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Sony intros upgraded and drip-proof VAIO G-Series laptop
It looks like Sony's found yet more room for improvement in its VAIO G-Series ultra-portable laptop, and not just in terms of the usual spec bumps. While it certainly has that front covered, it's also mangaged to squeeze in some newfangled water-proofing measures, which apparently discharges water through a "water pit" at the rear of the laptop, and can even shut down the laptop when there's too much water for it to handle. As for the more conventional upgrades, the laptop is now available with your choice of 48GB or 64GB SSD drives in addition to the previous 32GB one, and your choice of U7600 or U7500 Core 2 Duo processors, with lower-voltage Core Solo processors apparently still an option. As with the previous models, however, this one's still only available in Japan, where it'll set you back between ¥154,800 and ¥275,000 depending on the configuration (or roughly $1,350 to $2,400).[Via Akihabara News]
Sony's 12.1-inch VAIO G bunged with SSD
The ultimate in ultra-portable lust just reached a whole new level of sexy. Sony's VAIO G1 is now available with a 32GB Solid State Disk option. That's right; silent, durable, lickity-quick SSD making this the world's lightest 12.1-inch laptop at just 1.89-pounds. Hell, it even extends the standard 6-hour battery an additional 30 minutes or 12.5-hours off its fat, extended-use cousin. Of course, the SSD will cost ya: a ¥65,000 (about $545) price premium over the staid, 40GB hard disk option. But damn, it's tempting.[Via Impress]
Sony's G11 12.1-incher brings carbon fiber and battery life to Europe
Alright, now we're feeling a little left out. It was one thing for Japan to get the Vaio G before everyone else, it is Sony's home turf after all, so how can we begrudge them launching this skinny little number there first? But now that Europe is getting its very own version of the Vaio G, the G11, we're starting to think Sony doesn't love us anymore. All the same, undeserving as Europe might be, there's some fancy new stuff in the G11, so we'll try not to get too caught up in the unfairness of it all. The most notable aesthetic difference is that new black lid color, but there's more to this case than meets the eye: there's a 90cm drop rating (Europe's elitist way of saying 35-inches) thanks to the carbon fiber casing, which is pretty dang good for a laptop with no visible signs of toughening. Sony gives this laptop an "on-the-road" battery rating of 9 hours -- as if Europe has roads -- but Japan was rating its own at 6 and 12.5 hours, so we're not sure what's changed. Improvements under the hood include a speedier Intel ULV Core Solo U1500 1.33GHz processor and a 100GB HDD. There's also a super-multi DVD burner, 12.1-inch XGA LCD with LED backlight technology, and Windows Vista Business preloaded. The standard VGN-G11XN/B model comes with 1GB of RAM, while the VGN-G11VN/T boasts of 2GB and swaps the gray lid for brown one. No specifics on price, but with specs like these and a business-oriented target market, it ain't going to be cheap.[Via Core Duo News]
Sony VAIO G1 laptop reviewed
Sony's sleek little VAIO G1 laptop may still only officially be available in Japan, but that didn't stop the folks at LAPTOP Magazine from getting their hands on one for a full review. As you'd no doubt expect, the laptop immediately impresses, tipping the scales at a featherweight 2.1 pounds and lighting things up with the familiar 12.1-inch display that some of us still find to be the best balance of size and portability, although it unfortunately doesn't get Sony's trademark XBRITE treatment. They found that the rest of the laptop's specs mostly delivered the goods as well, with the low-power Core Solo processor providing a reasonable trade-off between performance and battery life, the 80GB hard drive providing adequate storage, and the integrated DVD burner making a welcome appearance in a laptop this size. All but the least demanding users will probably want to opt for a memory upgrade though, with the standard 512MB unlikely to cut it for most, especially those planning on upgrading to Vista. Also coming up a bit short was the laptop's keyboard, which is about 90 percent smaller than the average laptop's and could take some getting used to. Of course, the price of all that portability comes at quite a premium, and you'll have to decide if $2,599 is too much to ask to lighten your load a bit.
Sony's Vaios prepped for Vista: updates to T, F, F TV, G, A, S, and U models
Sony just coughed up their new Vista-enabled VAIO lineup for Japan. The biggest news here is that the latest T, F, F TV, G, S, and type U ultra-portable all come pre-loaded with Vista starting January 30th. Otherwise, we're just looking at minor spec jumps and color changes. On the color tip, the 11.1-inch Vaio T (pictured) now hits in your choice of Bordeaux, green or rose; the Vaio U can now be ordered in blue when opting for the 32GB SSD model; and the 12.1-inch Vaio G sports a new premium brown carbon fiber chassis in addition to black. Models touting a bump in specs include the 13.3-inch Vaio S which now features a 2.33GHz T7600 Core 2 Duo processor; the 17-inch Vaio A now maxed out with the T7200 Core 2 Duo proc; the 15.4-inch Vaio F series sportin' a 1.66GHz T2300 Core Duo and nVidia GeForce Go 7600; and the 15.4-inch Vaio F TV now with a terrestrial tuner built standard into all models with the top-ender packing a T7400 Core 2 Duo processor, 200GB of disk, and webcam. All hit Japan starting January 30th. Pics of the other models after the break.
Sony Vaio G: 1.98-pounds of 12.1-inch laptop coming at ya
Oh sweet, sweet VAIO G... welcome. Weighing just 898-grams / 1.98-pounds, and sporting the same hard angles (new trend, Sony?) seen in their top-end projectors, this stealthy laptop features a 12.1-inch, 1024x768 display, a choice Celeron or Core Solo 1.06GHz U1300 or 1.2GHz U1400 processors, integrated Intel 945GMS Express graphics, up to 80GB of disk and 1.5GB memory, 6-hour battery, fingerprint reader, 802.11a/b/g WiFi and Bluetooth, and the usual array of in and outs including USB 2.0, a multi-format memory card and PCMCIA slot. A version sporting a dual-layer DVD burner and 6-cell battery sporting a 12.5-magical-hours capacity is also available but bumps the weight to a still feathery 1,145-grams / 2.52-pounds. And it's all packed into a tough carbon shell measuring 277 × 215 × 23.5~25.5-mm / 10.9 × 8.5 × 0.9~1.0-inches. Available starting December 2 in Japan for ¥215,000 (about $1,836) on up to ¥245,000 (about $2,093) full equipped. Hoozah!
