Acer Review, Asus Review – Netbook 10

The steep price of the Vaio P can’t undermine how absolutely gorgeous the netbook is. We’re beginning to (slowly) see prices go down as competition increases. The black, green and white models are already available on Amazon starting at $850. We should also see  models with improved specs in the US in the near future – Sony has already released three new models in Japan with Windows XP, 1.66GHz and 2GHz processors, 256 SSD and more colors and patterns.

Rating:
—

Features
Apart from great looks, here are some features that make the Vaio P such a great netbook.

• Portability – it’s small at 8″ and light at 1.4lbs. It also fits in a Japanese model’s back pocket. A+ for portability.
• High quality firmware and hardware – exactly what you’d expect from Sony
  
• Good performance – Reading a lot of blogger reviews, the Vaio P seems to have good performance and runs Vista better than most netbooks . The 2GB RAM definitely helps. It also explains why Sony must have chosen Vista as the OS – Microsoft restrictions prevent netbooks with XP from coming with more than 1 GB RAM.The new Vaio P models come with XP and both 1GB and 2 GB RAM, which will result in higher performance output and longer battery life. According to blogger reviews, Windows 7 also works well on the P series. (via GearDiary) Here’s a video of the  Vaio P’s playback quality:
  
• Envy & Respect – Not kidding. Think of how much attention you’d get if you whipped out the Vaio P in a coffee shop or a meeting with a client. It’s the geek equivalent of driving in a Ferrari.
• Display LAN Adaptor – This may be a low-key tech spec, but it shows that a lot of thought went into this design. Perfect to hook up to a projector or a TV.
• Built in mic – saves space for a range of ports, and makes Skype conversations a lot easier.
• Linux based “Instant On” – This feature allows you to access music, photos, video, messaging (gchat and MSN) and basic Firefox browsing without having to load power-intensive Vista.  The UI is pretty terrible, but we can hope Sony improved it in the newer models.

Drawbacks

• Price – Let’s get the price issue out of the way. Yes the Vaio P is e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e at $900. But if you have the money, there is no reason not to get this netbook. Okay there are more reasons. But it’s still awesome, and if you have the money but don’t want one…. buy me one?? ☺
• No touch pad – The Vaio P comprises on space by getting rid of the touch pad. The pointer stick takes a while to get used to. It sucks compared to having a touch pad, but is a lot better than most pointers. I recommend buying a wireless mouse to make your life easier.
• Space bar located right next to the mouse buttons – which means you’re likely to click the button while typing. The buttons are so sensitive, you won’t notice you’ve messed up leading to a typing disaster.
• Moody video playback – Good for wide-screened movies, BAD for video playback in the 640 x 480 size. This has led to lot of negative feedback in the blogosphere (as a netbook maker, you don’t want to upset the YouTube fans).
• Webcam located in the right bezel – Not a biggie, but it does get annoying at times.

Rating –6.9/7

Value for Money  – 0.6
Speed and Performance – 0.9
Screen – 0.8
Keyboard – 0.8
Portability & Battery Life – 1
Looks and Design – 1
Extensibility & connectivity – 0.8

Bonus Point: for how sleek and light the netbook is.

Specs
(includes current specs and future specs)

• Processor –1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520, also available with 1.6GHz in Australia
  (soon upgrading to 2GHz Intel Atom Z550)
• Operating System – Windows Vista
  (soon available with XP)
• Graphics – Intel GMA
• Memory – 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
  (might go down to 1GB with Windows XP because Microsoft has lame restrictions)
• Storage – 60HDD, up to 128 SSD
  (soon available with 256GB SSD)
• Display – 8.0” (1600 x768)
• Connectivity – WLAN, 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, built in Verizon Mobile Broadband
• Ports – 2 USB ports, Display/LAN adaptor, headphone jack, built in mic, 2 memory reader slots (SD and Memory Stick Duo)
• Battery life – 4 hours (standard battery)
• Dimensions – 9.65″ x 0.78″ x 4.72″
• Weight – 1.4lbs (SSD model), 1.5lbs (HDD model)
• Colors – black, green and white for $850, red for $940
  (available in Japan in gold, and with patterned designs)

The Bottom Line

If the Vaio P cost about $600, came with Windows 7 and had a touch screen, it would be the iPhone of netbooks. Hey, we’re allowed to wish! The bottom line is, it’s a terrific vanity netbook with great specs, but it won’t be a bestseller priced at $900. If you can afford it, buy it. If not, read our post about the ECS T800.

Technorati Tags: Sony, vaio p

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Filed under: Sony Netbooks