Sony joins Netbook game with the Vaio W
(Credit:
Sony)
Forget Sony's CES protestations that it wasn't interested in doing a Netbook. Forget, even, the impressively overreaching Vaio P ("Don't call it a Netbook!") Lifestyle PC. Sony has finally caved to market demand and is introducing what the company calls, "a chic new line of mini notebooks."
The Sony Vaio W is a 10.1-inch Netbook, with an Intel Atom N280 CPU, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP, and a 160GB hard drive--all fairly common specs for the category. But many laptops with similar specs run $299-$399, while Sony says the Vaio W "will retail for about $500." How does it justify that hefty premium?
It's a gamble, but Sony is attempting to do what many Netbook makers wish they could do--introduce a higher-priced "premium" version of a Netbook. To that end, the Vaio W packs in a higher-resolution screen at 1,366x768. There's also 802.11n Wi-Fi, a separate Memory Stick slot (on top of the standard SD card slot), Bluetooth, and Sony's typical fit and finish, which usually includes excellent keyboards and touchpads.
Sony's proprietary media software should also help the system connect to other DLNA devices easily, including the PlayStation 3.
The Vaio W is 1.3 inches thick, weighs 2.6 pounds, and will come in three colors--berry pink, sugar white, and cocoa brown. If that would make for an awkward conversation with a retail store clerk, you can probably just ask for it in plain old pink, white, or brown, and they'd be able to figure it out. The system is available for pre-order from Sony starting Tuesday, and should be arriving in retail stores sometime next month.
Click through for a couple of additional shots.
(Credit:
Sony)
(Credit:
Sony)
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan. 
For the wind, there is 1gb sodered to the mobo, and an empty memory slot to put a 1gb stick. For the eee pc, there is a 1gb stick in the slot, so you have to take it out and add a 2gb.
=====Actually, it's not. You can buy a 2 gig upgrade kit for any Netbook=====
As I understand it, retailers cannot sell the XP netbook with more than 1GB of RAM... the upgrade kit mentioned is 3rd party. The 1GB limit is part of the ULCPC agreement, I think.
You can always upgrade the ram yourself. But I think Dan means that Microsoft is controlling the specs of the machine that XP can be sold on in stores (so as not to compete with the vista market). This is why the Vaio P had to run Vista and completely killed the baby CPU.
...incredible.
Wrong on two counts; Dan is correct, 1GB limit is mandated by Microsoft but that doesn't mean you can't upgrade the memory on your own BUT this is where you are wrong again, this particular netbook max's out at 1GB.
Must be tough going through life wrong most of the time..........
Who knows what motherboard they are using?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2034940772+1722845171&QksAutoSuggestion=&Configurator=&Subcategory=772&description=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&srchInDesc=
I googled (I can't believe spell checker doesn't think "googled" is a word yet =) ) around a bit and didn't find anything about a 1gb limit for the w series. Perhaps you could point us to where you obtained this information?
as mentioned MICROSOFT mandates the 1gb memory for XP and all those netbooks you listed are VISTA thereby proving his point.
I dont know where hawk got the idea that the W series is already maxed out
I would STRONGLY advise anyone to seriously protest this by not buying it. If "n" wireless is important to you, get a better priced netbook and spend an extra few bucks on an adapter, not this. Same holds for the memory stick slot (if you even use memory sticks).
I've grown tired of Sony and their pricey-for-nothing business model. I believe they need to be boycotted until they either return to their senses or simply go out of business.
FYI
I would think that you can add in as much RAM as desired (1GB, 2GB, or 4GB modules), especially if you plan to upgrade Win-XP/Vista to newer versions of Windows operating systems.
"flame on"Jonathan "Johnny" Lowell Spencer Storm
I agree, Sony does like to play into that perception that cost always, necessarily equates to quality. With Sony that might have actually been true at one time, but that has eroded over the past several years. I don't buy ANYTHING Sony anymore.
You sound like a Sony hater. Your post is wrong in several areas. First you can't stream 1080p currently, and Blu-ray is growing not dying. What you said in your post is pretty much a flat out lie.
I do agree that netbook technology will seem dated in the next few years though. I disagree what you said about Sony and quality. I've bought a few Sony items in my life and most have proven to last quite awhile.
- by Tomofumi July 9, 2009 2:02 AM PDT
- apart from the SONY logo, i don't see much difference from other cheap netbooks. And the higher res LCD does not make sense for an Atom 280 CPU without any HW video acceleration at all. (In my eeepc netbook, 720p h264 barely watchable under Atom 280 by disable many decode options like B-frames...)
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