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Sony VAIO P Series review
In a day of $300 netbooks and $500 tablets, it sure is mystifying to see Sony still pushing a secondary, $700+ Atom-powered device. That's right, Sony hasn't given up on its 8-inch VAIO P Series, and has updated the 1.3-pound mini-laptop with a slightly different design, a faster Atom Z560 processor, touchpad, and last but not least, an accelerometer that lets you tilt the machine to the navigate the web. It's got some pretty cool tricks, that's for sure, and considering that our main complaints about the first generation included performance and desktop navigation we're certainty taken with this next iteration. So, does a mild retooling and a smattering of new abilities make the VAIO P a better product, or better yet, worth a lofty $800? Hit that read more link to find out in our full review. %Gallery-92541%
Sony VAIO P Series gets an accelerometer, touchpad (Updated: starts at $799)
Well, we did have some strong evidence to suggest that Sony was planning a design update to its VAIO P Series, but there happens to be a lot more than fresh aesthetics going on with the new 8-inch lappie. Sure, it gets a new matte lid that's available in five different shades, but Sony has also updated the 1.3-pound P Series with an optical touchpad and accelerometer. The former is built into the LCD bezel and, as the picture above shows, is all about navigating the desktop by just holding the screen – the pad is on the right bezel while the right / left mouse buttons are on the left. The accelerometer is probably the most interesting addition – you can flip the device vertically to read documents, but also tilt it to the left or right to move forward or backward while surfing the web. Pretty cool stuff, and there's even more: it's been given a faster Intel Atom Z560 processor option, though the entry-level unit has a slightly-slower Z530 CPU. Still waiting for US pricing to see if Sony can tempt us with its notoriously expensive VAIO P when it begins shipping in June. We'll have a piping hot review of the new VAIO P coming up later this morning. So, will you hit the break for the official PR, or just wait for the review? Decisions, decisions. Update: The U.S. has finally released its PR. The VAIO P will start at $799 stateside, though that includes the 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, and not the newer Z560 upgrade. That's an $100 price drop, but still too much if you ask us. %Gallery-92536%
Sony's new 14- and 17-inch VAIO E laptops invite you to taste the rainbow
Was Sony's last VAIO E laptop, the blue one with a pink keyboard, not garish enough for you? Maybe these new models will saturate your questionable color palette. The E series has gotten a bit smaller and also a bit bigger, adding 14- and 17-inch models to the lineup. The 14-inch, 1600 x 900 VPCEA1S1E models include Intel Core i3-330M processors at 2.13GHz, 4GB of DDR3 memory, 500GB disk drives, and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5145 graphics. The 17-inch, 1920 x 1080 VPCEC1S1E moves up to Core i5-430M processors at 2.26GHz, 1TB of storage, Radeon HD 5650 graphics, and replaces the smaller unit's DVD player with a Blu-ray drive. All offer 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, and HDMI output for your media entertainment. No word on price or availability, but we have confirmed you can get them in black if you're not feeling quite so colorful on a Monday. %Gallery-88703%
Sony VAIO M netbook officially unveiled, attempts to befriend your wallet
It's still mildly hard to believe that the Sony VAIO M is for real, given its lack of VAIO's iconic chiclet keys plus the pretty convincing VAIO W fake that we've stumbled upon. Nevertheless, kudos to Sony for reaching out to a more affordable market with its new 3.1-pound netbook. The specs are the identical with the ones we saw yesterday and earlier this month, but hey, there's no harm in having another party to welcome this fella, right? You can grab one now -- in black or white -- for £300 ($456) in the UK.%Gallery-88348%
Sony VAIO M and its Atom N450 heart get unboxed
Sony's successor to the VAIO W netbook made its debut a little prematurely earlier this month, which has now been followed by its first unboxing and preview. Encased in an appealing matte black plastic, the VAIO M is set for an April launch in the UK at the very reasonable £300 ($456) price point. Unfortunately, the drop in price also means a lower-res 1024 x 600 display, while the W's chiclet keyboard has also been replaced with a more conventional typing surface. With 1GB of DDR2 RAM and a 250GB storage drive, Sony seems to be giving us the bare minimum here, but that's alright with us -- let's just make sure this thing actually has a battery that lasts, shall we Sony?
Sony VAIO Z with Quad SSD stripped down and explained by its project leader
For the average geek like us, there's nothing more satisfying than watching a gadget skillfully torn apart by its creator. That's why we're slightly envious of Engadget Chinese, who saw Sony VAIO Z Series project leader, Takamitsu Kasai, explaining the differences between the old and new VAIO Z literally part by part. Hightlights include Sony's proprietary Quad SSD (so not user-upgradable, sadly), a redesigned heatsink to accommodate the new chips' higher TDP (thermal design power), and various features of the "one-piece milled aluminum" and "hybrid carbon" chassis. Of course, all we really care about are photos of the naked VAIO Z, so go ahead and gorge yourselves after the jump.
Sony VAIO Z Series (VPCZ114GX/S) review
If you had any doubt that Sony marches to the beat of its own drum, the 13-inch VAIO Z Series is all the evidence you need. While other laptop manufacturers are unleashing dozens of CULV ultraportables in the $800 to $1,000 range, the $2,009 Z Series is a three-pound, inch-thick machine with the specs of a workstation: a speedy Intel Core i5 processor, dual SSDs, 4GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics and an optional Blu-ray drive. It sounds and looks glorious, but can the Z manage more than three hours of battery life or handle some gaming without turning into a space heater? Or does it totally blow the caps off the budget ULV laptops on the market and make it worth the $1K premium? We've been using the oh-so-pricey and attractive laptop for the last few days, so hit the break for our full review. %Gallery-85123%
Best Buy lets out the WiDi-enabled Sony Vaio S a week early
Looks like everyone who picked up the Push2TV a bit early can finally put the adapter to good use. We received a handful of tips that certain Best Buys were selling their Intel Wireless Display-compatible "Blue Label 2.0" laptops a bit early -- nowhere near us, unfortunately -- and now comes pictorial proof from the forums of Notebook Review. This 13.3-inch Sony Vaio S was allegedly caught wearing a $1,049.99 sticker and housing a 2.26MHz Core i5 with integrated graphics -- no NVIDIA GPU here, and we gotta figure that's hurting the displayed Windows Experience Rating. The official launch of the Best Buy-customized Vaio S is next week, along with a number of other WiDi-enabled laptops.
Sony Vaio Y11, S11 and F11 leaked ahead of launch, Z and CW series refreshed
It appears that the Vaio T's return is only the tip of a giant iceberg of refreshes coming out from Sony HQ this month. Greek e-tailer Compuland has a trio of new models listed -- seemingly prematurely -- for sale: the Vaio Y11 (pictured) is a relatively standard 1.3GHz Core 2 Duo SU7300 machine with 4GB of DDR3 memory and 320GB of storage, and its nomenclature seems to fit given that its specs land somewhere between the underpowered X and fully-equipped Z series. Speaking of the latter, Sony is adding a Core i5-520M to its refreshed Z line, as well as to the new 16-inch F11 model which adds a half terabyte storage drive just for kicks. The lesser Core i3-330M Arrandale chip finds a home in the new 13-inch S11 laptop, which may or may not be replacing the SR series we know and love, as well as a freshened up CW number. Hit the read links for early pricing and more details, and if you hope really hard maybe we'll get proper announcements from the official channels some time soon. [Thanks, SpaceCowboy1973 and Al] Read - Compuland (VPCY11S1E) Read - Compuland (VPCF11M1E) Read - Compuland (VPCS11X9E) Read - Laptopshop.nl (VPCZ11X9E) Read - Laptopshop.nl ( VPCCW2S1E)
Sony introduces limited edition VAIO Nebula FW laptop
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.
Transparent Sony VAIO X amazingly captured on camera
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-75444%
Sony UK site unveils new VAIO P with 2GHz Atom and Windows 7
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?
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.
Sony adopts Chrome as default browser for VAIO line
Google's Chrome was already the default browser on the VAIO NW we handled a month ago, and now the Financial Times delivers confirmation of a wider distribution deal between the search giant and Sony. According to the report, new VAIO laptops and desktops will come with Chrome preinstalled -- an "experimental" arrangement -- and, most importantly, will default to Google for both their homepage and search queries. Pair this with the agreement to bring over a million Google Books to Sony's e-readers, and you start to see some clear lines being drawn in the sand. Intriguingly, Google is said to be pursuing similar distribution pacts with other manufacturers, which would place Internet Explorer's stranglehold on the uninitiated user under threat. Your move, Microsoft. [Thanks, Matt]
Sony's VAIO W netbook reviewed: personable and pricey, and that's pretty much it
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.
Best Buy gears up for back to school crowds with Next Class-branded laptop series
It's getting to be that time of the year where all the kids and teenagers flock to retail and spend copious amounts on back-to-school gear. Best Buy knows this cycle all too well, and has hand-picked a quartet laptops to showcase for its Next Class branded lineup. So what do these laptops have? Anywhere from a 14 to 15.5-inch screen, bundled Microsoft Office and 12 to 15 months of antivirus software, Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 3GB DDR3 or 4GB DDR2 memory, 320GB HDD, a sub-six pound weight, and a three to six hour battery life. Each of the four have their own merits, from Toshiba's $650 price tag to Dell's 4.7 pound body, but to us the HP Pavilion DV4 and Sony VAIO NW stand out. Of course, you could cast your net a little wider and shop around for all kinds of different models yourself, but if you're feeling particularly lazy, this isn't a bad set to pick from.Read - Press releaseRead - Next Class website
Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXIII: VAIO W netbook clone handily beats Sony to market
Turns out by the time Sony went official with its inaugural VAIO W netbook, it was already old news to the Chinese KIRF market. The "VAIO" pictured above apparently came out some time in mid-June and does a laudable job of honoring the actual one's chassis, although the keyboard is more traditional than Sony's isolated / chiclet stylings. Throw in a 10.2-inch LED display, 1.6GHz Atom processor, integrated graphics, a 160GB HDD, 1GB RAM, and decently convincing packaging and you'd be liable to think you went through a time warp spotting this in Shenzhen. It's got a pretty sizable head start on the legit version, but something tells us this particular model won't be trying its luck elsewhere in the world.[Via PMP Today and Cloned in China]
Sony VAIO W hands-on roundup
Looks like our friends across the pond were among the lucky few to get a their hands on Sony's VAIO W netbook -- that still feels weird to write -- and the big takeaway here is that despite its size, the 10.1-inch, 1366 x 768 resolution screen is gorgeous. As for video, though, it's still an Atom-powered portable with integrated Intel GMA graphics, meaning smooth HD is more or less out of the question. The good news if it pans out, however, is that Sony will likely offer a 2GB RAM update, which should help out a bit. There was also near-universal love for the keyboard, with PC Pro being the lone exception, decreeing it just average when compared to what the Samsung N110 offered. Battery life couldn't be tested, and as for price? Well, no one seemed too bothered by the £400 tag, but we still maintain our own reservations until we get some time with it ourselves. You want more? A platter of impressions await you just below.Read - PC ProRead - TechRadarRead - Stuff.tvRead - What Laptop
Sony VAIO W netbook now official in US, coming August for $499
Not so much of a surprise now, but Sony's bringing its 10.1-inch VAIO W stateside as well, and yes, according to the Sony reps we talked to, this time they really do mean to call it a netbook, unlike its VAIO P brethren. Likewise, with that nomenclature comes none too surprising specs, including a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 160GB HDD, 1GB RAM, Windows XP, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n, VGA out, two USB ports, Ethernet, webcam, and MemoryStick / SD card readers. The three cell battery should last an estimated three hours, and like usual there's also an option for six cell. That isolated (read: chiclet) keyboard is said to be 86% the size of a normal typing surface, and the aforementioned bundled VAIO Media plus software enables content streaming across DLNA-enabled devices like the PC or PlayStation 3. Now for what's missing: the reps stressed this an "in-home" product for them, and as such there's no talk of 3G or GPS, nor should hold your breath for an optical drive or SSD option. The company stressed the hardware's build quality here, and while we'll have to wait until we get our hands on to validate, like we said before, the pics aren't exactly flattering when you look at what the competition is producing. All that's left to discuss for now is the release date, pricing, and color options, so in order: just around the $500 mark, mid-August, and berry pink, sugar white and cocoa brown. Welcome to the bottom, guys. Full press release after the break.
Sony unveils 15.5-inch VAIO NW with BD-ROM and $880 price tag, we go hands-on
Sony announced today a new entry into its VAIO series, the NW, complete with a Blu-ray drive and what they're hoping is an aggressive pricing point. It's packing a 15.5-inch WXGA display with XBRITE, 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350, ATI Mobility Radeon HD4570 with 512MB VRAM, a 4x BD-ROM drive, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, webcam, 802.11a/b/g/n, a 400GB HDD, and a Li-ion battery that's at best 5.5 hours in large capacity and at worst 1.5 hours with the standard-sized version. Port-wise, we've got VGA and HDMI output and Memory Stick Pro, ExpressCard, and SD card slots. We got a chance to get some hands-on time with the portable, and we gotta say, it's a pretty impressive little number. It's not the most slender 15-incher, but at six pounds, it's lighter than we expected. The chiclet keys -- dubbed "isolated keyboard" by Sony PR -- are comfortable to use, as is the textured trackpad. Body and hinge felt sturdy, with an intentionally rugged and stylistic feel to it, and as one rep was excited to show, the metallic "Vaio" logo on the back makes a great reflection in the sun. From what we saw, Blu-ray playback was smooth, but we did notice horizontal viewing angles weren't the best. We'll reserve judgment when we get some play time with the unit and see how hard we can push the software, but for now we're pretty happy with what we've seen. Starting price isn't too shabby, at $880 equipped with the BD-ROM and $800 without, and it comes in three colors: white, grey, and dark brown. Striking your fancy? Look for it to ship out pretty quickly, as in some time next month.
