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Blu-ray and decent gaming graphics for less than a grand: Vaio FW560F/T

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Several months ago, one of our favorite retail laptops was the Sony Vaio FW480J/T. Besides offering no-hassle Blu-ray playback and a large if not full-HD 1,600x900-pixel resolution, 16.4-inch screen, it had decent discrete graphics that could handle many mainstream games. At the time, its $1,199 price was a little high, but very good when compared with traditional "gaming" laptops.

Just a few months later, the Sony Vaio FW560F/T has found itself at the top of our Holiday 2009 retail laptop roundup, a high-end system by definition of its price and features. At $999, however, this Vaio slips right under that psychological $1,000 line, while keeping Blu-ray and slightly improving the processor speed--and now it has Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled instead of Windows Vista.

This has jumped from a good deal to a great deal for anyone looking for a Blu-ray-ready multimedia laptop. The package offered is a big improvement over the Vaio FW351J/H, which cost nearly the same amount of money early this summer.

On the other hand, gaming laptops have changed the landscape recently with the release of the Intel Core i7 processor. High-end laptops have never been faster, and going with a Core 2 Duo is now a significant step down from that new plateau. We can't really call the Vaio FW560F/T a gaming laptop, but it's certainly affordable, and can handle many games better than you think.

Read our review of the Sony Vaio FW560F/T.

Sony Vaio FW560F/T (photos)

Sony's Vaio P: Getting a new lease on life?

(Credit: CNET)

One of the smallest, most pocketable ultraportables still remains the Sony Vaio P. We always liked its slim design and high-resolution screen...the problem was that it was far too expensive. That problem may be in the process of being rectified, according to reports that Verizon could be adding the Vaio P to its subsidized Netbook offerings this week. The cost? A mere $299, according to Gadgetmix and Phonearena. While that would require a 2-year contract, the original Vaio P cost around $1,000 at the beginning of 2009, making the subsidized price very appealing.

Even better, the P seems like it will be outfitted with a 160GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM, and Windows 7 Home Premium. While it will have to compete with other high-quality Verizon Netbook offerings like the HP Mini 311, the Vaio P is another high-design Netbook we wouldn't mind owning at the right price, especially with 3G built in.

If this is true, it seems like a nice move for both Sony and Verizon.

(Via Engadget)

(Credit: Sony)

Feeling a little spaced out? Sony has a limited-edition Vaio that may suit your mood. The Nebula FW, part of Sony's Signature Collection, features an intergalactic theme that really makes us want to curl up in a space quilt and play some Spore. For a starting price of $810, you get a 6.9-pound Windows 7 machine with a 16.4-inch display featuring a 16:9 aspect ratio. You have a choice of Intel Core 2 Duo processors, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 500GB of storage. Plus a Blu-ray drive. Battery life runs up to 3.5 hours, according to Sony.

CNET reviewers have positive things to say about another Vaio FW, the Sony Vaio FW480, calling it a "an above-average Blu-ray-playing laptop with impressive looks and good under-the-hood power."

(Credit: Gizmodo)

Sony is recalling 69,000 Vaio AC adapters, the company announced Wednesday. Insulation inside some VGP-AC19V17 adapters can fail over time, Sony said, posing an electrical shock hazard.

The Sony VGP-AC19V17 AC adapter shows up in computers from the company's VGC-LT, VGC-JS240, VGC-JS250, VGC-JS270, and VGC-JS290 series sold after September 2007. The adapter also appears in VGP-PRBX1 and VGP-PRFE1 notebook docking stations sold after September 2005.

Sony said it has received four reports of adapters short-circuiting, with none of those incidents occurring in the U.S. No injuries have been reported, Sony said. The recall only relates to adapters with certain serial numbers; you can enter your number on Sony's site to see if your product is impacted.

The company said consumers with affected devices should turn off their computers, unplug them, and stop using the recalled AC adapters immediately. They should also contact Sony to arrange for a free replacement of the affected product.

Sony can be reached toll-free at 877-361-4481, or online at esupport.sony.com/ac19adapter.

This week on the Digital City, we consider the PlayStation 3's awkward Netflix implementation; marvel over the super-thin Sony Vaio X laptop; debate the fate of FireWire in new MacBooks; and review some gamer-friendly Halloween costume ideas.

We also plug the first round of Windows 7 laptop and desktop reviews; mourn the death of Geocities; and find out why Julie and Dan have swapped seats for a week.

Plus -- take an early sneak peek at Dan's Halloween costume -- but it only makes sense if you're over, say, 30 and kind of a geek.

Related links:
>>Netflix streaming coming to PS3
>>Does anyone miss FireWire?
>>Windows 7: the first wave
>>Make your own Bayonetta Halloween costume

>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter!

How on earth are you going to install that gun rack in your track if you don't have properly buffed guns on your arms? That's right, it's all about fitness tech. Now, Jason has to take a run around the block to catch a cab.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Wii Fit Bulks Up

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Vivian Tam MP3 Player

Ultra-thin Sony VAIO X laptop weighs just 1.5 lb

Webcycle doles out internet speeds as fast as you’re pedaling (thanks, Morely!)

What would James Bond use? The Japanese pistol camera

What the hell!?
Really Snowing Picture Frame Makes It Winter Anytime

Pink Watch
Barbie’s gadgets

PRETTY (Bugatti Edition!)
Tea kettle of the future from Bugatti

Swarovski crystals and Italian leather for your Bugatti Diva

Why Didn’t I Think Of That?
Buttcam makes jeans shopping easy

(Credit: Sony)

A small but vocal group of tech enthusiasts is raising a fuss over Sony's plans to disable the hardware virtualization required to run Microsoft's Windows 7 XP virtualization technology.

Answering reader questions on the official Windows Partner Blog, Sony exec Xavier Lauwaert says security issues are to blame (the explanation comes in the comments section of the post):

Our engineers and QA people were very concerned that enabling VT would expose our systems to malicious code that could go very deep in the Operating System structure of the PC and completely disable the latter.

However, all is not lost, as Lauwaert says that Sony has listened to the complaints and will selectively allow XP virtualization mode to run on future systems -- although no specific details about models and timeframes are mentioned.

However, with the advent of XP Virtualization, there is impetus for us to relook at the situation and I can share with you that we will enable VT on select models.

While some have gone so far as to call for a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Vaio purchasers, this is an issue that's generally confined to the periphery of enthusiast PC users -- which is why the outrage has clearly taken Sony by surprise.

Where Blu-ray meets wood grain: the Vaio NW160J

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Is Blu-ray the future of laptops? If Sony had its way, that would certainly be the case. And if all Blu-ray-playing laptops were as well-executed as Sony's Vaio NW160J, that wouldn't be the most daunting consideration. Sony has been packaging its Vaio laptops as design-centric, relatively expensive multimedia machines with a Blu-ray-playing focus for a while now, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the company's new line of slightly higher than midrange laptops, the NW series, culminates with a 15.4-inch Blu-ray version.

This model, the NW160J, comes in at $929. There are even more affordable NW Vaios with Blu-ray drives inside, but the NW160J also comes with above-average, gaming-capable ATI graphics along with its midrange Core 2 Duo processor, making it more expensive than slightly less graphically robust competitors. However, if you're looking for a well-designed Vaio with Blu-ray, a very good screen, and an excellent-feeling keyboard and touch pad--without moving up to a massive 17-inch desktop replacement--you've come to the right place.

Does Blu-ray matter to you, or is it superfluous to your laptop-purchasing considerations? Let us know below.

Read the rest of our review.

Sony Vaio NW160J

A Sony Vaio notebook with a touch-screen interface is on its way, a company executive said Thursday.

Might Sony add a touch screen to one of its notebooks, like the Vaio P?

(Credit: CNET)

In an interview with Laptop Mag, Sony executive Mike Abary confirmed that an upcoming notebook will have a touch screen that will take advantage of that feature in the upcoming Windows 7 release this fall.

Here's what Abary said when asked about the possibility of a touch-screen notebook before the end of 2009:

There are certain things that will be native on Windows 7 that we are certainly going to take advantage of. Without giving too much away, we think touch on Windows 7 is something we find compelling and we will certainly introduce touch into some of our products at the launch of Win 7. You will see touch capabilities introduced on Vaio products that take advantage of Windows 7.

Whether this will come on a Sony Vaio notebook like the Vaio P model or the Vaio W Netbook remains to be seen.

Sony will likely have competition in the touch-screen notebook category once Windows 7 is released in late October. Though there are some on the market already, they tend to be convertible notebooks, like the kind from Hewlett-Packard and Asus. And these tend to be favored by business customers.

Do you see yourself using a traditional notebook or Netbook with a touch screen? Would it add that much more to ease of use or productivity for you? Chime in below.