Hands-on with the Sony VAIO P Series - a $900 'netbook'

Sony has just announced its new VAIO P Series ultraportable at its CES keynote and it’s both good and bad. The good is that it’s an incredibly small and light laptop with wide wireless support and a high resolution screen.

The bad is the price – $900 in the US, and our Sony source has suggested that this will equate to around £800 in the UK. UPDATE: Make that £849 and up. You can see a video of the CES launch event, the full press release and some hands-on footage of the VAIO P Series after the cut.

There’s no denying that Sony knows how to make an ultraportable and the first impression of the VAIO P Series is very strong first impression. It’s impossibly slim and light, and looks more like an oversize PDA than a fully functional laptop. It’s not quite pocket size, but it’s by far the smallest netbook we’ve seen and yet Sony has still managed to cram in a good size keyboard and a trackpoint pointing device.

The screen only has an 8in diagonal, but it’s extremely wide, with a 1600 x 768 resolution. That vertical resolution is a little higher than that on other netbooks, so the VAIO P Series shouldn’t have a problem displaying tall dialog boxes – and the screen  is more than wide enough to display two open windows side-by-side.

Sony is still being coy about the P Series full specification and we’re still waiting to see the official press release. We do know that it has a 1.3GHz Intel processor – we can safely assume it’s the Atom Z520 – and will be available both with a hard disk and an SSD. It weighs an incredible 638g and has built-in Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS. Sony claims that the battery life is around four hours with the standard battery and eight hours with the optional high-capacity cell.

The VAIO P Series goes on sale next month, but there’s no getting around that $900 price tag. If correct, the UK price of £800 is even more eye-watering for a portable with a specification not too dissimilar from £300 netbooks. Still, there’s nothing quite like from any other manufacturer, so we’ll reserve final judgement until we get our hands on a review model.

Here’s our video of the VAIO P Series announcement, followed by our hands-on video on the show floor (which explains the scrum and security locks…).

[Sony]

UPDATE: Sony's just slipped us an official press release, which confirms 2GB RAM and also adds that an even faster, lighter version, the VGN-P19VN/Q, will also be available as a Sony Style exclusive with a 1.6GHz processor and that 128GB SSD it promised. It weighs in at an even more impossible 618g

See also:
Sony Vaio P Series in pictures
Sony Vaio P series will cost £849+ in UK!

Press release:

08/01/2009 00:30

Great Things come in Small Packages

No Handbag or Overcoat is Complete this Season without a VAIO P-series • VAIO P-series: the newest and most stylish form of ultra portable PC to keep you in touch and looking good wherever you are • Windows or fast-access XrossMediaBar function – your choice depending on your immediate needs • High-speed mobile broadband with embedded 3G technology • Super light (638g) and compact yet comfortable typing and viewing experience

Sony today introduced the VAIO P-series, a refreshingly new ultra portable PC with a new form factor. A unique dimension slightly larger than an office letter envelope, this small VAIO easily slips in and out of your bag whenever you need it on the go. With the miniaturisation, style and flair sought after by active individuals, it’s a desirable item for the out and abouts. Open this stylish PC, and you have 3G connectivity, a well designed full keyboard and a brilliant high resolution screen. It’s so light, petite and pleasing in the hand that it will make your activities and trips, whether far or near, a whole new experience.

The VAIO P weighs less than 640g - so light that you’d forget that you’re carrying it. Yet you can carry your passion and share it with friends, be it your photos, videos or music. With vibrant colours and brightness typical of VAIO’s X-black LCD, photos and videos are sharp and vivid. And for the writers and bloggers, a candid or inspirational moment won’t get missed when you want to write and keep those ideas safe whenever they pop up. The well-spaced keys spread across the full width of the chassis are ergonomic and responsive allowing a smooth and fluid typing action.

Complementing the exceptionally tactile experience is the sleek and sophisticated look of the VAIO P-series. It comes in four eye-catching colours, all with a high gloss piano finish; red, dark green, black and white. Available accessories to further enjoy your VAIO include matching colour carrying cases and Bluetooth® mice.

The screen measures 8-inches with a power efficient LED backlight and a resolution of 1600 x 768. Such high resolution means you won’t be scrolling the web browser side ways. You can even work comfortably with two windows side by side. A practical ‘resize’ button located below the keyboard automatically and equally distributes multiple windows across the screen.

You also have the convenient choice to start up in Windows Vista® or to access the Internet and other key functions using the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) at the touch of a button. The XMB user interface, now familiar in PSP™ and in the latest BRAVIA™ TVs, is perfect for a quick browse on the web, instant messaging, music playback, etc.

Equipped with VAIO Everywair WWAN, the VAIO P-series allows mobile broadband at your fingertips. It has the latest high-speed standards capable of high speed download and upload using the 3G mobile phone network, so you can stay connected with friends, family and colleagues while on the go. You can check your emails during your daily commute, surf the web for news while waiting for friends, upload the latest images on social networking sites, post a blog or enjoy a video chat with the integrated Webcam. In addition, with GPS you have the added fun of locating restaurants, bars and other new places to discover.

Furthermore, despite its small size, the VAIO P-series has 2GB of RAM and high standard, strong build quality, ready to accompany you in your high octane lifestyle.

This pretty and petite VAIO range will be available in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia from February 2009. An exclusive model (VGN-P19VN/Q) is also available online for pre-order from Sony Style Store (www.sonystyle.eu). It has a 1.6GHz CPU and a Solid State Drive instead of a conventional hard drive, giving you 128GB of super-fast flash memory with the added advantages of enhanced reliability, further reduced weight (618g) and faster access to data.