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Sony VAIO P

Leaked onto the Sony website before Christmas 2008, the Sony P-series is Sony's late answer to the netbook phenomena. With more information given at CES 2009, it appears that the P-series will feature a 1.33GHz Intel Processor, an 8" LED backlit screen with 1600 x 768 resolution, 802.11N and 3G WWAN, a GPS module and a 60GB HDD, 64GB SSD or 128GB SSD. With a fairly large keyboard with no touchpad, the device will have a ThinkPad style pointer, runs Windows Vista, and a battery life of 4 hours (or 8 with a larger/heavier high capacity battery). Alongside the Windows OS Sony is adding an "instant-on" lite-OS based on its Cross Media Bar (XMB) interface that will let you access music, Internet and e-mail without fully booting the computer.

Where to Buy

Sony P-series
MSRP $899.00
Release date February, 2009
Brand Sony
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Pros & Cons25
Reviews13
Details
Buy It
Competitors6
Comments
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
13 reviews
60
negative
mixed
positive
7 positive
2 mixed
4 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
great screen with an amazing resolution for the size
+9agreedisagree

•
extremely lightweight and small
+9agreedisagree

•
sleek Sony Vaio styling
+8agreedisagree

•
good connectivity
+7agreedisagree

•
decent battery life
+7agreedisagree

•
all the bells and whistles - 3G, GPS, decent battery life, wireless N
+5agreedisagree

•
large keyboard - the product design is centered around making sure the keybard is a useful size
+5agreedisagree

•
clearly in UMPC territory - price is fairly low considering what you get in the form factor
+4agreedisagree

•
Instant-on Sony XMB
+3agreedisagree

•
you can use Garmin Mobile PC for GPS driving directions (costs $59)
+2agreedisagree

•
3G wireless data connectivity
+1agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
expensive
+7agreedisagree

•
no Linux version available
+4agreedisagree

•
GPS uses Microsoft Streets and Maps by default which means no turn-by-turn directions
+4agreedisagree

•
poor video playback - nothing smooth beyond 320x240
+3agreedisagree

•
no touchpad
+2agreedisagree

•
XMP Crippled to only play Mpeg1, Mpeg2 and WMV, no Mpeg4 or DivX
+2agreedisagree

•
Thinkpad-style pointer can be difficult to use
+1agreedisagree

•
Vista
0agreedisagree

•
no 1.6GHz model available in US
0agreedisagree

•
No support for graphic card under linux
0agreedisagree

•
GPS disabled on some models (P-50)
0agreedisagree

•
only one size available, a 10" would have been nice
-1agreedisagree

•
No Windows XP drivers available
-1agreedisagree

•
No touchscreen
-1agreedisagree


13 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
See individual votes »

Details

Specs

  • 1.33GHz Intel Processor
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 8" LED backlit screen
  • weight: 1.5 or 1.4 pounds
  • 1600x768 resolution
  • 60GB HDD or 64GB SSD or 120GB SSD
  • Integrated Intel graphics
  • Windows Vista Home Premium
  • Card slots: Memory Stick PRO, Multi-media Card, SD memory card
  • Battery: up to 4 hours (or 8 depending on batter)
  • WiFi b/g/n, Stereo Bluetooth
  • Integrated 3G WAN and GPS
  • MSRP: starts at $899
  • Release date: February 2009

Pre-Configuration Models

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This report was started December 25, 2008 at 3:19 pm by Yale
with the last edit occurring Sunday, 2:24 PM by Keith Chinn
This page has been viewed 2379 times, with 196 edits by 14 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

Competitors

Sony VAIO P is ranked 3rd among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Netbooks »
Apple MacBook Air

Apple MacBook Air

MSRP  $1,799.00    Released  January, 2008
Pros
  • Extremely thin
  • LED backlit display
  • Large touchpad with advanced gesture support
Cons
  • Fairly expensive premium for being thin
  • Only 1 USB port
  • No ethernet port
ProSCORE
28 reviews
52
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Sony VAIO P 0% vs. vote Apple MacBook Air 100%
Raon Digital Everun Note

Raon Digital Everun Note

MSRP  $799.99    Released  September, 2008
Pros
  • Extremely powerful for the size
  • Doesn't run too hot
  • Included graphics card makes for decent 3D performance
Cons
  • Touchscreen isn't quite good enough for tablet use
  • Hard drive speed doesn't match the speed of GPU/CPU
  • Low battery life compared to newer netbooks/laptops
ProSCORE
3 reviews
62
Vote! (2 votes)
vote Sony VAIO P 50% vs. vote Raon Digital Everun Note 50%
viliv S7

viliv S7

MSRP  --    Released  January, 2009
Pros
  • capable of 720p/1080i video decoding
  • great battery life
  • touchscreen with convertible swivel functionality
Cons
  • no controls on the sides of the screen
  • no easy to use touchpad or pointer
  • somewhat obscure manufacturer
ProSCORE
2 reviews
50
Vote! (2 votes)
vote Sony VAIO P 50% vs. vote viliv S7 50%
Fujitsu Lifebook U810

Fujitsu Lifebook U810

MSRP  $999.00    Released  September, 2007
Pros
  • Very portable (small, and light weight)
  • Clear screen
  • Decent performance for everyday tasks
Cons
  • Screen quite reflective
  • Short battery life compared to Sony UX series
  • Flimsy USB port cover
ProSCORE
3 reviews
61
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Sony VAIO P 100% vs. vote Fujitsu Lifebook U810 0%
Viliv X70EX Premium 3GP

Viliv X70EX Premium 3GP

MSRP  $879.00    Released  September, 2009
Pros
  • WiFi
  • 3G
  • built in GPS
Cons
  • no QWERTY keyboard
  • niche device - very expensive and underpriced for a device which is less powerful and more difficult to use than a netbook
  • runs Windows XP
ProSCORE
1 review
80
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Sony VAIO P 100% vs. vote Viliv X70EX Premium 3GP 0%
Sharp PC-Z1 NetWalker

Sharp PC-Z1 NetWalker

MSRP  $479.00    Released  October, 2009
Pros
  • 5" touchscreen display
  • extremely portable design - great to see in a time when 7-9" netbooks are being phased out / replaced by larger 10-12" models
  • affordable compared to similarly sized competition
Cons
  • large screen bezel - looks like the display could have been made larger
  • no internal 3G
  • non-removable battery
ProSCORE
1 review
67
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Sony VAIO P 100% vs. vote Sharp PC-Z1 NetWalker 0%

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Comments

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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

Myrtz

avatar
January 13, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
75
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
2 cons
love itlove it
want itwant it
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • great screen with an amazing resolution for the size
  • extremely lightweight and small
  • sleek Sony Vaio styling
  • good connectivity
  • decent battery life
  • all the bells and whistles - 3G, GPS, decent battery life, wireless N

Cons

  • expensive
  • no Linux version available

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

kslkguard

avatar
September 8, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
33
negative
mixed
positive
1 pro
2 cons

Pros

  • extremely lightweight and small

Cons

  • no touchpad
  • Thinkpad-style pointer can be difficult to use

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Henk Poley

avatar
April 19, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
67
negative
mixed
positive
2 pros
1 con
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • great screen with an amazing resolution for the size
  • sleek Sony Vaio styling

Cons

  • expensive

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No
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