Misty-eyed Sony issues Vaio anniversary laptop

(Credit: Sony)

Talk about feeling old. We can scarcely believe it's been 10 years since we bought a Sony T505 laptop, one of the smallest in its class at the time. (Actually two of them, to be exact, after dropping the first one and cracking the screen.)

So it is with both fond and very painful memories that we herald the "10th Anniversary Limited Edition" of the laptop, which was key to Sony's success in the computer industry when many doubted its ability to make the transition from consumer electronics.

The special edition, which will be limited to 505 computers on the Japanese market, has been updated with a Core Duo chip and up to 2GB of memory--a tad better than the 300MHz Pentium and 256MB RAM in the original we purchased. Its design has a few new accents but retains the laser-etched logo and metallic purple hue that was almost shocking amid the sea of gray that colored most notebooks of the day.

Unfortunately, the price is about the same as it was back then, when laptops were often considered luxury items: $2,555. Even when adjusted for inflation and including the matching accessories, we can't see how it would be worth it. We're going to dig out our old ones and get them fixed (eBay).

(Editor's note: This item was made possible with an assist from fellow Craver Michael Kanellos, who was at the bar where the original laptop mishap took place in 1997.)