Sony Unveils Vaio X, Vaio CW Laptops

Sony Unveils Vaio X, Vaio CW Laptops

Sony has unveiled the official specs for its super-slim Sony Vaio X series laptops, which the company was showing off last month at the IFA trade show in Berlin. The specs are pretty close to what was predicted, but there are a few surprises--including a lower-than-expected price. Sony also detailed its upcoming Vaio CW series laptops, which are less expensive than the X series.

The Sony Vaio X is sure to turn heads, with its carbon fiber body weighing in at 1.6 pounds. At only 0.55-inches thick, the new Vaio X is a little bit thinner than the recently announced Dell Latitude Z, and a lot lighter than most ultra-slim notebooks.

You will have to make some trade offs for the Vaio X's sleek chassis, though, starting with its puny 11.1-inch LED backlit screen with 1366 x 768 resolution. By comparison, the MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch diagonal screen and the Dell Latitude Z sports a whopping 16-inch display. As for the processor, Sony will only say it's a 2.0 GHz Intel chip. Early speculation said the Vaio X would come with an Atom processor, which would make the Vaio X's processor the Atom Z550, but that is only speculation.

The Vaio X ships with Windows 7, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 64GB solid-state drive, multi-touch trackpad, Memory Stick Duo and SD card slots, GPS (works in the U.S. and Canada only), Ethernet, Wi-Fi (802.11n) and Bluetooth connectivity, 2 X USB 2.0 ports, and MOTION EYE Webcam. The Vaio X also comes with built-in 3G capability, which requires a Verizon wireless broadband subscription. Available colors include black and gold. The Vaio X's body is made of carbon fiber, but the top case around the trackpad and keyboard is aluminum.

Sony Vaio X pricing starts at $1300, which is much lower than Sony's claim last month that they Vaio X would be priced under $2000. The Vaio X will start shipping in November and can be found on Sonystyle.com right now.

CW Series

For something a little cheaper you can try the Sony Vaio CW on for size. This laptop runs Windows 7, and features an optional Blu-ray drive, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce dedicated graphics card, 320GB hard drive and HDMI out, which Sony says will allow you to playback high-definition content on your big screen TV. Available colors include fiery red, poppy pink, icy white, jet black and indigo purple.

Sony VAIO X Series Netbook

Sony VAIO X Series Netbook

Sleek, sexy, and slim, the Sony VAIO X Series is the perfect netbook for the stylish, executive jet-setter. While this machine is smaller than most netbooks and measures just 0.55 inch thick, it packs a bit more gusto--and, starting at $1299 (our unit sells for $1499, as of 11/10/09), it carries an over-the-top price tag that screams, "CEO only!"

I quickly fell for the golden, brushed-aluminum body and the matching widely spaced keys. (Not feeling flashy enough for the limited-edition gold version, like the one we received? The X Series also comes in black.) Measuring 10.95 by 7.29 by 0.55 inches and weighing 1.6 pounds, the X Series out-smalls the MacBook Air and gives the upcoming Dell Adamo XPS a run for its money.

The X Series boasts an 11.1-inch screen that measures merely 0.125 inch thick. The laptop comes with two interchangeable batteries: a standard (3.5-hour) battery and a larger, heavier, battery-and-stand combo that supposedly lasts for up to 14 hours, according to Sony spokespeople. They were wrong. It lasts just a few minutes under 15 hours -- that's easily the longest running laptop we've tested to date. International jet-setter, we've found your PC. The additional battery brings the weight of the X Series to approximately 2.2 pounds.

The 10 Best Laptops from Dell, Apple, HP and More

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We pick 2009 and 2010's best new PC laptops and best Apple laptops in our round-up of the top reviewed laptop computers for home or business use.

We pick 2009 and 2010's best new PC laptops and best Apple laptops in our round-up of the top reviewed laptop computers for home or business use.

Whether you’re a student, business professional, hardcore PC gamer, or anyone else in between, you have a deep appreciation for a good laptop—and so do we. The laptop is constantly evolving—getting slimmer and smaller, boasting more power, and appearing in various styles, designs and colors—and we love them all, but we do have our favorites of the bunch. We’ve rounded up our picks for the best laptops of 2009 for your viewing pleasure.

Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch)

Macs aren’t for everyone, but for those of you who adore Apple’s products the new MacBook Pros are sturdy and stylish machines. This 15-inch MacBook Pro has a Core 2 Duo 2.8GHz processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT with 512MB, and a 15.4-inch wide-screen display offers a 1,440×900 native resolution. It’s a Mac, so of course it’s rather pricey—this notebook is has a starting price of $1,699.

Apple Tablet Coming in 2010?

Apple may have turned its nose up at the netbook market, but that doesn’t mean it’s ignoring the void between its $400 iPod touch (32GB) and $1,000 MacBook. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster believes Cupertino will launch a touchscreen tablet, priced in the $500 to $700 range, in the first half of 2010.

Rumors of an iPod-like tablet have been swirling for months, with some speculating that Apple is developing a large-screen iPod touch—say, a 7- to 9-inch touchscreen device—that would be large enough for HD movies and maybe a few desktop-style apps. Such a device would provide a better gaming experience than the iPod touch too.

But please don’t call it a netbook, a bargain-bin class of laptop that Apple execs have dissed as “junky.”

There’s no smoking gun in the latest report, but it does appear as though Apple is up to something. As reported by CNN, Munster’s sleuthing led him to conclude that an Apple tablet is only months away.

The signs include: Apple’s recent interest in chip designers, including the company’s acquisition of low-power chipmaker PA Semi a year ago; Apple’s efforts to add multi-touch features to its core products, including iPods, iPhones, and Macs; and the quintessentially Apple need to differentiate itself in an established market. (Think iPods, iPhones, Macs, etc.)

Admittedly, Munster’s evidence is pretty slim. But when combined with other reports, including one from the Chinese-language Commercial Times that says Taiwan-based Wintek will soon supply touch panels for an upcoming Apple subnote, an touchscreen tablet seems very possible.

One thing’s for sure: An Apple tablet, subnote, or whatever you want to call it, won’t copy the successful-if-unspectacular netbook formula of a shrunken laptop with a cramped keyboard and tiny screen.

There’s certainly a market for a portable media player larger than the iPod touch, iPhone, or other smart phones. But what would people pay for such a device? If Apple’s sweet spot is $700, the alleged tablet would need some fairly robust wireless communications and productivity tools too.

Apple would be foolish to ignore the growing netbook market, which is attracting more and more potential laptop buyers. Odds are, it won’t.

HP Touchsmart 600-1055 All-In-One Desktop

Touchsmart All-In-One Desktop

2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile P7450, 4GB DDR3, 750GB, BD-ROM/DVD±RW DL, Windows 7 Home Premium, 23" LCD - MPN: NY539AA

· Computer Type: All-In-One Desktop

· Processor Type: Intel Core 2 Duo

· Included Drives: BD-ROM/DVD+-RW DL

· Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

· Included Monitor:Yes

· Energy Star: Yes

· Included Devices: Integrated TV Tuner, Integrated Webcam, Keyboard, Mouse, Remote Control

· Video Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M

· Processor Speed: 2130

· Installed Memory: 4000

· Hard Drive Size: 750000

Processor

· Processor Class: Intel Core 2 Duo

· Processor Speed: 2.13 GHz

· Cache Size: 3 MB

· Bus Speed: 1066 MHz

· Number of Installed Processors: 1

Memory

· Installed Memory: 4 GB

· Max System Memory: 4 GB

Expansion Slots

· Number of PCI-Express x1 Slots: 2

· Number of PCI-Express x16 Slots: 1

· Slots: Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, MultiMedia Card (MMC), SD Card, SDHC Card

Storage

· Included Drives: BD-ROM/DVD+-RW DL

· Hard Drive Capacity: 750 GB

· Number of Storage Drives Included: 1

Features

· Included Devices: Integrated TV Tuner, Integrated Webcam,, Microphone, Mouse, Remote Control

Display

· Included Monitor: Yes

· Display Type: LCD

· Display Size: 23 in

· Max Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Multimedia

· Video Bus:

PCI Express x16

· Video Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M

· Installed Video Memory: 1 GB

· Included Speakers: Yes

Software

· Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

Warranty

· Warranty Information: 1 Year Limited Warranty

HP Officejet Pro 8500 All-In-One Printer

Description:

Get professional results and save up to 50-percent on cost per color page compared to lasers. Add these energy-saving HP All-in-Ones to your network and replace multiple office machines. Plus, get vivid long-lasting documents and two-sided printing.Summary

• Description:

Officejet Pro 8500 All-In-One Printer

• Manufacturer:

HP (Hewlett-Packard)

• User Reviews:

Not Rated

• Rebates:

(None)

General

• General Features:

Borderless Printing, Photo LCD Display

• Automated Duplex Printing:

Yes

• PictBridge Compatible:

Yes

• Interface Connection:

Ethernet - RJ45 Twisted-Pair (XBaseT), Serial - RJ-11, USB

• Included Network Card:

Ethernet (10/100 Mbps), Wireless Ethernet - IEEE802.11b, Wireless Ethernet - IEEE802.11g

• Slots:

CompactFlash, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, MultiMedia Card (MMC), SD Card, SDHC Card, xD-Picture Card

• System Type:

Mac OS, Windows

• Monthly Duty Cycle:

15000

• Installed Memory:

128 MB

• Processor Speed:

384 MHz

• Energy Star Compliant:

Yes

Warranty

• Warranty Information:

1 Year Limited Warranty