Sony Vaio P unveiled- smaller than but not a netbook
The Sony press event is going on right now but the embargo has lifted on the information about the new Vaio P notebook we told you about. The Vaio P is as small as the littlest netbooks but packs a lot more features (and price) than the netbook crowd.
That insane screen resolution we first reported about turns out to be true so it’s not clear how easy it will be to read things on the small screen. Here are the full specs:
OS: Windows Vista
CPU: 1.33-GHz Z530 Intel Atom
Memory: 2GB RAM
Hard Drive: 60GB (standard), 64GB and 128GB SSD options
Display: 8 inches (1600 x 768 pixels)
Ports: 2 USB ports, headphone, included dongle adds connectivity for VGA, Ethernet, and additional USB
Slots: SD, MS
Size: 9.6 x 4.7 x 0.78 inches
Weight: 1.4 pounds
The pricing on the Vaio P starts at $899 and shoots up to $1,499 with full options on board.
(via Laptop Magazine)
I’m curious how folks feel about this since under the hood, it’s the same basic platform as the Kohjinsha SC3.
Shame about the OS… any XP ‘downgrade’ available?
At 1.5 to 3 x the cost of the MSI Wind however, it might struggle finding a firm footfall.
That screen resolution is going to hurt, I think. It’s too small to work on a 8″ screen unless you’re very young or have Superman eyes.
Still, it’s enough to make me want to put my grubby fingers on it and test drive it.
How humble of Sony to call it the P series, in remembrance of the Psion dare I say?
It’s a great form-factor, dead on with the HP Jornadas from the 90’s, but I struggle to keep using a keyboard design from those days, especially when the HP 2133/2140 has nailed it for keyboard, screen res, can be used for real work, and comes in at $700 less fully loaded.
Fans of the old Jornada will be grabbing these I suspect, and it’s size/weight does make it pocketable. But for a PC that’s meant to be pocketable in the first place, I would prefer the design of the old UX series, the Fujitsu U820 or the OQO – something I can hold and type without having to sit down at a table.
What are the wireless options, especially on the $899 model?
Vista, slow Z-series Atom, 1.8″ HDD, as wide as most netbooks (not jacket pocketable), nipple instead of optical pointer, resolution actually to high, priced to high, no mention of battery life?
i’m actually shocked how badly Sony has messed this device up. Sony just seems completely out of touch with whats going on in todays world. there is no way this device will be able to compete with netbooks in terms of sales, if Sony only expects niche sales then maybe it could be a success.
Hopefully you’ll be able to swing by the Sony booth and provide feedback. The dot pitch on the display is only slightly larger than the Sony UX-series, which gave me a headache. It’s a nice package, but seems to be too expensive for a companion product (PDA replacement), and too underpowered for a business laptop. I expect it to be a niche product (the “responsible” purchase for enthusiasts who would buy a $3k-$4k Sony TT if the economy was better).
Full specs available at sony web site:
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644608896
It’s a Sony Picturebook! I always loved mine.
i wonder how comfortable a device thats so wide/narrow + super high resolution would be to use for long periods of time. i can imagine ALOT of back hunching over & eye squinting. to top it all off, the biggest flaw is that it cant be used vertically (which would make the size & resolution acceptable).
it’s almost as if Sony has no idea what they are actually doing.
This thing looks like a beautiful mess of a computer.
It’s a damn shame they didn’t throw some decent specs, at a decent price, into this thing. I imagine we’ll be talking about this model in the past tense not to far down the road.
It sure is pretty, though.
@luscious
The “P” in in reference to the Sony Picturebook, not Psion.
Up to 9 hours of battery life when using the optional large battery.
Full review in japanese with pictures and videos:
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2009/0108/hotrev395.htm
The “P” actually means Pocketable. You can see a guy putting the P in his pockeet.
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2009/0108/hotrev_07.jpg
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2009/0108/hotrev_08.jpg
@tnkgrl
You can preorder at SonyStyle.com but it appears the $899 model includes 3G.
any pics of it with the extended battery?
The Sony Vaio Japan site has a side-by-side comparison (1/2 way down the page). It doesn’t look to bad, IMO.
http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/P1/feat3.html#InstantMode
And, being Sony, its twice the price it should be for the specs offered.
Sony fanboys will argue you’re paying for the quality and finish (oh wait, isn’t that the same sad, deluded argument used by Macoyltes?), but as someone who has worked in an industry with lots of professional Sony equipment about, let’s just say price does not necessarily equate with quality or durability – at least, not any more.
Meanwhile, a netbook? Nah. At $900, its closer to competition for the Macbook.
The price isn’t that bad. It’s still around $900 even when you select 64G SSD. Is there any netbook out there with 64G SSD?
Where are you getting $900 with SSD? All the configs I see on the Sony web site are $900 with 60GB HD, $1200 with 64GB SSD and $1500 with 128GB SSD.
@ ken
Sure there is. The Dell Mini 9 can be configured with a 64GB SSD.
Hey,
No 3G SIM Slot ?
Integrated EV-DO, no word on HSDPA support, so no SIM card slot.
@ken
the review indicates an atom Z540 (1.83ghz) version (check the benchmarks)
i hope sony usa will offer it as an option
also 16.5mm keys don’t sound too bad