Sony Looks to Compete with Apple
A recent news story about Sony published in the Wall Street Journal has caused a lot of speculation about Sony’s plans for mobile devices. Though Sony is not officially confirming anything, it is thought to be developing products and services to compete with Apple.
Sony is reportedly ready to launch an online media platform called “Sony Online Services” that is intended to compete with iTunes. It is also releasing a mobile phone with the Android operating system soon. The phone is going to be called Xperia X10. Currently, Sony makes an e-reader that is a competitor to Amazon’s Kindle.
If Sony is intending to directly compete with Apple, it may want to prepare itself for potential lawsuits. Apple is currently engaged in a lawsuit against HTC for patent infringement relating to the iPhone, which many people are interpreting as an indirect against Google.
Via Digital East Asia.
Sony Vaio E Laptops: ‘May Flowers’ Came Early This Year
As this is a netbook-centric blog, we normally don’t write about laptops. Nevertheless, I took one look at the above picture and bugged my editor until he let me write about it.
Can you blame me? Sony offers a variety of colors to combine in the E series. Who could possibly resist a combination of Iridescent Blue and Hibiscus Pink? Other colors available include Caribbean Green, Coconut White, and Lava Black. If you’re one of those people who would prefer to have a laptop that doesn’t practically glow in the dark (though seriously, who wouldn’t want a laptop like that?) Vaio offers muted colors as well: Gunmetal, Silver White, and Maple Brown.
The Vaio E series laptops aren’t just beautiful to look at, they also offer up to 1080p HD quality on a 15.5 inch screen and an optional Blu-ray drive. Inside, there’s a dedicated ATI Mobility Radeon Graphics chip with up to 512 MB of video RAM, either an Intel Core i3 or Core i5 CPU, and up to 500 GB of storage. Plenty of space for high quality video.
Via CNet.
CES 2010: Sony Releases Environmentally Friendly VAIO W Series Eco Netbook
Sony’s been hard at work improving its netbook lineup and has come up with the new environmentally friendly Sony VAIO W Eco netbook, a new machine rocking a 10.1″, 1366 x 768 pixel LED screen.
The netbook is made of recycled materials. It has a white finish, green palm rest, and stylishly patterned trackpad. According to Sony, as much of 10% of the CO2 used to make most netbooks was eliminated from the manufacturing process.
The Sony VAIO W Series Eco netbook comes with a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU, Intel GMA 3150 graphics, a GB of DDR2 memory (expandable to two gigs) and hefty 250 GB HDD. This machine can stay awake for as long as 8 hours.
The Sony Vaio W Eco comes with a camera, microphone, Wi-Fi, card reader, Express Card slot and Windows 7 for the price of $479.
Via Waleg.
Verizon to Subsidize Sony Vaio P Netbook Down to Reasonable Pricing
On the outside, the Sony Vaio P netbook is sleek and sexy, but its price tag was never exactly something to gawk at. Fortunately for consumers, Verizon will be adding this fine machine to its lineup of mobile gadgets. For a very reasonable $299 – and a signed two-year data plan contract of course – users will be able to buy their very own Sony Vaio P netbook. Considering that the Vaio P was priced near $1,000 at the beginning of 2009, this deal is rather hard to resist wouldn’t you say?
To recap, for $299 the netbook will come with 2 GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, and the Windows 7 Home Premium OS, not to mention 3G capabilities. This could be a very good move for both Verizon and Sony.
Via CNet.
Transparent Sony Vaio X Netbook, Cool Stuff
Transparent editions of thin-and-light netbooks, who would’ve thought? Sony had a press release event in China recently, where it debuted the transparent edition of the Sony Vaio X netbook. It might or might not be released for public consumption, but it’s cool nonetheless and we wanted to show it to you.
Even if the netbook did go on sale, its price tag would probably be somewhere near the $1,300 range. Would you personally be willing to shell out that kind of money for one of these superthins? Here’s a picture to provide some food for thought.
Via Engadget.
Super High Price Tag on Superthin Sony Vaio X Netbook
The Sony Vaio X netbook is super thin and super lightweight, but is it really worth its price tag? We have some earlier articles introducing these machines but here’s some more in-depth information about Sony’s X series netbooks.
These 11.1″ machines come in two models, the VPC-X11S1E/B and the VPC-X11Z1E/X. Screen resolutions on both models are 1366×768 and both models are available in black, gold, and “premium carbon” colors.
The main differences between the two Sony Vaio X models are the processor speed and storage capacity. The VPC-X11S1E/B is powered by a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor and has a 128GB SSD while the VPC-X11Z1E/X is powered a 2.0GHz Intel Atom Z550 processor and has 256GB SSD. The latter netbook will no doubt be much better for running the new Windows 7 OS.
Each of these netbooks is expected to be able to run for eight hours, but a larger battery can push this number to 16. Not bad at all. 3G is also an option, but keep in mind that it tends to drain battery life faster. The price tag of the Sony Vaio X netbooks is nothing to boast about. These machines don’t come cheap, at roughly $1300 a pop.
Via MobileComputerMag.
Image via GadgetFolder.
Sony Unveils New Windows 7 Laptops: CW And X
With plans to launch with the Windows 7, Sony gives us a look at the newcomers to its Vaio line: the Vaio CW and Vaio X, both preinstalled with the upcoming Microsoft OS.
Of the two, the CW is more affordable, giving you a 14 inch 16×9 screen with a starting price of $780. I’ll admit that this alone may sound good, but wait until you get a look at the goodies that can go on this machine: Blu-ray drives, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 320 GB hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce G210M GPU. You can wipe the drool off your chin now, but those specs are almost certainly not going to be on the one that costs $780.
Then we come to the X.
The Vaio X is a sleek, beautiful machine that would not look out of place in an art gallery or a cosmopolitian high-rise penthouse. At half an inch thick, with a 11.1 inch 16×9 scratch resistant screen and made with carbon-fiber, this little beauty weighs in at a mere 1.6 pounds. Some notable features of the X are: 64 GB of solid-state drive, multi-touch trackpad, and standard and long-life battery packaged in the box (which Sony claims will provide up to 17 hours of battery life). Unfortunately, the only thing known about the processor is that it’s an “Intel processor, 2.0 GHz”. The starting price for all this? $1300. Doesn’t it just burn a hole in your wallet?
Via CNET
Sony Netbook and Reader Go Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness
Breast Cancer Awareness month is just around the corner and manufacturers like Sony are adamantly showing their support by introducing pink netbooks and Readers.
One of the special Breast Awareness bundles is the Sony Vaio W Series netbook bundle, which includes a pink mouse, a pink netbook case, and a two-tone pink netbook. The specs of the Vaio W netbook have not changed from before.
The second of two pink bundles is the Sony Reader Pock Edition bundle (as pictured above).
According to Sony, the company is planning on donating $110,000 to breast cancer research.
Via SlashGear.
Sony Sony DRX-S70U-W Optical Drive Perfect For Netbook Use
If you’ve got a netbook and it isn’t a Japanese import or the ASUS Eee PC 1004DN, you probably don’t have an optical drive. So what are you going to do when you need to watch DVDs on the run?
The new Sony DRX-S70U-W optical drive has a classy brushed metal design and connects to netbooks, notebooks, and desktops via USB.
The optical drive is DVD/CD recordable for speeds of up to 8X DVD±R and can deliver a 4.7 GB disc’s worth of data. It records on 8.5 GB DVD+R Double/Dual layer as well as 4.7 GB DVD-RW discs at speeds of 6X, “DVD+RW at 8X, DVD-RAM at 5X and CD-R/RW at 24X.”
Sony’s new netbook drive comes with the Nero DVD/CD mastering software suite.
Pricing and availability are as of yet unknown but the Sony DRX-S70U-W optical drive is expected by Christmas at the latest.
Via HotHardware.
Sony Vaio X-Series Netbooks Are Small, Sleek, and Sexy
Think Apple’s MacBook Air is the pure epitome of sleek and sexy? Think again.
Sony Vaio’s new X-Series netbooks only weigh 1.5 lb each and are a bit over an inch and a half thick, not to mention that roughly eight hours of life is expected from the netbook’s six-celled battery.
This carbon-fiber PC is expected to pack an Intel Atom processor, but there’s currently no word on the other tech specs of this wonderous machine. There’s also no word on pricing nor availablility, but when they news is out, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Via I4UNews.
Sony To Partner With Google, Introduce Chrome Web Browser On Laptops
In a battle to loosen Microsoft’s dominating grip in the market for web browsers, Google is teaming up with Sony to promote its own web browser. In the future, the Chrome web browser will be pre-installed on some Sony notebooks.
Not a fan of Google Chrome? No problem. Since Sony’s laptops will still come pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows operating system, users will still have a chance to access Internet Explorer.
Not only is Google trying to loosen Microsoft’s grip on the world of web browsers, but also on operating systems as well. Common knowledge is that Google has been working on the Chrome OS, which will be targeted towards lower-end computers.
As of July 2009, Google’s share of the global web browser market was a mere 2.6% (whereas Microsoft’s IE had a 67.7% market share). Sony’s share of the notebook market is relatively small too, but hey, Google’s gotta start somewhere.
Via TheWallStreetJournal.
Sony Kills The Vaio TT UMPC In Favor of Netbooks
Images of the Sony VAIO TT have been coasting about the net all the way since November, but it looks like this little guy’s starstruck future has been cut off forever.
Axed by Sony, the death of the VAIO TT has got us thinking – is there a place in the netbook world for high-end ultraportables anymore? The VAIO TT could be pushed up to $4400 if you maxed out the specs (including dual SSDs and a Blu-ray drive), which certainly isn’t an attractive number.
It all depends how willing manufacturers are to keep going into the space. Larger screen sizes that don’t sacrifice mobility have been a major upside of netbooks, but considering the fact that the Vaio P (which Sony insists isn’t a netbook) is still out there, maybe there’s hope for machines surviving the onslaught of netbooks this year.
Regardless, let’s all take a moment of silence for our friend the Vaio TT. Goodnight, sweet prince.
Via SlashGear.
Sony Ericsson May Be Breaking Into Netbook Market
Yet another tech company may be breaking into the netbook market. Surprised much? Well, following the trend, you shouldn’t be.
According to a source from Netbook News, Sony Ericsson may be following the footsteps of Nokia and soon breaking into the netbook market with their very own netbook.
Not much is known about this at the present moment, but after all, it is only a rumor. We’ll make sure to update you when we can.
Via Engadget.
Image via TopNews.
Sony Vaio W Netbook Hits The UK At £399.99
The Sony Vaio W has gone on sale in the UK. Retailer Comet has gotten its hands on what is supposedly the first shipment in the region and is underselling Amazon.co.uk by £30 with its price of £399.99.
The particular Vaio W netbook on sale is in white and comes with a 10-inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, a chiclet keyboard, and an Intel Atom N280 CPU. Unfortunately, the standard 3-cell battery lasts for a junky 2.5 hours – I’m definitely waiting until I can upgrade to the 6-cell.
Leaked Specs For Sony’s New PRS E-Readers
E-readers aren’t our favorite devices here at NetbookBoards, but ever since someone suggested that the Kindle could be a netbook killer for literary types, we just can’t get them off our mind.
So when some sneaky folks over at the HiPDA forums decided to leak the service manuals of Sony’s upcoming e-readers, we had to get as much info as possible. Take a look:
Those are the upcoming Sony PRS-300 and the larger PRS-600 ebook devices. The red one has a 5-inch 800 x 600 Vizplex e-ink display, much like the kind of display offered by Pixel Qi, and can show eight levels of grayscale. Weighing in at 7.76 oz and measuring 6.2 x 4.2 x 0.2 inches, it’s a slender newcomer to the e-reader stage.
The lithium ion battery is good for 7500 page turns (recall that e-readers only use power when you turn the page). It will support “Unsecured Text: EPUB File (Non DRM/ Adobe DRM protected), BBeB Book (Non DRM/ PRS DRM protected), PDF file (Non DRM/ Adobe DRM protected) and Text, RTF and Word files (unsecured),” and go on sale for around $199.
The grey one is the Sony PRS600-SC, with a 6-inch display of the same resolution. It adds non-DRM AAC, MP3 audio, as well as JPEG, GIF, PNG and BMP images. All other specs are expected to be the same, except it has a touchscreen layer. This means fingertip page turns, annotations, highlighting, and more will be possible. It has an on-screen keyboard, 512 MB of memory (like the 300) and should sell around $299.
These new releases are exciting, of course, but if you have any sense you’ll get a netbook instead. Just throwing that out there.
Via SlashGear.
Sony to Eventually Release Touchscreen Netbook
Sony executive Mike Abary has recently confirmed that the company will be releasing a touchscreen Vaio netbook in the future that takes advantage of the Windows 7 operating system. In his interview with Laptop Magazine (click here for the link), Abary said:
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.
It is currently uncertain what type of Sony Vaio the upcoming touchscreen netbook will be like, but it one fact is certain – the market for touchscreen netbooks will be sure to have more competition after the release of Windows 7 in the Fall of 2009.
Touchscreen netbooks may become a popular trend in the future, and a couple manufacturers are getting ready to come out with touchscreen versions of netbooks. Apple for one, is rumored to be releasing their MacBook Touch in the upcoming October.
Have any thoughts on touchscreen netbooks in general or on touchscreen netbooks of a particular brand? Feel free to let us know what’s on your mind.
Via CNet.
Intel Relaxes Limit On Netbook Resolution With Sony Vaio W
Sony’s release of the 10-inch Vaio W with an Intel chip inside may mean more for consumers than just another name on the market.
Intel had previously told Atom-using OEMs that they couldn’t use screens larger than 10 inches in netbooks, possibly in an effort to distinguish netbooks from notebooks. While that restriction will remain in place, OEMs will no longer be required to only create netbooks with a sub-1024 x 600 pixel screens.
That’s why Sony will be able to offer the Vaio W with 1366 x 768 resolution while keeping the Atom CPU. Netbooks with resolution that high had previously only used an Intel Z-series or something by ARM.
Vendors may take this opportunity to offer higher-resolution netbooks in the future.
Via RegHardware, image via TechMall.
The Sony Vaio W Netbook Will Cost 60% More In Australia
The Sony Vaio W netbook will go on sale in Australia next month for amost 60% more than it costs in the US.
Its netbook will be available on August 12 for $999. It’s still one of the cheapest VAIO computers yet, but Americans can expect to pay even less: a mere $635. And this case isn’t an outlier – Sony charges Australian consumers more all the time. Why?
Kelly Finlay, spokeswoman of Sony Australia, explained that the price difference could be attributed to factors like exchange rates, “different retail environments” and that US prices don’t take certain government taxes into account.
Furthermore, the Australian model had to comply with a few vaguely alluded-to “local standards and regulations”.
Via TheAge.
Sony Joins the Netbook Bandwagon
Joining existing netbook manufacturers, Sony has finally decided to make an actual netbook of its own, and has named it the Sony Vaio W.
The Vaio W has a 10.1″ screen, is powered by an Intel Atom N280 processor, and has 1 GB of RAM and a 160 GB hard drive. The operating system for this machine is Windows XP. Sounds like the average netbook right? Then why does its price tag run for $500 instead of the average $300-$400?
Well, Sony wants to create a “premium” product. The company might be taking a risky gamble by pricing their netbooks higher than average though (at least in this economy) and especially since the reason that people want to buy netbooks in the first place is because they are relatively cheap and not a hassle to replace if they get lost.
Considering that decent laptops can be bought for a price in the $500-$600 range and these would be much more powerful computing devices than netbooks, companies should really consider their pricing strategies. But hey, perhaps the cost of convenience just is quite high.
At least with the Vaio W, you’re getting netbook with a relatively high screen resolution, coming in at 1366×768 pixels. The netbook also offers 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a separate Memory Stick slot (in addition to the standard SD card slot). Sony is also rumored to have nice keyboards and touchpads.
The Vaio W is 1.3″ thick and weighs roughly 2.6 pounds. It will be available in three colors: berry pink, sugar white, and cocoa brown.
The netbook is rumored to be available for pre-order starting next Tuesday through Sony and to be available for purchase in retail stores sometime in August.
Via Cnet.
Want Sony’s New Netbook? Prepare To Get A Mortgage On Your House
Netbooks are supposed to be budget machines, which is why the latest version of the Vaio P has a lot of people scratching their heads.
Believe it or not, the new Sony netbook packs the ungodly price tag of two thousand dollars. That’s one more zero than some cheap netbooks out there, and $1650 more than the average.
While the new Vaio P is a special edition, the original cost $1000. It’s hard to see what the distinction is between the versions, but if I’m going have a chance of dropping two grand on it it had better have features no other netbook can come close to. Like being able to pay for gas, or make me sandwiches.
Via TheEscapist.
