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Sony VAIO Z21 Series mentioned on various European sites, isn't actually for sale yet
Here in the states, Sony's 13-inch VAIO Z series has been missing from the company's online store for months, but in Europe, at least, it lives on -- a quartet of Z21 series laptops have surfaced on various e-tailers as the possible successor to last year's Z11. So far, we're seeing a pair of configurations with a Core i5-2410M processor and 128GB of solid-state storage and two more with a Core i7-2620M CPU and 256GB in storage. Judging by this sample, at least, 1600 x 900 resolution is standard, as is a backlit keyboard, 3G SIM card slot, fingerprint reader, 3D output, and an HD webcam with Sony's Exmor imaging technology. Alas, the available specs suggest Thunderbolt's a no-show, though rumor has it Sony's implementation of Intel's Light Peak technology will use USB connectors, of which this has three. Here's to wishful thinking, right? The peculiar thing is, you can't actually buy it yet. F2F lists staggering prices ranging from €1,809 ($2,642) to €2,839 ($4,146), though it's not, in fact, available. Meanwhile, search results turn up mentions on staticICE UK and Belgium's Execute, but they've been scrubbed from the actual pages. So, it looks like it's up to Sony to announce this already -- and dish up some pictures while it's at it. [Thanks, Ihor]
Best Buy slaps Blue Label on Sony and Toshiba laptops, packed to the exhaust vents with extras
That fancy new Toshiba E305 we checked out back in January is up for pre-order now, and it's brought along a friend from Sony (the VPCSC1AFM/S) to join the Best Buy-exclusive Blue Label party. In terms of specs the two machines are practically identical -- both boast a 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hybrid hard disk, a Blu-ray drive, WiDi (and an adapter for your TV from Netgear), and a WiMAX radio. The big differences between the two PCs are price and size, with the 14-inch Toshiba weighing in just under 5 pounds and costing $900, while the Sony squeezes in under the 4-pound mark for $950. Considering the wealth of extras, including a year of Kaspersky anti-virus, 90 days of Geek Squad support, and an extended two-year warranty, the Blue Label machines are actually a pretty good bang for your buck and cost about $100 less than comparably equipped systems from their respective makers. If you don't care about things like Blu-ray or WiMAX, and distrust the Geek Squad though, you could save yourself some cash by skipping on these pre-configured models and going with a customized rig from Sony or Toshiba directly. PR after the break.
Sony VAIO S arrives stateside, brings along an advanced extended battery
Oh, you were worried Sony wasn't going to release its new VAIO S ultraportable in the US? Okay, so it has taken the company a bit longer to prep the 13.3-inch laptop for its American debut, but it's here and it looks like it was well worth the wait. While Sony is holding that it will not replace the VAIO Z Series, which has just recently gone out of stock on Sony's website, there's no denying that it fills a similar high-end ultraportable spot. Don't be fooled by its inch-thick profile, it packs a serious amount of horsepower -- like the UK version, it will be configurable with Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, AMD Radeon HD 6630 graphics with 1GB of VRAM (sadly, there's still a physical toggle for switching), Blu-ray, and a range of SSDs. As you can tell from the image above, the design drops the circular hinge of previous VAIOs, but the 3.8-pound machine is still made of magnesium and aluminum, has a backlit keyboard, while also sporting the option of a unique slice battery that meshes with the overall aesthetic. However, that $150 extended cell isn't just any old battery -- it's said to provide a total of 15 hours of battery life when latched onto the bottom of the system and additionally it comes with its own adapter so it can be charged separately from the entire rig. Yep, this one is filled to the brim with the latest and greatest, and even better it doesn't seem terribly overpriced -- the $979 starting model packs a Core i5-2410 processor, those aforementioned AMD graphics, and a 320GB hard drive. It should be available for pre-order later today and we're hoping to bring you a full review of it soon, but until then we have a few hands-on shots of the laptop back at CES below.
Sony VAIO CA and CB pack the latest Core i5 power for those who can look past the neon
We're aware, the "exclusive" green and orange neon color of Sony's VAIO CB and CA laptops can make your eyes bleed, but Sony's pretty excited about the aesthetic and the way it radiates light around the edges of the laptop. Oh, and don't forget how the touchpad "emits a beautiful glow." It's true, the rigs do have an interesting glow stick-like look to them -- at least, we thought so when we saw them last month -- however, we found their innards and features to be more enlightening. Starting at $800, the 14-inch CA10 and 15.5-inch CB10 will both be available with Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5 processors, AMD Radeon HD 6630 graphics, and Blu-ray drives. Select models will also pack Intel's WiDi 2.0, which lets you stream 1080p video to your TV. And remember Sony's Remote Keyboard, which lets you navigate your PS3 or Bravia TV with the laptop? Yep, the CA and CB both have that functionality baked in as well. What's that? You'd be interested if they didn't blind you? What if we also told you they will come in black and white? We thought that might change your mind, and according to the official press release below there will indeed be alternative color versions. You'll be able to pre-order them both on March 13th, but until then you can always see if the neon grows on you with the photos below. %Gallery-117252%
Sony VAIO S Series get an updated design, Core i5-2410M CPU and Radeon HD 6470M graphics
Excuse us for a moment while we ponder Sony's product naming scheme. The company's VAIO S thin-and-light laptop range got upgraded specs at CES this January, which also happened to be the place and time that we first laid eyes on a set of "prototype" machines that seemed to target the same market segment. Lo and behold, after making some cameos at European online listings, the newly redesigned Sony 13-inchers are here, only they're still called... the VAIO S Series. For the trouble of figuring out which is which, you'll be rewarded with a 3.9-pound mobile computer with a 1366 x 768 screen, a 500GB hard drive, 4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 RAM, 802.11n WiFi, optional VAIO "everywair" 3G, a Radeon HD 6470M GPU with up to 1GB of dedicated memory, and what will presumably be a selection of Core i5 CPUs from Intel (at present we're only seeing the i5-2410M listed). Windows 7 is the inevitable OS on board, though Sony's enhanced it with a Fast Boot sequence that's said to halve the usual bootup time. Launch is scheduled for the end of March and you'll find a full spec sheet and release after the break. %Gallery-117288%
Sony VAIO YB now shipping AMD Fusion to your door for $600
The wait on AMD's Fusion has been so long that we feel like we should pop open the bubbly every time another laptop ships with it. Latest off the assembly line is Sony's VAIO YB series, which gives you a 1.6GHz processor to make similarly-clocked Atoms AMD-green with envy, 4GB of RAM and 500GB of hard drive space, an 11.6-inch glossy screen with 1366 x 768 resolution, and up to six hours of battery life for $599.99. It's available in silver and pink varieties today, or you can wait a little while longer for Amazon to get stock of its lower-specced variant, with 2GB of RAM and 320GB of storage, which will cost you $50 less. See more of the VAIO YB in our CES hands-on gallery below. %Gallery-112579%
Sony delivers customizable VAIO S laptops, choices abound!
Hot on the heels of Sony's CES announcement that the VAIO S is getting some new silicon, it turns out that more changes in its ultraportable PC are on the way. Per the company blog, you will now be able to customize your system instead of buying off the rack. Not all options are as plentiful as we'd like (color is limited to black or silver), but you can choose to add a Blu-ray writable drive, a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 310 graphics card (though choosing this option means you don't get WiDi), up to a 256GB solid state drive, and up to 8GB of RAM. For going the tailored route, you can also get a free upgrade to a Core i5-480M processor if you opt for Windows 7 Professional. Prices for a made-to-order VAIO S start at $874.99 and escalate quickly once you start adding all the fixins.
Sony VAIO Y picks up AMD Fusion, S Series gets some Intel cores
Oh yes, it's a laptop processor war here at CES with AMD's new Fusion APUs and Intel's fresh Sandybridge CPUs gunning for core territory, but Sony's not pickin' sides when it comes to its new seriously mobile VAIOs. Kicking it off on the lower end is the 11.6-inch, 3.2-pound VAIO YB Series, which is being refreshed with AMD's Brazos E350 APU. Sony doesn't consider the YB to be a netbook -- in fact, it doesn't plan to continue with its netbook line after this quarter -- but like most of these other Fusion systems (see: HP dm1 and Acer AO 522) the Y promises long battery life along with really solid graphics. Actually, according to the product manager, the platform has been out performing Intel's Pentium processors. The system will be available with Windows 7 Home Premium, 320GB or 500GB hard drives, and 4GB of RAM -- as you would expect, the $549 base configuration only gets 2GB of RAM and 320GB of storage. The Intel-powered YA Series will still be available with a Core i5 processor option for close to $750. (Note: We got some hands-on time with the YB Series before it was released, check out the hands-on here.) So, what does Sony have in store on the more powerful ultraportable end? The 13.3-inch VAIO S series is a four-pound Core i3-powered ultraportable clad in a durable magnesium casing. It doesn't seem to be configurable with discrete graphics, but it will have WiDi. That enough for ya? Hit the break for the press releases if you're looking for more. %Gallery-112287%
Mysterious Sony VAIO tablet PC drops by the FCC
Well, would you look at what we found lounging around the FCC -- it's a Sony tablet PC, alright, but the problem is we just don't know much more than that. Filed just today and submitted by a VAIO Business Group representative, the elusive tablet seems to be WiFi-only with 802.11b/g plus single band n, and it's likely to come in a few different flavors as there are a few confusing model numbers listed. Do PCG-31211L, PCG-31311L, PCG-312xxL (where 'x' can be any given number or letter) mean anything to you? Unfortunately, that's really all we can glean from the documents -- beyond the label you're peering at above, Sony has managed to keep the external photos, user manual, and test setup pics confidential until January 20th. Of course, that has us thinking that it might show its touchscreen self at CES, which means until then, we'll be dreaming up magical specs and features for this thing. Care to partake in that wonderful pastime? Dream big in the comments. Update: We just heard from a proven Sony source of ours who claims that this is actually a mismarked Sony VAIO Y series laptop and that there won't be a VAIO tablet unveil at CES. Doesn't sound too promising, but there's no telling what will actually go down in Vegas...
Sony updates VAIO F, E, and L with shiny new silicon, a pinch of Blu-ray and some denser screens
Fall is fully upon us and winter around the bend, which can only mean one thing -- time for Sony to refresh its alphabet soup of Vaio laptops with some seasonal upgrades. First and foremost, the 16.4-inch VAIO F is getting a kick in the graphical department -- just as expected, you can grab a GeForce GT 425M 1GB for a nominal $50 fee -- and there's a pair of standard-issue USB 3.0 ports to power some potent peripherals. The Vaio L touchscreen all-in-one, meanwhile, is getting a Blu-ray burner at the $2,199 level, and both the VAIO EA and VAIO EB have access to 2.53GHz Core i5-460M and 2.66GHz Core i5-580M processors for $130 and $230 premiums, respectively, as well as ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics for a mere $100. Last but not least, the EB and EC can trade in their weak 1366 x 768 displays for 1920 x 1080 full HD panels nearly worthy of Paul Miller's enthusiasm, and until October 9th that particular $50 upgrade costs you the very reasonable price of free.
Intel Core i5-580M and Core i7-640M highlight Sony's Asian laptop refresh
Sony's decided to litter its Asian portal with a smattering of blood-red "coming soon" signs, signifying an unannounced but seemingly very real wave of laptop refreshes. The F Series gets to play with NVIDIA's new 425M mobile GPU, but the real hotness is to be found in the Z Series, which get access to 2.8GHz Core i7-640M and 2.66GHz Core i5-580M CPU options from Intel. You'll recognize both as mostly roadmap fodder until now, and they're joined by the i5-560M, which makes its debut on a couple of Sony's midrange consumer lines. Basically, it's a whole lot of new silicon in what look like the same old enclosures, but that's not going to stop us from speccing out a Quad SSD-equipped VAIO Z just for the fun of it. We can probably expect these upgrades to journey westward soon as well, so why not hit the source link for a little bit of advance reconnaissance? [Thanks, Wes]
Sony thinks E Color is the new black, gives you a whole site's worth to choose from
If your gear isn't pushing the performance envelope, you typically have to resort to alternative means for attracting those precious customers. Sony's newish VAIO E series is an exponent of just such a philosophy, with its lurid colorings and replaceable keyboard skins. The company's decided to take things up a notch, however, by now offering a Color Combo site where we can combine the gnarliest hue mismatches this side of Colorware. The chromatic choices include the laptop's case and keyboard as well as the additions of a wireless mouse and a reversible sleeve. Everything that isn't bolted down to the computer will of course cost you extra, but will you really let a little bit of cash stand between you and that magenta dream machine?
Sony VAIO EC Series review (VPCEC25FX/WI)
Sony's always had a knack for making some of the best multimedia laptops around, and the VAIO EC Series is all about continuing the trend. The desk-dominating 17.3-inch laptop is a monster of a machine, and has the internal guns to match – it's got a Core i3 processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics card, 4GB of RAM, 500GB of storage and a Blu-ray drive. For $949.99, there are definitely more affordable desktop replacements on the market, but can Sony's usual superior manufacturing build, design and multimedia prowess elevate it above the others? Hit that 'read more' link to find out in our full review. %Gallery-96938%
If I couldn't use a Mac
Joshua Piven's The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook sits on my desk. The book provides instructions on how to deal with certain scenarios, say wrestling yourself free from an alligator or landing an airplane. What it doesn't provide, however, is a guide for going without your Mac and using a Windows-based PC, which is a worst-case scenario for many TUAW readers. What if I was forced to use a PC notebook? What would I use?
Sony selling AMD powered VAIOs for the first time in years
We've been keeping a close eye on AMD's big laptop comeback over the last couple of months, and in addition to gaining steam with HP, Dell, Toshiba and Lenovo, it appears AMD's also gotten Sony back into its court. Both Fry's and Best Buy are now carrying AMD Athlon II X2-powered machines, and as you may expect, the prices are quite tempting. Conversely, the Intel-based lineup ranges from $699 to $799, but until we get our hands on one of these ourselves, there isn't exactly a fair comparison to draw at this point. You can hit the source links for the complete specs, but the 15.4-inch EE Series with 4GB of RAM / 320GB of storage and a Blu-ray player is going for $650 while the 17.3-inch EF with a 500GB hard drive for $720. Both also have integrated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 graphics, but regardless, the move certainly bodes well for AMD's newest processor / graphics, since it appears that Sony hasn't used AMD in its systems since 2005. We guess a welcome back hug is in order.
Sony VAIO Y and Z Series morph into MiFis with Share My Connection
Well, this is certainly something that makes sense for laptops. Taking a page from the MiFi and smartphones like the Palm Pre, select Sony VAIO Z and Y series laptops will soon be available with a Share My Connect (SMC) feature, which -- you guessed it -- turns the machines into WiFi hotspots. In the U.S. the ultraportables will be available with Verizon mobile broadband, and big red's signal can be shared with up to five devices. It's unclear how much extra this feature will cost you, but at least it makes the dedicated laptop mobile broadband charge a bit more digestible given the fact that you can share it with other gadgets. Obviously, Windows and Mac software has enabled this sort of thing for awhile, but Sony's SMC clearly makes it easy for the end user to set it all up. In other news, the Sony Y series has also been adorned in the colors of the rainbow and will feature Intel's newest Core i3 and i5 ULV processors. No updates to the VAIO Z at this point, but that could be because it's pretty close to perfect. That's all we've got folks, though you can always peruse the press release after the break. %Gallery-95533%
Sony's second-gen VAIO P now available for pre-order
Sony's VAIO P certainly isn't for everyone but, if it's for you, you can now finally get your pre-order in for the latest version on the SonyStyle website. Contrary to what we had heard earlier, however, the luxury netbook now starts at $899.99 (not $799), which will still get you the same Atom Z530 processor and 2GB of RAM, but a larger 128GB SSD -- the expected 64GB option is seemingly nowhere to be found. You can rest assured that the neon green, hot pink and electric orange color options are all still available, though. Look for it to start shipping around June 25th. [Thanks, Chris]
Sony VAIO J joins the touchscreen all-in-one ranks
On the surface it doesn't look like much separates Sony's new 21.5-inch VAIO J all-in-one from the growing number of touchscreen AIOs on the market, but it's definitely one of the more head-turning options out there. Like its 24-inch L Series, the VAIO J has a 1920x1080-resolution display and a Blu-ray drive, but the larger model now packs a 2.66GHz Intel Core i7-620M CPU, up to 8GB of RAM, and NVIDIA discrete graphics options with 512 vRAM. It also has a 7,200rpm 500GB hard drive and boots Windows 7 Premium, though Sony has added its touch-friendly Media Gallery software layer. The best news? While the L starts at $1,300, the J will arrive next month with a $900 starting price. Sure, there are cheaper models out there, but when doesn't Sony demand a few extra bucks for its good looks? On that note, we'll leave you with some polished press shots and the full PR after the break. %Gallery-94645%
Sony VAIO EA and EC Series excite with colors and Core i3
You've really got a thing for florescent these days, don't ya Sony? Just like its colorful 15.5-inch EB series, Sony's new 14-inch VAIO EA and 17.3-inch EC Series are available in colors that can only remind us of 80's workout attire, including bright green, blue, and pink. Though (thankfully!) for us more conservative types, the two new lines are also available in a matte white, brown and black. The budget systems ring up at around $700, and both feature a Core i3 350M CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive and Windows 7 Home Premium. There is a Blu-ray option and an onboard HDMI port. Sony's also gone and added its own instant-on OS, which is launched by hitting the WEB button above the keyboard. Our favorite part about the two machines? Funny enough it has nothing to do with the laptops themselves -- it happens to be the rubber keyboard skins that Sony will sell for $25 along side these lappies for keeping the chiclet keyboards safe from crumbs and everyday ware. Both models will be up for pre-order today, though will ship in July. %Gallery-94643%
Sony's VAIO W Billabong hits US shores June 11th, $500 buys you a ride
Remember the boardshort-inspired VAIO W Billabong netbook that surfaced in Australia last week? The limited edition lappy's headed stateside, too, and its Imperial Lime lid and faster 1.83GHz Atom N470 CPU will only cost you $50 more than the stock model. Mind you, this is otherwise the same pricy VAIO W that wasn't worth five Benjamins last fall, but if you're the type that dreams of barreling down a tunnel of deep blue ocean nightly, we suppose the occasional concession can't hurt. Now available for preorder via the source link, the mini-notebook ships June 11th; PR after the break.
