragile enough to by fed by the envious stares of others.

Vaio X series thin-and-light reviewed: 'It's really thin! And light!'

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 16th 2009 at 11:43AM

In the mood for a thin-and-light, got $1,300 burning a hole in your pocket? Have we got a lappie for you! The kids at T3 have put the new Sony Vaio X through its ever-lovin' paces recently and have been kind enough (and gracious enough) to give us the scoop. In short, there's a lot to love about the thing: thinner than even the MacBook Air (yet packed with an ethernet connection, VGA, and two USB ports) and "super light," this guy offers an "impressive" 11.1-inch display with "excellent color reproduction." On the other hand, while the carbon fiber keeps weight down, it isn't too terribly sturdy -- the entire body "flexing alarmingly under light pressure." And sure, you're paying quite a premium for an Atom CPU, but hey -- maybe you're into that sort of a thing. If so, hit the read link for the rest of the story.

Transparent Sony VAIO X amazingly captured on camera

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 13th 2009 at 4:07PM

We've already gotten a couple of up close looks at Sony's new thin-and-light VAIO X ourselves, but it seems that the company had a little something extra for its debut at a press event in China today: an amazing transparent edition of the laptop. Of course, the chances of it ever seeing a store shelf are even slimmer than its impossibly thin profile, but we're guessing this is the best glimpse most folks will get of the laptop's internals -- as anyone shelling out $1,300+ for one of these likely won't be able to bear prying it apart. Be sure to hit up the gallery below for a closer look courtesy of our pals at Engadget Chinese.

Gallery: Transparent Sony VAIO X amazingly captured on camera

Sony's VAIO L 1080p all-in-one PC is perfect for rockin' moms (video)

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 9th 2009 at 8:26AM

Sony's VAIO L HD touchscreen all-in-one is perfect for rockin' moms

Sony has a long history of VAIO all-in-one machines, usually taking the party line by offering swank aesthetics combined with slightly cringe-inducing price tags. When we went hands on with its latest, the VAIO L, we found it to look just as good as those earlier ones, but its $1,300 price tag to be rather fair. Built into a 24-inch, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) touchscreen it's meant to serve as both an HDTV and a PC, featuring an HDMI inport where you can plug in your PS3. Yes, that's what mom calls it before she starts rocking out with the kiddos in the video after the break. It has a 500GB drive for your apps and for DVR recordings through Windows 7 Premium, packs a Blu-ray writer, a Core 2 Duo processor, and "loads of RAM." Sure, there are cheaper ways to get an all-in-one, but only one comes standard with an inport.

Continue reading Sony's VAIO L 1080p all-in-one PC is perfect for rockin' moms (video)

VAIO CW hands-on

by Paul Miller posted Oct 7th 2009 at 8:33PM

The poor VAIO CW has to play third fiddle to the VAIO X and VAIO L tonight, but it's a pretty nice general-market laptop in its own right. Especially for the price we'd say that Sony used some pretty premium materials here. The trackpad is large and comfily textured, though it didn't seem to be multitouch, unfortunately. We found the keyboard to be nice, if just a bit shallow to the touch, and sometimes the general complement of regularness is a comfort in this crazy, mixed-up world.

Gallery: VAIO CW hands-on

Gallery: VAIO CW press shots

VAIO L is Sony's first touchscreen PC, starts at $1,300

by Paul Miller posted Oct 7th 2009 at 6:52PM

Hey there Windows 7, we hear you've got some fancy new touch features, huh? Well, Sony's jumping on the ballooning bandwagon of manufacturers with a heart for touchscreen PCs, putting forward its very first model with the all-new L series all-in one. Sony is billing it as part HDTV and part PC (in typical Sony fashion), with Blu-ray playback and what sounds to be a TV tuner tucked underneath, piling up to a $1,300 starting price. Not bad for a 24-inch multitouch screen.

Update: We just went hands-on with the VAIO L and it's got a pretty great touchscreen sensor -- quite responsive and accurate, even in multitouch gestures. Unfortunately, the TouchSmart-style software that Sony's packed in his woefully half-baked. Hopefully what we saw was just an early prototype of sorts, or Sony's got some serious work to before October 22. Overall the hardware is pretty Sony-ish and minimal, while the glossy display looks pretty brilliant. Pics below.

Gallery: VAIO L hands-on

Gallery: Sony VAIO L press shots

Continue reading VAIO L is Sony's first touchscreen PC, starts at $1,300

Sony VAIO CW announced, features Windows 7 for $799

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 7th 2009 at 6:45PM

Sony's laptop event is underway, but we've got early pages detailing the new VAIO CW. Let's just say it's much more... reasonable than the VAIO X, packing up to a 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo with NVIDIA GeForce GT230M or GT210M graphics under a 14-inch screen, all starting at $799. It's also a pretty chunky little thing, measuring 1.52 inches thick at the back hinge and weighing in at 5.3 pounds -- but that means there's room for a Blu-ray drive and both VGA and HDMI outputs, so you know, there's just more of it to love.

Sony VAIO X announced, starts at $1,299

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 7th 2009 at 6:32PM

Sony's just started a laptop-oriented event in NYC, but we just got our hands on what look like unpublished web pages for the new VAIO X and VAIO CW and an updated VAIO L machines. All of 'em now run Windows 7, of course, but the big news is apparent confirmation that the VAIO X will indeed have a 2GHz Atom -- although it's listed at a "2GHz Intel Processor," the 533MHz bus speed also listed pretty much gives it away. And no, you're not getting an Ion in this deal to make up for that starting $1,300 price tag -- it's Intel GMA500 graphics all the way. You're also getting an integrated Verizon 3G card and both the standard and extended batteries, however. Still is that insane? It's probably insane.

We'll keep you updated as the event goes on, stay with us!

Sony UK site unveils new VAIO P with 2GHz Atom and Windows 7

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 7th 2009 at 4:27PM

Look, the upcoming VAIO X might be all fancy with its 11.6-inch screen and all day battery life, but Sony's not ignoring its original underpowered-and-overpriced funky laptop -- three new VAIO P configurations just went up on Sony's UK site today, all sporting Windows 7. The big news is that the top-end configuration will now sport a 2.0GHz Atom Z550, but there's also two low-end models with the 1.86GHz Atom Japanese P's have had for a while now but only the $2,000 Signature model carried Stateside. Apart from that we're not seeing much else -- this certainly looks like a modest Win7-related spec bump and not the rumored VAIO P mark 2. No word on pricing or US availability yet, but we're sure to find out more very, very soon.

[Thanks, Liam]

Sony VAIO X specs and pricing leak out -- 2.0GHz Atom, $1,499?

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 7th 2009 at 1:26PM

We're expecting the official launch of Sony's hot little VAIO X ultraportable later today, but Boy Genius Report claims to have some leaked specs and pricing to think over while we wait -- and if they're accurate, you'll be staring down the wrong end of a $1,499 price tag when all is said and done. Yeah, it's not unexpected, but still, ouch. For your trouble, you'll be getting what Sony's calling the "world's lightest notebook," weighing in a just 1.5 pounds of carbon-fiber with an 11.6-inch LED display, SSD, multitouch trackpad, and a 3.5-hour standard battery life that can be pushed to 14 hours using a "super-extended" battery. Okay, not bad, but what's running this show? Well, we've got some potentially bad news to report -- we've been told that the VAIO X will have a 2.0GHz Atom Z550 inside, just like the prototypes. Yep, that's another $1,499 Sony Atom laptop -- we'll wait for the official announcement to confirm before we start wringing our hands, but we're open to your lamentations in comments.