Sony in a post-CES update has tweaked several of its VAIO notebooks for the spring. The VAIO Z now has the option of 4G LTE access on Verizon, making it one of the first full-powered notebooks with the choice. The $1,950 ultraportable now comes in a Carbon Fiber Silver color and gets newer Core i5 and i7 processors from the late 2011 upgrade.
Sony had a surprisingly large number of prototype devices at CES 2012, including a pure tablet. Those were only a small piece of its prototypes. We revisited to catch the rest as well as to see just how Sony was gearing up what looked to be a more direct challenge to Apple for 2012.
Sony in the aftermath of its CES 2012 opener began showing a slew of unmentioned concepts and prototypes at its booth. Among the examples was a new, mystery VAIO tablet concept behind a glass case. The new device, presumably intended to run Windows 8, had an all-rounded design with an aluminum back and a separate, illuminated, capacitive touch keyboard.
Toshiba's Canvio-series USB 3.0 hard drives are failing to connect properly with the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, according to PhoneNews. The site says it tested five Canvio drives with a new 2011 Air; none of them mounted, and in most cases, the drives are said to have failed to even spin up. The issue appears to be Mac-centric, since it was otherwise reproduced only on a Sony VAIO notebook and a current-generation MacBook Pro.
A day ahead of Black Friday, Microsoft has posted a teaser page for its own online store's discounts. The company plans to give away free Windows Phones to anyone who signs up for a two-year contract, undercutting even a one-cent Amazon deal. It's not known if this includes a modern phone like the Focus S or is limited to older hardware.
Sony chose an unusual Sunday timeframe to tune the VAIO notebook line. As promised earlier, the 15.5-inch VAIO S is now on sale as the definition of Sony's new mid-range. Known as the VAIO SE, its focus is on HD content with a 1080p display and dedicated Radeon HD 6630M video.
Sony's product launches before the IFA show are continuing, with an all-in-one Vaio L the latest unveiling. The 24-inch 3D desktop has a multi-touch display and a touch-sensitive bezel. It will get a choice of second-gen Intel Core processors, NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M graphics, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive.
Sony on Wednesday introduced a new addition to the Vaio S lineup with a 15.5-inch model. It sports a 1080p display and measures under one-inch thick while weighing in at 4.4lbs. Its magnesium and aluminum alloy case can be had in black or silver.
Village Instruments could be the first with an external graphics card for Macs and other computers using Thunderbolt. Company head Hubert Chen confirmed after an unexpectedly large response to a question that the company would make a Thunderbolt version of the ViDock. The much improved bandwidth over the current ExpressCard version could give even ultraportables like the MacBook Air desktop-level video performance with software support.
An investigation into the new MacBook Air's internals has revealed that Apple is using a new, relatively untested Thunderbolt chip. Nicknamed Eagle Ridge, it has two 10Gbps bidirectional lanes (40Gbps) where the Light Ridge chip in the iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini has a full four. The part tracked down by AnandTech can only drive one display over Thunderbolt but is also much smaller and most likely cheaper, a key to fitting it into even the 11-inch, $999 Air.
The redesigned MacBook Air in October 2010 sparked a minor revolution in notebooks; after years of ultraportables (even Apple's) being relegated to the margins, they were suddenly the future of computing. Intel went so far as to coin a new notebook concept, the "ultrabook," to spur Windows PC builders to do what Apple was doing. But with stiff competition emerging from Samsung, Sony, and even ASUS, Apple has had to step up its game with a much faster processor and Thunderbolt for desktop-level external storage. We'll see in our review of the 2011 13-inch MacBook Air if it's enough to keep the lead -- and possibly to replace traditional notebooks.
Sony chose Europe as the first venue to unveil a redesigned VAIO Z. The new system is now more consciously pitched as a MacBook Air equivalent and moves both the optical drive and even dedicated graphics to an external box, the Power Media Dock. The new PC is the first non-Mac to use Thunderbolt, albeit not in Mini DisplayPort form, and uses the high-speed cable to handle not just Blu-ray or DVD but AMD Radeon HD 6650M video, three USB ports, Ethernet, 3D-capable HDMI, and VGA.
Sony on Wednesday morning reworked the VAIO C and E for the summer. The 14-inch EG, 15.5-inch EH, and 17.3-inch EJ are the more radical breaks with new patterns and fingerprint-resistant shells. Buyers still have the pick of more recent Sandy Bridge-era Core i3 and i5 processors but can pick an AMD Fusion-based 1.6GHz E-350 in the EH to keep the price down but still get HD-capable video.
Sony has announced an addition to its VAIO L Series, the All-in-One Desktop PC with 3D. The 24 inch 3D display has the same full HD resolution and touchscreen function as the VAIO L Signature shown at CES this year. It ships with a wireless keyboard and mouse, and one pair of USB rechargeable, active shutter 3D glasses.
Four store listings at Italian online shop F2F (one, two, three, four) have slipped out Sony's plans for an upgraded VAIO Z in Europe. All of them will use Sandy Bridge-era Core processors, very fast SSD storage, fingerprint readers, and built-in 3G. The HDMI has been upgraded to put out 3D video, and the webcam has been given a lift to use the low-light Exmor sensor technology from other camera-equipped Sony gear.
Sony picked Wednesday to upgrade two of its most popular notebooks. The VAIO S we just reviewed is now getting an upgrade to a 1600x900 display that turns its 13.3-inch screen into more of a desktop replacement. It also has options for two solid-state drives in a RAID stripe to give it very fast load times.
Truly light notebooks have almost always been sacrifices that either shed the optical drive or use low-power processors that could take them out of the running as desktop replacements. Sony's current VAIO S tosses both ideas aside: at 3.6 pounds, it's nearly a full pound lighter than a 13-inch MacBook Pro yet still has an optical drive, a 2.3GHz Core i5, and even dedicated graphics. But does that necessarily mean it's worth the expense? Our early 2011 VAIO S review finds out.
A pair of rumors from a historically accurate source have Sony planning two ultraportable VAIOs, one of which could be its direct answer to the MacBook Air. The centerpiece, nicknamed the Hybrid PC, would by itself be a fast ultralight with a Core i7, an SSD, HDMI 1.4, WiDi and a weight of just under 2.5 pounds. When docked, however, the system seen by Sony Insider would turn into a full desktop replacement with a Radeon HD 6700M (Whistler-XT), a Blu-ray burner, and full expansion with Ethernet, VGA, and a unique connector that merges USB with AC power.
Following quickly on the heels of the European launch, Sony on Monday brought the 2011 VAIO S to the US. Its version shares the same "full flat" design that keeps 0.94 inches thick and has an optional sheet battery to keep it running much longer, here reportedly 15 hours. For the American version, Sony has mentioned the option of dual SSDs in a RAID stripe, much like the VAIO Z.
Sony on Tuesday took the second of its notebook concepts into reality on Tuesday by launching the VAIO CA and CB. The line comes in a wrap-around translucent plastic and has the option of rare neon orange and green hues that create a "glow" around the edges and the trackpad; black, white and (in Europe) pink are also available. TV integration is a cornerstone as they both have the option of WiDi 2.0 wireless video streaming to an adapter as well as Remote Keyboard to steer menus and the keyboard on a Bravia TV, Blu-ray player or PS3.
Sony today made real the VAIO concepts it showed at CES just a few weeks ago, headlining them with a new VAIO S. The 13.3-inch system uses a "full flat" design whose flatter magnesium shell and aluminum surface keep it light, at under 3.9 pounds, and thin, at 0.94 inches. The design also has a unique double battery trick: while the stock battery provides as much as seven hours, a separate battery can attach without having to interrupt the session and doubles the life to 14 hours.
Sony's delayed entry into tablets should include more than just one model, sources said Monday. A second Android 3.0 model, the S2, would take advantage of Sony's dual-screen patent to create a unique ovoid, book-like model with two 5.5-inch displays. The Engadget tip suggested it would behave like a more advanced version of the Kyocera Echo and run apps that use the separate screens, such as Gmail showing a message list on one and the actual message on the other.
A major leak on Wednesday has unearthed Sony's plans to finally join the mobile tablet space. So far only called the S1, the 9.4-inch tablet would run a customized version of Android 3.0. The device spotted by Engadget would be focused heavily on Sony's Qriocity media service and would come with games from the PS1 era likely using PlayStation Suite, the Bravia remote app and some form of PlayStation integration.
LG on Monday quietly disclosed a complaint it had launched against Sony with the International trade Commission to block sales of the PlayStation 3. The Korean company argued that the 160GB slim PS3 (also known as the CECH-2501A) violates a patent LG claims to hold for Blu-ray disc playback. The suit is believed in retaliation for Sony's action against LG in an attempt to keep its phones out of the market.
Sony is now shipping its VAIO YB netbooks in the US. The computer we tried at CES sports an 11.6-inch, 720p display and is powered by a 1.6GHz AMD Fusion processor that gives it 1080p video and faster 3D than Intel CULV notebooks in the class. A stock configuration comes with 4GB of RAM onboard, along with a 500GB hard drive, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI output and Ethernet.
We visited Sony's booth at CES to get a closer look at a number of devices, including not just existing computers but a pair of concept notebooks. The PC builder had a unique 13-inch prototype that had what it called a "sheet" battery. Possibly like those on modern MacBooks, it could trade some accessibility for longevity; Sony claimed twice the battery life of normal notebooks.
Sony plans to make its exit from low-end netbooks when it launches new models at CES, tipsters said on Monday night. The company "wants to get out" of the low-profit category and should use AMD's Fusion processors based on the Brazos platform to get a more expensive but also much faster system with 1080p video support. The resulting computer would cost over $500, CNET's source said.
Sony's hints of tablet plans were validated today with an FCC filing. The slates would all fall into the business-focused VAIO PC group and would include multiple models, all with some variant of the PCG-31xxxL model number. Most of their details aren't known, but the VAIO name implied they would use Windows 7.
Sony has launched its Holiday 2010 Vaio Signature Collection notebooks. Given the Signature treatment are the Vaio X, P, EA and Z notebooks. However, arguably the most dramatic effect has been applied the Vaio EA with its intricate Arabesque Gold finish.
Best Buy's Black Friday sale in two weeks will be marked by key sales on Macs, e-readers and smartphones, a copy of the flyer shows. The big-box chain hopes to head off likely Apple sales by offering a $125 gift card for buying either a 13-inch MacBook Pro or a 21.5-inch iMac. The deal isn't the steepest for the computers Best Buy should have on November 26, as BFAds notes it will also take $150 off of any Samsung notebook and take $200 off of a Pentium dual-core equipped Sony VAIO EB to bring it down to $400.
Sony on Wednesday launched a new VAIO Y model that has unintentionally but effectively become its answer to the new MacBook Air. The YA1 occupies the same category as its Apple counterpart and uses an ultra-low voltage 1.33GHz Core i3 to keep both the cost down and extend the battery life, albeit at the cost of performance. Sony claims six hours of runtime, although it doesn't mention under what conditions, and is forced to use Intel graphics where the Air is using the currently faster GeForce 320M.
The Sony VAIO Z is designed to blur the distinction between regular ultraportables and full-size notebooks. At least in theory, it should be as fast as even some desktop replacements but still svelte enough to fit in tight spaces. The design induces sticker shock at $1,800, but we'll learn in our VAIO Z review whether that gets the best of both worlds and draw some comparisons with the new MacBook Air.
Sony during the call discussing its latest results has strongly hinted that the company is developing a PlayStation phone. Without mentioning the device itself, the company said the hardware would be delivered from the Network Services group that handles both computers and the PlayStation brand. It's also moving Sony Computer Entertainment, the PlayStation division, into the Sony City headquarters to "better incorporate" it with the planning teams for a mystery product.
Sony wrapped up its week with results for its summer quarter that brought it back to health. It had a net profit of about $384 million versus a loss of $326 million a year ago and owed much of this to its Networked Products group, which covers both PlayStation consoles and its VAIO PCs. Computers were the biggest help, as the company was facing "expanding market share in all regions."
A new showdown (video below) between the 11-inch MacBook Air and the Sony VAIO Z has landed an unusual victory for Apple. Despite the Z having dual SSDs in a RAID stripe and theoretically outperforming the single SSD of its rival, it took almost three times longer to start in the Laptop test, launching from a cold boot in about 40 seconds where the Mac took just 15 for the same task. Wake from hibernation was also about twice as slow on the Sony system at five to six seconds where the Mac can take just two to three.
Sony Japan on Wednesday announced it has upgraded its 13.3-inch VAIO Z ultraportable notebooks. Due to ship on October 9 in Japan, they will include the choice of a 2.53GHz Core i5, 2.66GHz Core i5 or 2.8GHz Core i7. At the same time, newly optional is a 750GB hard drive or 256GB and 512GB SSDs.
Sony quietly upgraded its PC lineup on Sunday with speed and option upgrades across a handful of its models. The VAIO E series gets most of the updates with options for the slightly faster 2.66GHz Core i5 580M and 2.53GHz Core i5 460M, as well as a new 2GHz Pentium dual-core option for budget build-to-order models. The EA and EB also now have options for Mobility Radeon HD 5650 video and 1080p displays to match, while every E series sees purple return as a color choice.
Sony is showing off a prototype notebook equipped with a 240Hz, 3D-capable LCD display. Engadget was granted an early look at the device, which uses an integrated IR transmitter to synchronize with the required Bravia active shutter glasses. The prototype uses a current VAIO F-series 16-inch notebook chassis, but the production versions due for release in 2011 are likely to be housed in a different body.
Sony's rumored media subscription service was revealed at a pre-IFA event today and is now known to be much less ambitious than rumored. Known as Music Unlimited, the feature will give streaming audio to Sony's Bravia TVs, Blu-ray players, PCs and the PS3. The PSP and other devices will get access later, Sony said.
Late tips this evening suggest Sony could temporarily upstage Apple's special event tomorrow with the long-awaited launch of its own media subscription service. Sony's pre-IFA keynote tomorrow morning is believed to be kicking off a music and video subscription service that would start first on the PS3 and PSP but spread to all Sony devices, including its home theater line, PCs, Sony Ericsson phones and Walkman players. The Financial Times sources claimed would be just an early preview and that the plan would go live only in 2011, once content deals had been lined up.
Sony for a long while was the king of ultraportable notebooks, but the advent of Intel's CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) processors seemingly knocked it off the throne: a thin, low-power notebook no longer demanded a premium price. With the VAIO Y, Sony is hoping to regain that crown, and we'll find out in a full review how close it gets to that mark.
Sony has given some of its PC buyers more options as it's now letting them customize the colors of their VAIO E notebooks. The VAIO E customization page not only lets users pick the color of their mouse, keyboard skin and protective sleeve, but also the notebook itself. The configurator also lets users preview their colors before their notebooks arrive to see how they look together.
The iPad nearly tripled sales of tablets in Europe during just its first month on sale, Context Research estimated this week. Apple's tablet was only available from May 28 in the continent, but by itself grew the market by 257 percent. The figure is one of the few specific to the continent and suggests that the combined Windows tablet PC market in Europe for spring was well below the hundreds of thousands of iPads likely to have been sold.
Sony Japan warned today that about 535,000 notebooks could face a critical overheating problem. It discovered that 13 VAIO CW and F series notebook models have a flawed BIOS system that doesn't properly control heat, possibly leading to burns or even deforming the case. All of the systems were released after January this year and run on Core i3, i5 or i7 processors.
North America has just received new Signature Collection PCs, which includes 10 new models, with a new VAIO P among them. The VPC-P118KX/B gets an upgraded 256GB SSD along with a faster Intel Atom CPU, the 2GHz Z550. The price is now $1,500, or a full $600 more than the base price of the newly redesigned VAIO P netbooks.
Sony has finally returned to AMD processors in two new entry-level VAIO notebooks, the EE25FX and EF22FX. The company years ago dropped AMD components from its notebook offerings, instead focusing on Intel chipsets. Both of the new notebooks integrate Athlon II X2 P320 CPUs running at 2.10GHz with 1MB of L2 cache.
The newly redesigned Sony VAIO P that went up for pre-order on June 8 is shipping tomorrow, or a full week earlier than originally promised. Four of the five colors will ship tomorrow, according to the product page, with pink being the exception and due on June 25. It is shown as being in stock, however.
Sony today gave owners of the VAIO Y and VAIO Z an after-sale treat by adding Share My Connection. Either notebook can now, like a MiFi, share its 3G connection with other computers over Wi-Fi. As many as five devices can get online at the same time.
The recently redesigned Sony VAIO P netbook is now up for pre-order on Sony's site. Pricing starts at $900, which is $100 higher than originally expected. The expected ship date is June 25.
Sony on Tuesday revealed a new 14-inch VAIO EA, 15.5-inch VAIO EB and 17.3-inch VAIO EC notebook series. The EA and EB notebooks will be offered in bright colors that include what could be best described as toxic green, baby blue and hot pink as well as quieter white, brown or black. Their colors can be further customized with optional keyboard skins. The EC only comes dressed exclusively in black. Base models ship with a 2.26GHz Core i3, but there are two i5 options.
