New Sony VAIO Laptop w/ 16.1" Screen

calc writes "Sony Japan has announced a new VAIO laptop that comes with a DVD-R/RW CD-R/RW drive along with a Radeon 7500 Mobility and 16.1" UXGA LCD." The spacebar on my thinkpad has been dying... maybe its time for a change. Sony? You listening? *grin*

Comments

Amazingly

[Anonymous Coward]

The new VAIO is about equal in size to most desktop computers.

DVD-RW?

[Prizm]

I wonder who they're targetting with the inclusion of a DVD-RW. Perhaps they're working toward the blurring of the lines between desktop and laptop. A 16.1 inch screen and a DVD-R/W is certainly a good start in doing so.

Re:DVD-RW?

[DeltaSigma]

But when thinking about the Radeon 7500 included (yeah sure, mobile version means quake3 at 40 FPS, but hey, it's still quake), I'm lent to believe that they're merely continuing their push to make laptops entertainment centers. To do this they must, of course, blur the line between laptop and desktop but let us remember that it's entertainment, not power, which the Vaio laptop series professes is their strong point. I can't be the only one that remembers the man going to the airport and dropping his television, stereo, etc onto the x-ray conveyor belt and picking up a Vaio on the other side. Of course, these days we wouldn't have any of that. The man would be detained and held for questioning until the point at which the FBI arrived to verify that the electronic devices weren't full of C-4, or perhaps a butter-knives.

Re:DVD-RW?

[copec]

My dell with a 1ghz tualatin and radeon 7500 64meg DDR does ~130fps in 1024x768 normal mode. the 1.2ghz tualatin is even slighty faster, and these arn't even the newest cpus. XIG's benmarks

Re:DVD-RW?

[NanoGator]

Us 3D Users (Lightwave, 3DSMax, Maya, etc...) have high hopes that one day we'll be able to do our work on laptops. Up until about a year or two ago, it was a high cost/low benefit tradeoff. You had to spend roughly $3,000 to get a $1,500 machine, and you had limitations that were pretty sucky. (I.e. lack of CDR, low RAM, small/slow hard drive, no 3D acelleration to speak of...)

That has changed recently. Now they come with pretty decent 3D Accelleration, CD/DVD writables, respectable amounts of RAM, hard drives are big but still slow, and you can run at really high resolutions like 1600 by 1200. All this for round about $2,500. It's still a little high, but I'm due for an upgrade soon.

There's still life to my current machine, but I am going to get a new laptop to replace my desktop in the next year or so. Until this year, I felt like that was a pipe dream. I'm very excited about what's coming down the road. The nice thing is, I'm not going to need to go shopping for an LCD Screen!

Re:DVD-RW?

[LexiAnnMcL]

They are probably targeting all the new college students. All the parents want to get their kids something portable, so they "use" it more, thinking they will take it to class. The kids won't use it unless its got the latest goodies. So you might want to put them in, since a lot of people are buying computers for their kids to go to school now.

I worked at a college hooking kids up to the LAN, and there was at least a 75% increase of freshman having laptops from 2000 to 2001 where I was.

Whoa.

[crashnbur]

Compared to my AMS Tech (gone under) laptop with a K62 300 MHz processor, a 3 GB hard drive, a dead 12x CD-ROM, and 32 MB of ram on a 12.1" LCD... Yeah, that's a nice machine. I want.

Re:Whoa.

[Little Brother]

I'll trade you, I've got a Hitachi notebook, with a Pentium 120Mhz processor, 16MB ram, 1MBVRAM, and a display adapter with a max res of 800X600 at 8bpp. It has a 1GB HDD but it's CD-ROM works fine!

Re:Whoa.

[Your_Mom]

since we are in a pissing contest... ;-)
TI Laptop, 8MB RAM, 84MB HDD, B&W VGA display. Slackware 7.1 Linux 2.2.18. PLIP + fetchmail + homebrew script = Being able to read/answer my mail on the bus into work every morning. I think of it as an Palm-on-steroids.

Re:Whoa.

[MORTAR_COMBAT!]

amateurs.

gateway handbook 486. 20 mb of RAM (upgraded from original 8). came with windows 95. now it's running FreeBSD, my domain's DNS, my email, my SSH into my home LAN...

Re:Whoa.

[baldass_newbie]

*bows*

Re:Whoa.

[dadragon]

1) Nice Warcraft III reference. The mortar team is one of my favourite Human units.

2) MMM.. I remember wanting one of those machines back in the day. Indeed, it'd still prove useful if I could find programs with less bloat. DOS 6.22 + Word Perfect + some other stuff would be great on one of those.

Re:Whoa.

[Jacer]

i beat that sager 386, 48 megs of ram RH 5.2, yellow pages, email, ssh, ipmasq, and dhcp,

Re:Whoa.

[Troller Durden]

Gateway Nomad 386. 4 MB RAM. 40 MB HD. Was DOS 5.1. Now NewBSD firewall / NAT machine.

Re:Whoa.

[Skater]

Pentium-133, 48 meg of RAM (upgraded from 16), 6 gigs hard disc (upgraded from 1 gig) came with Win95, now runs Mandrake 8.2 and Win98.

However...this is actually my laptop that I use on trips. It doesn't sit at home and perform light duty; I run KDE 2.2.whatever on it!

--RJ

Re:Whoa.

[Gehenna_Gehenna]

I have a

Cold rock
Runs at 000mgz
No RAM,
No HD
Cannot run anything
IT does, however, fly through the air (when thrown) and crack open skulls

I'd like to seee you try THAT with a Sony laptop...

Re:Whoa.

[Zeinfeld]

I use a 1930s hollerith punch card tabulator running red hat Linux 5.4. Not only do I use it for all y computing needs, it also doubles as a workout center. Being hand cranked it not only needs no electricity, but once you get through the boot sequence you can save the state of the machine by simply running the deck through a punch card duplicator. I'm having a few difficulties getting the TCP/IP stack to work, I keep hitting timeouts and dropping connections. So not only do I win the 'my computer hardware is more primitive than yours pissing contenst' I hereby demand that under rule 43 the other contestants prostrate themselves before me.

Re:Whoa.

[Anonymous Coward]

I use a 1930s hollerith punch card tabulator running red hat Linux 5.4.

aye, and you tell the kids today that and they don't believe you.

Re:Whoa.

[Little Brother]

Well I don't use it much anymore, but I've got a Zenith Datasystems Portable system, with an 8086 processor, 512k RAM two 5.25 drives, (not hi density) oh it did have an internal modem, a full 300 baud... Did I mention it was a monochrome display with pseudo EGA graphics...

Re:Whoa.

[rikkards]

Still amateur
486DX 8M Ram still running windows 95. The catch? It isn't mine, it is my father in laws. I keep trying to convince him to upgrade but he would rather put money in his practice.

Re:Whoa.

[rikkards]

Why do you want my prostate for? Doesn't yours work?

Ohhh prostrate :)

Re:Whoa.

[MADCOWbeserk]

Tell you figured out a way for it to play DivX and I will be really impressed.

And the news is?

[nigelo]

Reduced to posting advertisements now?

Re:And the news is?

[Henry V .009]

I wonder how much they get paid for them?

Most news sources have enough integrity to clearly separate the ads from the articles.

Is there a point to this?

[Your_Mom]

16.1"? Why? Whats the point? Aren't laptops supposed to be /portable/? The last thing I want is to carry around a 16.1" diagonal behemoth, I'd much rather keep my 12.1" P2 300, which I can easily fit in my backpack.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[ryman]

That's what I was thinking too. My Dell Inspiron has a 15" screen. Don't get me wrong, it's great, but the weight/size make it more of an all-in-one computer (think imac) than a laptop/portable.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[tetro]

This kind of product might appeal to college campus dwellers who can use the notebook to move from apartment to apartment (most places have limited leases). If the notebook is a person's main computer, then they'd want to have everything in it that would satisfy their wants and needs.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[rhadamanthus]

Like the first person who replied to this, I too think this is silly. Portability is the only reason to get a laptop. I just recently also got a dell inspiron with the 15 inch screen (it was on a deal!) but now I regret the increased weight (but the screen is pretty!). My girlfriend now wants a laptop and i am recommending the small-screen ibook. I mean, a laptop should be light enough to sit in your lap without losing blood flow to your feet! 16 inch LCDs on laptops kind of strikes me a counterintuitive...

----rhad

Re:Is there a point to this?

[Your_Mom]

Eh... I just don't see it.
I've been a college nomad for almost 5 years now (and graduating soon thankfully) and have lived at no less then 6 seperate dorms (don't ask, funky scheduling). I would much rather have a desktop as no one can fit a desktop under their shirt and stoll out of the building with it.

Although come to think of it, the laptop may be so big that doing that could be impossible, hence bridging the gap... ;-)

Re:Is there a point to this?

[drudd]

I have a new Inspiron with the 15" screen too, and it is heavier than I'd like.

But I was on a budget, and my money could buy more computer if I let it be heavy... besides, I needed something with quite a bit of power, I'll be using it to prototype simulations and to do analysis of data.

Doug

Re:Is there a point to this?

[calc]

I don't know about iBooks but x86 laptops get too hot to reasonably use in your lap, so the extra weight is not that big of a deal.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[dev_sda]

In japan space is key and a laptop means A LOT of saved space. It tends to be THE computer, not an extra, tote-able edition. 16.1" display? yeah, that machine would rock.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[bcarlson]

You must be freaking kidding. A 12.1" screen at 300MHz??!!? Why would you ever give that up!!? You wouldn't want to be able to actually see what you are doing... oh wait, you can't really do anything since you only have a screaming 300Mhz. Jeez... think about it buddy.

I like to see what I'm doing and have

<exaggeration>300</exaggeration>

apps open at a time. I guess whatever works for you, but just because it's a huge screen doesn't mean it's not portable. It'll still fit in my backpack. :)

Re:Is there a point to this?

[shadow303]

A larger screen may make a laptop a bit more cumbersome, but it is still much more portable than a desktop machine. If you don't like a machine because it is bigger, don't buy it, but there isn't any sense in calling a bigger laptop pointless.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[furiousgeorge]

If you don't like it, then quit yer bitching and move on.

I guess I'm one of the morons who would consider buying this. Why? Because I want a small, simple computer that I can move around easily if I need to.

Right now i have a 14" Dell notebook. LOVE IT. Use it on the kitchen table, use it on the coffee table, put it on my lap when i'm in bed, etc etc. One self contained little unit that folds in half to close and to move it all i need to do is plug it in. What do you do with your desktop? You go to where the computer is. What do i do? I just put the computer where I want it and use it. Wireless networking. Life is sweet :)

Now lets look at the desktop example. Monitor. Mouse. Keyboard. Speakers. Computer Box (which are ALL wayyyyy too big. I don't need expandability - I don't need 5 PCI cards. I need the ability to add memory - period. When the graphics are out of date I'll replace the whole thing. With hard drives already topping 160GB, the last thing i need is 4 drive bays.). Plus millions and millions of cables.

The modern PC is really a silly, badly designed, convoluted tech nightmare.

This is the first laptop i've ever owned, and I don't see myself buying a real desktop system ever again. This is way too convenient.

If i was looking for something VERY portable - then yeah 16" is a bit of overkill... but there are lots of options out there. What I want is something simple, convenient that CAN be portable if I need it to be. This fits the bill perfectly.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[Stoutlimb]

For me, it would be perfect. I'm an AutoCAD designer, and I have to take my laptop with me to many clients, and use it as a presentation device. In the design field, any upgrade in size and resolution, that will still fit in a briefcase or laptop sack and not break my shoulder when I carry it is good enough for me. I generally take my laptop with me to wherever I'm working, set it up for the day, work, then take it home with me. This laptop is perfection!

Re:Is there a point to this?

[bwulf]

12.1"? Pfft, weenies. My 7.1" Libretto gets me my work done, running Win2K and FreeBSD.

Fits in the pocket of my coat, is loaded with 20GB of Futurama MPEGs, music etc., GSM/GPRS connectivity for VPN/SSH etc..

It's sweet.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[dadragon]

My iBook (600/Combo/30gb) works quite nicely on my lap. It only gets hot playing Warcraft III. It's a nearly perfect computer, it even boots Linux off my firewire hard drive.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[dadragon]

Okay, I have to ask: What do you use for a pointer on that thing? And will you upload your Futureama mpgs to my private FTP Server that I'll put up tonight, just for you?

I still think I prefer my iBook. What's the speed on that thing?

Re:Is there a point to this?

[uradu]

The convenience of mobility is great. My wife has an Inspiron 8000 with a huge display, and in most respects it's a complete desktop replacement--except for the keyboard. I have yet to see a laptop keyboard that's any good for coding for extended periods. The cursor and Home/End/Insert/Delete keys are always compromised in size and especially position and arrangement. The Dells for example place the Ins/Del cluster at the top right, well out of easy reach, and they're also half size, seriously increasing the probability of hitting the wrong key. I love using my wife's Dell for most things, but when it comes to editing text, I pass.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[Anonymous Coward]

Use it on the kitchen table, use it on the coffee table, put it on my lap when i'm in bed, etc etc. One self contained little unit that folds in half to close and to move it all i need to do is plug it in.

Taken out of context, that quotation sounds almost pornographic.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[Mark Pitman]

I have a Sony VAIO PCG-GR370 for work. The only reason it is a laptop and not a desktop is so that I can take it home when I get tired of working at the office and do more work at home later. I don't carry it with me everywhere I go, just from home to work and back. In this scenario, the bigger the screen the better and the size of the laptop won't really affect me too much. I know, "Why don't you just hook up an external monitor?" Well, I do, but I use the LCD panel at the same time so I have a dual head system. My point is, not everyone needs the smallest possible laptop available. Some of us laptop users are not "road warriors".

Re:Is there a point to this?

[bwulf]

See the little round pad on the right side of the screen? Works more or less like the mouse on a Thinkpad.

Left/right mousebuttons are on the flip side of the screen (think 'thumb on the pad, index finger on the buttons')

With regard to speed, it's a 166 MHz Pentium. It runs Windows 2000 just fine (with 64 MB RAM), as long as you don't need to run a SETI or RC5 client (who'd do that on a laptop, anyway?).

The full specs are here.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[jarnot]

I think laptops have branched into two different types:

• truly portable versions that are lightweight, with few features, smaller screens, etc. These are meant more for "road warrior" types that are constantly on the road and don't want to lug around a 10 lb piece of plastic and metal.
• portable desktops that have large screens, and features like CD-RW, DVD-RW, Zip drives, etc.

  I prefer this type (I have a loaded Dell Inspiron 8200) as I rarely travel, but want the luxury of being able to take my desktop home, to meetings, etc.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[scenic]

I would definitely recommend the 12.1" iBook. I have the 14.1 and I regret the extra weight (I had stupidly assumed the screen would actually have a higher physical rez at that size, and didn't think to check it). I have the higher battery life, though, so I'm happy enough.

I also had a Sony N505VX for a long while (it was stolen recently). And, while it was so small (10", maybe?) it had a kick ass screen . Physical 1024x768 and sharp as nails. Everything looked so much better on that screen than on my 19" monitor or my new iBook (or any other LCD i've seen except for IBM research prototypes for that matter).

Sujal

Re:Is there a point to this?

[Keith Russell]

16.1"? Why? Whats the point? Aren't laptops supposed to be /portable/?

Depends on your definition of portable. If your definition is "desktop in a briefcase", then the GRX line is for you. This GRX91G/P will do quite nicely as a Powerbook Ti crusher. If your definition is "as small as practical", try the SR, R505, or C1. In Japan, Sony has even smaller models, like the GT (think C1 with a much larger camera attachment) and the U (recently nicknamed "My First Sony" by the /. crowd). Of course, this is all based on Sony's Japanese and American lineups. Toshiba, Dell, IBM, Apple, HPQ... quite a diverse marketplace.

As for the GRX91G/P itself, it looks like the only major differences from the US-spec GRX500 are the DVD burner, the remote control, and the software bundle. Otherwise, it's the GRX500 with the core specs (CPU speed, memory, storage) turned up one notch.

I wonder if they are going to sell that USB remote in the States? I could use something like that.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[gbooker]

The last thing I want is to carry around a 16.1" diagonal behemoth

Good point. I have a Titanium which has a 15.2 inch screen. It is a wider screen than most laptops so that would make it narrower than other 15" screens. Whenever I want to take my computer to campus (to use their bandwidth), I do noticed that the computer barely fits in the backpack which has one of those compartments for laptops. The velcro flap cannot fully close because the computer is too long. Get much bigger than this, and it will not fit in the backpack at all.

I also have an older laptop which is not quite as big but weighs >9 pounds. It is easier to carry around in the backpack because it fit in the compartment completely.

I would say that 15" is big enough for a portable computer until they figure out how to make rollup screens (like the globals on EFC). It is nice having a large screen on a laptop, but I prefer the portability. If I wanted a larger screen, I would buy one for home to connect to the computer and leave it there.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[RainbowSix]

Not in the US. A good number of people commute from home to work and need a computer that is portable enough to move, but not necessarily to use in a mobile environment. Assuming that you're a student based on your backback comment, then yes, this is not targetted at you, nor are those huge 3" thick Dells I see here at work. However if you need power and stare at the screen all day, yet need to take your work with you to a hotel/home/alternate place of work that has a desk, then this laptop would be easier to use than one with a 12" screen

Re:Is there a point to this?

[damiam]

I know several people who routinely fit a 15" tiBook into their backpacks. This thing might be a little too big though...

Re:Is there a point to this?

[gotih]

i never liked those backpacks with the builtin laptop thing. i got a case from tom bihn to hold my inspiron 5000 with a 15 inch display. it's a big laptop and i already have a large backpack that holds it fine but the laptop needed some extra protection. this worked great for me and i didn't have to carry a backpack that obviously has a laptop in it (so it's less likely to be stolen).

Re:Is there a point to this?

[tiedyejeremy]

I lug my vaio (15") everywhere - It may not fit in all back packs, but it fit very easily in all that I tried. My vaio serves many purposes, perhaps most often as a portable dvd player for either the kids in van or my fellow paleontologists out in the desert after a hard days work. I also program and do video editing on it, so the 16+ inches would be quite nice! Don't get me wrong, when it comes to power computing I have my fast computer at home with the 20" behemoth moniter and a smaller laptop for light use like email in the kitchen - I mean geez, can't a guy have everything he wants? 1 extra inch diagonally is very little - unless you're trying to have 3 or 4 windows open at once... then it's quite a bit.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[donnacha]

What I want is something simple, convenient that CAN be portable if I need it to be.

Amen.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[bulfinch]

I just got a Sony Vaio r505, the kind with the docking station (media drives and half the hard drive). So with a small 14.1 screen and sans docking station its incredibly small and light. Great for tossing in the backpack and taking to class. But I wouldn't concentrate gaming or movie watching on it, that's what the PS2 is for!

Re:Is there a point to this?

[Mr.Sharpy]

The point is that laptops are beginning to move from bare essentials for work on the road to real desktop replacement. The buyer of this laptop will buy it replace his desktop computer, so it will more often than not be stationary on some desk. Portability is just a feature. The point is that laptops are finally offering everything desktops can, large displays, hot performance, PLUS portability when you need it. This is why the days of the desktop as we know it are numbered.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[gbooker]

i didn't have to carry a backpack that obviously has a laptop in it (so it's less likely to be stolen).

Excelent point. That is why I got one that is made by Jansport and looks identical to my other Jansport backback that doesn't hold a laptop. Upon first seeing it, my friends all thought that I just shoved my computer into the backpack until they saw the extra little padded compartment inside.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[saider]

Most of these computers are marketed as "Desktop Replacements". I have one so that I can do some programming anywhere I happen to be and not have to squint at the screen. This also makes LAN parties and going to see customers much nicer. I do not mind the weight because it is a hell of a lot lighter than toting my desktop around. Besides it all fits into my briefcase (which is my only size requirement).

These larger machines also come with more built in interfaces so you get a more complete notebook. Mine has firewire, USB, ehternet, and a modem in addtition to the standard equipment. If I had an ultraportable I would likely have to buy additional cards for the above interfaces.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[mcg1969]

I have a Thinkpad A31p with a 15.1" screen. It's a hefty beast but it's worth it---it completely replaces my desktop, including the monitor.

I don't mind the weight.

One man's brick is another man's feather I guess.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[eoeoe]

Exactly. If you want, as some repliers have mentioned, a computer that can be portable if you want it to be, by a slim notebook, and buy a nice monitor to plug into it, unless you want to take it on the road. There's a monitor port for a reason.

- Justin

Re:Is there a point to this?

[evocate]

640K, er I mean, 12" should be enough for anyone.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[Lord Ender]

Actually, your little keyboard is better for coding if you are a man and use vi. It is really easy to hit the escape key on a laptop, and you don't need those other sitty keys :)

Re:Is there a point to this?

[Mudcathi]

Now lets look at the desktop example. Monitor. Mouse. Keyboard. Speakers. Computer Box (which are ALL wayyyyy too big

Please don't be offended, but you sound like a midget.

On second thought, if you are offended, then I'm truly sorry that you're a midget.

Seriously, laptops don't work for many of us. Too many kids, dogs, cats, etc., at home. An easily transportable laptop would be left out, then damaged. A "big" pc doesn't move, & thus easier to geographically protect (ie, "don't go near that, junior/sparky/whatever!"). My kids would certainly take offense if I sat down with the laptop on my lap's top, instead of one of them! And if it was after the kids' bedtime, my cats would be offended... mustn't offended the kitties, else they'll leave nasty little presents hither & thither, usually thither being right outside the bedroom door.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[furiousgeorge]

>>Sounds like you need an iMac...

Really? An imac is easly to move around without all that other crap? Last time i checked it was just a regular PC but had the monitor stuck onto the case.

Don't get me wrong, i think the iMac is a sweet piece of engineering and a nice computer, but it doesn't fit the need that I have. Moving it around would still be a PITA. How would i use an iMac in bed?? I think that round base would keep tipping over and bonking me on the head with the screen

Now if you had said TiBook maybe i would have agreed with you Now if apple would only put more than one damn mouse button i may take it seriously.....

Re:Is there a point to this?

[Your Pal Dave]

Seriously, laptops don't work for many of us. Too many kids, dogs, cats, etc., at home. An easily transportable laptop would be left out, then damaged. A "big" pc doesn't move, & thus easier to geographically protect (ie, "don't go near that, junior/sparky/whatever!"). My kids would certainly take offense if I sat down with the laptop on my lap's top, instead of one of them! And if it was after the kids' bedtime, my cats would be offended...

As I read this I am sitting in the living room halfway watching TV with my kid instead of disappearing into the basement to use the desktop... I do miss having a proper mouse, though.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[blisspix]

losing the ability to use normal size bags is a downer.

i love my ibook because it's almost exactly the same size as an a4 piece of paper. that thing can go anywhere.

that is, if i actually bothered to get it insured so i could take it out of the house...

Re:Is there a point to this?

[jonadab]

> 16.1"? Why? Whats the point?
Maybe so that you can _use_ it. Without going crosseyed.

> Aren't laptops supposed to be /portable/?
That's the traditional line, but frankly, any system with less
than 16" viewable display is not usable for regular work. You
could get by with it for a few minutes in a serious pinch, but
doing day-to-day work with it would be *painful*.

Okay, so you buy this thing to use for a small handful of
minutes at a time, but to actually sit down and do anything
you've got to get back to your desktop system. Granted, with
ethernet being cheap as it is now you can mount the laptop's
filesystem easily enough, but now you have to maintain two
systems. Every software you use, you install twice, unless
you just can't use it on the laptop. (Gimp, for example,
would be utterly worthless on a system with less than 16" of
display.) Everything you upgrade or configure, you upgrade
or configure twice. Ick.

The other thing is, a large-side-of-typical 15" diagonal
laptop measures perhaps about 9"x12" or thereabouts. 12" is
really too small to prop on my lap -- the back end would keep
falling between my knees. So you need a table to use it.
IMO that rather defeats the purpose of portable. And it
certainly takes backseat, in terms of portability, to handheld
units, but is barely more useful -- the keyboards on those
things are too small for touch-typing, and the screens are too
small for running most applications. This is why up until now
I haven't spent any money on a laptop. A desktop my not be
portable, but at least it's useable.
Give me something I can carry around -- all one piece, folds up
nice and neat like a (large) book, et cetera, but give me
something I can *use*, so I can use it as my regular system.
12"x16" seems quite reasonable to me, and would allow well
over 19" of display -- a quite reasonable size even for a
desktop, currently -- as well as a normal sized and so fully
usable keyboard plus trackball. Then I can take my desktop
system and turn it into some kind of networking appliance for
my home LAN and use the laptop as my regular workstation, and
still be able to take it with me when I travel.

Build it "one inch thin" when closed, make it out of whatever
alloy sounds impressive to the marketroids, and call it "the
desktop you can carry onto the plane", or "the laptop you can
comfortably use at your desk", or both.

Now, PDAs that can be held in one hand make sense, maybe. But
nobody will mistake those as a substitute for a computer; they
are a supplement, more of a peripheral almost, and no workstation
in any case. Laptops up to this point have been largely a horrid
compromise between portability and usefulness. It doesn't have
to be that way.

> The last thing I want is to carry around a 16.1" diagonal behemoth

Oh, come on. They're making them thin and light these days,
if you haven't noticed. A 17" diag laptop today probably
weighs less than a 13.5" viewable screen laptop from the mid
nineties. But the portability comes mostly from its being all
one piece, and also from the thinness and lack of weight and
battery power. A large textbook can be half again as heavy as
the heaviest modern laptop, and students routinely carry 2-3 of
them under one arm while dashing from class to class.

A laptop that I can't use is of no use to me at all. If I buy
a laptop, I'm going for the largest screen size I can reasonably
afford (within reason -- over 20" would be overkill, I suppose),
provided the other hardware is acceptable. 16" viewable is the
absolute minimum I would consider; I would prefer a couple more
inches than that, if the price increase weren't too horrific.
Of course, 3D goggles with good resolution have the potential
to make this a moot point... but they're just not _ready_ for
mainstream adoption yet, it seems. Especially for a portable
system, where they'd need to support translucency (i.e., let
the real world show through, and let the user configure how
_well_ the real world shows through; on a bus you'd turn
the translucency down and do work; walking, you'd turn the
translucency up over 50%, but you could still read /.). But
now I'm dreaming.

Re:Is there a point to this?

[Betcour]

Simple example why : I've actually a Inspiron 8000. I only took a laptop because I need to be able to cary my PC from work to home and back. When I get to my work or home, I have a keyboard and mouse that I plug. I don't use it in the plane or train, and like the majority of laptop users, it is almost always plugged in the electric outlet.

So I need something as powerful as possible, with the largest screen as possible, yet that I can carry from home to work easely. That Sony looks mighty good to me :) I don't care if it's a bit heavier than your normal laptop, since I don't need to move it much anyway. If there was a 17" screen laptop, I'd go for it as well :)

Re:Is there a point to this?

[gessel]

I use pro/e all the time on a dell inspiron 7500 with the UXGA+ screen; it was the ne plus ultra of it's day. It's still very nice, but the graphics card is starting to be a bit dated.

I don't really chafe at the 700mhz processor, plenty quick for almost everything, and 512MB is enough for most regular web surfing, and it'll always take overnight to run a FEA optimization.

But with FEA, 512MB isn't enough. 1 gig is a lot better for the models I use - which are always simplified. And as one can never be too rich or to thin, one can never have too many pixels (or too fast a graphics card). I dream of the day when multi terabyte main memories and terahertz processors make intractive FEA a reality...

Until then, my next laptop is likely to be the current ne plus ultra of the laptop world, and it isn't the sony in this article, but the Fujitsu Siemens Mobile H. Check it out: 1 Gig main memory, 64MB Quadro4 to go, encrypted HD and boot!, bluetooth detachable keyboard (!), 1.9Ghz P4, 1600x1200 pixel display (!!) (+ dual head a 2nd UXGA display), S/PDIF out (!!!!) AND certified for Linux!!!!!

Topic missed the point...

[calc]

Sony already has laptops with 16.1" screens the point of the post was the new DVD-R/RW drive included. I am not sure why cmdrtaco changed the title to miss the point. ;)

too damn big!

[krog]

16"? jeez, people can hardly fit a TiBook into their bags with their large screens.

just because laptop screens *can* get bigger, doesn't mean they should. work on better resolution instead.

Re:too damn big!

[Bytenik]

My brother's Dell has 1400x1050 resolution on a 14.1" screen! Now they're selling 1600x1200 on a 15" screen!

How much better resolution do you want? :-)

Re:too damn big!

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh yeah, I wanna run 1600x1200 on my 14' LCD.....
Let me just bust out my telescope so I read slashdot....

Re:too damn big!

[Mark Pitman]

Oh yeah, I wanna run 1600x1200 on my 14' LCD.....

You must be blind if you cant see 1600x1200 on a 14 foot screen!

Re:too damn big!

[Bytenik]

Actually, since LCDs use three "sub-pixels" placed horizontally next to each other for each pixel, a 15" LCD with 1600x1200 resolution actually has much better than 300 "dots" per inch horizontally.

Sub-pixel font rendering technologies such as ClearType make use of this unique property of LCDs to generate amazingly crisp text. See this page for more details.

The actual width of a 15" LCD is about 12", so (1600x3)/12 = 400 "dots" per inch!

Of course, the vertical direction is limited to about 1200/9 = 133 "dots" per inch, but for reading text we need the extra resolution in the horizontal direction much more, so text still looks damn good.

Unfortunately, full-color graphics don't benefit from this "extra resolution", so we still have a ways to go there.

Oooh

[billatq]

I could sure use a new thinkpad. CdrTaco? Are you listening ;)?

Watch MacWorld

[javester]

and try out the TiBook or the iBook! OS X is based on Darwin/BSD. And if you like Linux, you can always use YellowDog.
And you can always use Fink too!
And the best part is, MS Office of OS X is the best Office suite IMHO, bar none.

Re:Watch MacWorld

[javester]

Sorry Anonymous Coward,

But Slashdot is targeted at the digiterati, and if you don't know what I just posted, then you're just another "user who just knows enough to be dangerous".

Just the same, here's why I posted:

• the TiBook aka Powerbook has a 15.2 inch mega-wide display that was introduced last year!
• VAIO and the Powerbook are in the same market segment, i.e. high-end consumer laptops
• with Macworld around the corner, a new round of hardware announcements is widely anticipated from Apple, including rumors of bigger screens on both the Apple laptops and the iMac
• CmrTaco is a Linux user and you can be sure he'll be loading up Linux on that VAIO (right Cmr?)
• Fink is a project to port Unix tools to Mac OS X.
• OS X is a *Nix (for your benefit, that's shorthand for a Unix-like system like Linux, Solaris and the ilk)
• and lastly, Slashdot is a FORUM so everybody (including you, sad to say), can post what they think

I suggest you expand your library to include "Mac OS X for Dummies", you'll find it most illuminating.

And BTW, I was the editor of our paper, and have been feted with numerous literary awards.

Its just that when you're talking amongst peers, you tend to conduct the conversation in shorthand.

See you around, anonymous coward.

Re:Watch MacWorld

[poemtree]

If Sony can get a new DVD-R squashed into this thing, maybe Apple can too. 1 GHz TiBook with SuperDrive at Macworld? Hmmm....

It looks pretty..

[txdadu]

but I can't read japanese, what are its vital stats?

One problem

[phoxix]

The bigger the screen gets, the bigger the laptop.

Being that laptops are supposed to be portable, the screen size will forever have a finite size limitation. They could get around this by having an extra screen pop-out or something. But then that would cost major $$ and just very well may not be worth it. It may very well be laptops that drive the development of head sets.

Sunny Dubey

Re:One problem

[HowlinMad]

That is true....kinda.

Take a look at older laptops. The area from the edge of the screen to the actual of edge of the notebook was huge, sometime like 1.5". Now it is right next to the edge about 1 cm (or less) away. They made up some space there, but all in all, to get a screen that big, they did have to make it a bit bigger. Also remember that this is a diagonal measurement, so it does not take as much in length and width to make the diagonal bigger.

not real new.

[BenTheDewpendent]

its been out for like a month now.
i have a 14.1 inch screen and dvd/cd-rw and love it. but the sound on the sonys just sucks. my hp had better sound...

but sonys are great laptops. built soild.

Did they actually increase the res though?

[ostiguy]

Its probably just 1600x1200, just like the 15 inchers. Some people are hawking 14 and 15 inchers that only do 1024x768. ugh!

i am not a fan of sony pcs anyhow though - 90 warranty unless you register, and we have had bad luck with em

ostiguy

Re:Did they actually increase the res though?

[ocbwilg]

Its probably just 1600x1200, just like the 15 inchers. Some people are hawking 14 and 15 inchers that only do 1024x768. ugh!

What' the point of 1600x1200 on a 15 inch screen? I have a 19 inch monitor at home and I never push it farther than 1280x960 because 1600x1200 is still too small for it to be readble. Especially if you spend any amount of time working with it on the road at all.

Re:Did they actually increase the res though?

[calc]

Well the dot pitch of most/(all?) 19" CRTs isn't even sufficient to draw 1600x1200 properly so that is a major factor in it being unreadable. However, 1600x1200 on a 16.1" LCD is still small but it should be readable since there are really 1600x1200 physical pixels on the screen.

Re:Did they actually increase the res though?

[sdb6247]

The 15" screens are NOT 1600x1200... they are 1400x1050. So yeah, the 16" screen DOES increase the resolution, because NOW it is 1600x1200.

Re:Did they actually increase the res though?

[SoupIsGoodFood_42]

I own a 12" iBook, it runs at 1024x768. I could never bare to go with a lower resolution (relative/DPI) than that.

Of course, there are the rumors that the new iMac will have a 17" LCD, but it will probably only be bummped up to 1290x864.

There seems to be more of a demand of larger LCDs, and not much demand for increased resolution (relative/DPI). Which is a bit of a bummer.

Re:Did they actually increase the res though?

[ostiguy]

Dell for one has 14 and 15s that do 1600x1200. They also have 14s and 15s that do 1400x1050.

droool....

[MarvinMouse]

Ahh...

Man, I am so a IBM Thinkpad man, but this machine just makes me drool. If there is one thing Sony has got over everyone else, it's really, really nice designers.

Does anyone know if this is available in Canada yet? I know what my next laptop will be.

(R U Listening IBM?) ;-)

Got one of these last month

[AirLace]

The screen is beatiful. But the keyboard is a nightmare, just for that reason I though of giving it back. Also, the BIOS doesn't support APM properly so you have to use the ACPI stuff if you need power management, and swsusp to suspend to RAM as it's no longer built in to the BIOS. It's also a nightmare to carry around, like the lunchbox computers of yesteryear -- this is kind of my first VAIO I've been disappointed in.

Re:Got one of these last month

[Anonymous Coward]

Also, the BIOS doesn't support APM properly so you have to use the ACPI stuff if you need power management

Last time I checked, ACPI was superior to APM...

Re:Got one of these last month

[Skevin]

> Also, the BIOS doesn't support APM properly...

LMAO, the Radeon Mobility 7500 is not exactly famous for its power-saving ability, even when it's sitting around in 2D mode. Combine that with the backlight for the extra-large surface area (as well as potentially bigger speakers), is it reasonable to think anyone is going attempt to take advantage of "Advanced Power Management"?

Sure, such a gamer^H^H^H^H^H user might have his quiet moments where he just wants to compose poetry or manage his shopping list in a coffeehouse somewhere, but IMHO, a "laptop" with a 16" screen is going to a little big to live up to its namesake.

I can see only one primary purpose for this machine: LAN Party.
(...Oh yeah, and getting work done onsite, when your clients try to set you up with a "Development Station" that's too damn slow to mirror their live database backend.)

Solomon

Re:Got one of these last month

[Anonymous Coward]

But Linux ACPI support is inferior.

16" too big? It depends...

[GJSchaller]

I have a GRX-500 with the 16" screen. I'm happy with it.

I don't want a lightweight laptop - I got this as a Desktop Replacement. When I take it on the road, I don't plan on using it on the train, or on the bus - I plan on sitting it down on a desk or table, and using it there.

I can see why people would want a smaller laptop. But there are people who want a portable desktop, for use at shows, offsite, etc. where it won't be moved much once it's deployed.

IMO, if I want a very portable PC, I'll use a PDA. ;)

Is that two fans I see?

[LenE]

In the semi-transparent view on the upper right of the page? It looks like it.

Two fans, 16.1" screen, a Pent 4 and a DVD-RW drive. This seems like a power-hungry desktop, rather than a laptop. Anyone venture to guess on the lap temperature? How about deci-Bell levels?

-- Len

Re:Is that two fans I see?

[LenE]

I thought that at first, but it seems likely that the larger one in the center is a fan. I can't read Japanese, so I was just speculating on the tiny picture.

-- Len

Re:Is that two fans I see?

[devnull17]

It wouldn't be terribly shocking; the Dell Inspiron 8xxx models have had dual fans in the back for years.

Battery Life

[robertchin]

If you're planning on mastering a DVD video, wouldn't your battery die before the process is complete (encoding + burning)? If so, then what's the point? How long does it take to burn a DVD anyway?

Re:Battery Life

[damiam]

I've toyed with the Superdrive on a PowerMac G4, and it seemed to burn (not including compression) at about 1x (in other words, 30 min of video take about 30 min. to burn). This is with the default compression settings - obviously, it's quicker to burn if you compress more. DV video seemed to compress at about 0.5x (on a 733Mhz G4 w/ AltiVec).

However, if I were burning a DVD, I'd probably plug in my computer, not run it off batteries.

Re:Battery Life

[m3000]

I think anyone burning DVD's would probably be at home next to an outlet. I can't think of any reason that a DVD would have to be burned on a whim sitting in an airplane or something.

Re:Battery Life

[laymil]

according to a japanese friend, the laptop must be plugged in when the dvd burner is in use. this is mentioned on the website! :)

+1 Funny

[ergo98]

Very nicely done. Of course you have that bastardized "Vitality" instead of Constitution, and where's your Charisma?

Re:Translation (Smart Filter thinks babelfish is p

[yelligsc]

Check out the error when I try to hit babelfish at work! The interesting part is under Problem Cause.

Problem Report
Access denied to the system by SmartFilter, while attempting to retrieve the URL.

Message ID
SMARTFILTER_DENIED Secure Computing

Problem Description
Your system was configured to deny access to this URL.

Problem Cause
The request was denied, as specified in the SmartFilter Content Filter configuration. The content category reported is sex.

Possible Solution
Traffic to and from the internet is being filtered and logged.Access to this site has been blocked according to UTC Policy.If there is a compelling business justification for access to this site to be permitted, please present your request to the I T management at your business unit for consideration.

Yet again another "Sony is godhead" story

[MsGeek]

Wow.

You'd think /. would know better by now. Sony is NOT your friend. Sony is a member of both the RIAA and the MPAA and would like nothing better than to control everything you put into your machine.

There are so many other companies that make laptops. Vaios are cute and kawaii but then again so is the Fujitsu Lifebook. And Fujitsu belongs to neither the RIAA or MPAA. Plus you can get a spiffomundo Crusoe chip in the thing, so you can say that you've got Linus Inside! How cool is that?

"The RIAA and the MPAA are a bad, evil corporate conspiracy...OOOH! Shiny objects! I want!!!"

Re:Yet again another "Sony is godhead" story

[longbottle]

Speaking as someone who just purchsed a similar model (sans the DVD-R/W drive) I'd just like to point out that my main reasons for buying this model were *not* "Ooh, shiny! Me Want!" It was a combonation of the huge screen, acceptable price (compared to the $4,000 a comperable G4 Powerbook cost.... ouch) And the fact that I've always had good luck with sony products. I know full well that Sony is a member of "the evil **AA's", but you know what I do because of that? I don't buy/go to/listen to music or movies that are on the Sony labels. Very simple. I like Sony's hardware (they invented the freakin' VCR, for crying out loud!)but am not a fan the RIAA or MPAA... why try to bankrupt Sony's hardware devision? They make _killer_ toys.

oh well, just my two cents.

bad news for Linux?

[tps12]

Wow, I'm continually amazed by the high-quality products pumped out by Sony, specifically as part of their VAIO line. This little beast looks to be no exception (16.1"? Hot damn that's a lot of xterms!).

However, I am afraid of the impact this laptop might have on the Linux market. Linux has had most of its growth running on older computers that have been replaced with fast, new ones by people who want to watch DVD's, surf the web, and play the latest games. One of the beauties of Linux has always been that you could grab that old Pentium one that was headed for the trash heap, slap Debian on there, and have a damn fine firewall. Even Joe Average PC Owner can figure Mandrake or Red Hat out enough to get Linux running on an obsolete box.

Sadly, this is not the case with new PCs. Higher-end systems tend to come with the latest Windows (that most people will keep just for the "gee whiz" factor) pre-installed. Furthermore, they may come with the latest cutting-edge peripherals (such as video cards, DVD players, and printers) that aren't yet supported under Linux. For whatever the reason, people who don't mind using Linux to "rescue" a dump-bound 486 will frequently have qualms about wiping Windows from their shiny new Dells.

Unfortunately, Sony has a history of making this effect even more pronounced with it's VAIO laptops. They frequently use proprietary chipsets and hardware that isn't fully supported under Linux. Reports about of incompatiblities with filesystems, X configuration, and modem support.

What this boils down to is that this product, sweet as though it may be, is bound to have a detrimental effect on Linux sales. I think I'll pass on this one. Hopefully, if enough people (I'm looking at you, CmdrTaco) follow suit, we'll send Sony a message, demonstrate that Linux does belong on new PCs, and the world will thank us.

Re:bad news for Linux?

[zCyl]

For whatever the reason, people who don't mind using Linux to "rescue" a dump-bound 486 will frequently have qualms about wiping Windows from their shiny new Dells.

I use Linux (debian, to be precise) on my shiny new Dell laptop, and have absolutely no problems with it. You'll find that the hardware argument between Linux and Windows is different than it was 2 years ago. Linux development has progressed to the point where one seems to be more likely to find solid Linux support for a piece of hardware than to find support for your particular version of Windows.

For hardware support, Windows is fragmented in a negative way. There are several versions of Windows in active use now, ME, 2k, XP, and even win98 boxes out there yet. Drivers are frequently not interchangeable between these, and often there are platforms left out to dry.

Linux, however, despite its various distribution choices, has one central kernel tree developing hardware support. Because of this you can guarantee that you can always plug the latest bug-fixed driver into any Linux distribution without disturbing the rest of the machine.

DVD-RW vs DVD+RW: Sony Doesn't Get It

[BRock97]

I am not quite sure I understand where Sony is coming from including a DVD-RW drive. From what I have read, they are completely DVD+RW driven, to the point of being a member of the alliance. The thing that irks me here is that this does not help the already splintered standard battle going on out there. On one hand you have Phillips, HP, Yamaha and Sony supporting DVD+RW, and on the other, you have Pioneer, Apple, and ..... Sony supporting DVD-RW. How can this be good for the end user?!

Ummm...AC Adapter...

[ryman]

My Dell has a CDRW drive, but I don't really see myself ever using it on battery. Not to mention your point of time consideration, battery usage is also a factor.

Taco just wants an eval unit

[colostomy_net]

to impress his new woman.

Current version with 15.7" screen

[JoshMKiV]

I've used the current version that has a 15.7" screen. I was surprised by the weight, it was not bad at all. My ThinkPad A21 with a 15.1" is worse.

The Sony was rather thin, had a great keyboard, and I was surprised at the usefulness of the jog dial control. Even at Circuit City or Best Buy, the Sony is priced attractively. I would seriously consider the Sony if work did not provide the ThinkPad.

Maybe so...

[Wrexs0ul]

Maybe so, but the chances of an airplane letting me hookup the desktop PC for some Warcraft 3 is very slim!

Actually I don't mind a laptop with slightly larger dimensions. For my purposes as a desktop-to-go or monitoring servers I really don't need an ultra-portable thinkpad like those midget-sized machines IBM came out with a few years back.

That and onboard ATI makes for great presentations (not to mention fragging!)

---

Got Web Hosting? RackNine

This is the GRX500 series

[very]

Well, the 16.1 Inch UXGA screen has been available for months from Sony.
As a matter of fact, I own a GRX500 series.

The only new thing is the DVD-R/RW CD-R/RW

Damn, I gotta buy the DVD-R/RW CD-R/RW module!!!!

Go here!
http://www.sonystyle.com/home/item.jsp?hier c=9683x 7018x9592&catid=9592&itemid=31618

Wait..

[iONiUM]

Radeon 7500 Mobility
Why use this card when I can instead somehow hack a dual GPU card into it?

Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[the eric conspiracy]

I recently went shopping for a laptop, and seriously considered a Sony 16.1" screen model. I decided against purchasing a Sony product because
Sony has an extremely bad policy in regard to OS support.

Sony encodes the BIOS with a designation describing the OS that it was sold with. This designation is checked by the drivers supplied by Sony. If the driver OS doesn't match the BIOS designation, the drivers do not load. This is to prevent buyers from installing an OS that the laptop was not sold with. Sony also does not make driver packages available for download online.

The end result is that you will be stuck with whatever OS the machine was sold with. Want to run Win2K Server on a machine sold with Win XP? Too Bad.

Want to dual boot Win2K and XP. Nah. Want to upgrade when the next Windows comes out? Nope.

The only exception to this is that it is possible with some fiddling to install Win XP Pro on a machine that came with XP Home. But don't count on Sony to tell you how! They won't.

In my opinion the result is that Sony laptops are completely unsuitable for technically inclined users.

BTW, my search ended up with a Compaq 2800T with WinXP and the same Radeon card as the Sony. It's got a 15.1" screen, USB 2.0 and is FAR more portable. It also runs RedHat 7.3 and Windows 2000 just fine.It's also expandable to 1gig of RAM and has USB 2.0. The configurability from the Compaq store is also far better than with the Sony.

Sony? Not until they adopt a less hostile OS policy.

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[user32.ExitWindowsEx]

What about the DVD-R/RW? Where else can I get that in a laptop?

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[reverius]

As many others here have said, why would you want that in a laptop? Just curious... apparently you're the only one commenting here who's a potential purchaser of said Sony Vaio.

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[CondeZer0]

You can always run linux on it:
http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/sony.html

But wish I could buy it with linux preinstalled...
I hate to pay for what I don't use(eg, a Windows license :))

\\Uriel

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[The Bungi]

I don't work for Sony, particularly like them or otherwise give a shit, though I think they make good consumer electronics. But this is nothing but FUD.

I have a Vaio PCG-F430 (older model) here that shipped with Win98. It's running Windows 200 Pro right now, and at one point it was also running Win2K Advanced server. I got it through a company-sponsored purchase program. I figured Vaio was better than no laptop, although I probably wouldn't have bought one if I was spending my own money. Still, I've had absolutely no problems other than an intermittent green ghost stripe in the LCD that appears when the thing is left in the car in 110F heat for too long. It disappears after the screen has cooled.

About four months ago I replaced the 2.5 inch hard drive. Not a single problem. I also upgraded the memory to 256MB. Not a problem.

Sony makes drivers and utilities (such as those that control the touch pad and so on) available from their web site, on a per model basis. That means that you can find your model and download replacements for every single piece of software that shipped with the laptop originally, from the sound card to the video card. If you haven't already, I'd recommend you visit Sony's web site. Bring some crow for muching.

Now, when I installed W2KAS I didn't even bother installing the utilities. Everything worked perfectly fine. And then with W2kPRO, I installed all of them. Guess what? Everything works fine.

I can say the same thing for late model Vaios since I helped a friend get rid of WinME and install W2K Pro on his. He didn't even bother installing the updated drivers, because everything was working fine, with the exception of the SD thing, which he wasn't using anyway. USB, FireWire, video, sound, NIC, PCMCIA, etc. Everything worked flawlessly the first time W2K booted up.

Perhaps you want to provide a link or two backing up your claims?

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[kcwhitta]

This is simply untrue. I have owned a Sony Vaio FX120K for over a year which came installed with Win2K on it. Soon after Windows XP was released, Sony supplied all the required drivers and patches for download on their website making for a totally painless upgrade.

Keenan

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[user32.ExitWindowsEx]

Well, actually, if I had a DVD-R drive in a laptop, I could use it to perform on-site backups of key data from bum machines when I repair them. Then I could leave the backup disk with the client so they would always have it in event of a system failure.

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[micahjd]

Well, if you buy an Apple laptop you don't pay for a windows license :)

I've had the 500mHz iBook2 for over a year now, and it's been a great machine. OS X isn't quite my cup o' tea (too slow) and I don't find OS 9 useful for anything, but it runs Linux great. Not as much expansion as most laptops due to the lack of PCMCIA, but the hardware is built solid and IMHO the great battery life makes up for lack of expansion.

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[the eric conspiracy]

This is simply untrue.

No, it certainly is true of the 16.1" (GRX) series models I was writing about.You have a different, earlier model that was sold before this policy went into effect.

Not only that, it is impossible to get upgrades to the bundled software should you want such.

Here are some links from Google groups that describe user experiences with Sony's policies in this area.

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=sony+laptop+OS +p olicy&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=be7373cf.01 07141003.3de6883b%40posting.google.com&rnum=8

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=GRX-500&hl=en& lr =&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=bD5F8.23247%24gD6.36827%4 0sccrnsc01&rnum=3

The fact is I would not touch one of these machines with a ten foot pole because of this policy.

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[SubReale]

I am an owner of a Sony Vaio GRX570. What he said about them encoding the BIOS is correct, they do encode it, with what info I don't know. But as to what he said about installing other operating systems is wrong. I successfully installed WinXP Pro then a dual boot of Win2K, and Slackware 8.1. I was able to get the drivers for the 2K install from their website . The drivers I got from there were made for the GRX5xxK models. It seems to be the same model as the GRX5xx and GRX5xxP, but with a different BIOS chip.

Also on their support site, particularly the XP version of the GRX they give another place to get additional information on 2K drivers and how to do a clean install of 2K. How is that for OS support?

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[Fofer]

A CD-R would do just as well. Or 2. Or 3.

Okay, if it's more than 700 MB of data, then a DVD-R would certainly be handy, but how long would it take to transfer all of that data to the laptop in the first place? Over Ethernet? Not to mention that DVD-R burning is decidedly slow these days, compared to 48x burning of CD-R's.

Yeah, it's a nice add-on for a laptop, but certainly not worth a premium price tag if you're looking for a way to back up a SEPERATE machine. You'd do it once and never want to waste all that time again.

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[Jonny 290]

Unless you're putting gigabit ethernet cards onto it (whose price is not justified by their performance), the best you're going to get is 10 megabytes a second. The ABSOLUTE BEST. A 32x burner hooked up via USB 2.0 is more reliable and usable than a DVD burner.

It's rather obvious that Sony's in competition with only one company - Apple. And i'm not going to comment on who's winning, because I like aspects of both companies and machines.

Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft

[velouria]

Funny this should come up!

I just had to upgrade a whole bunch of different Vaios (several each of Z600NE, Z600HEK, QR10 and SR21) to Win2k and WinXP from Win98 and WinME.

My last experience was nearly a year ago, at which time there were no drivers of any kind available online for my Z600HEK.

This time round every model of laptop had drivers for everything from Win98 -> WinXP online... You just type in the model and serial off the bottom of the laptop and hey presto - downloads itemised by OS shows nearly every OS Microsoft ever released. It even included things like Norton Antivirus.

It's a major step up, as easy to find drivers and apps as Compaq or Dell.

Linux-Loaded?

[Ted V]

Sorry to sound like a typical slashdot troll, but does this come with Linux preloaded? I'm shopping for a laptop, and I *really* don't want to pay the Microsoft Operating System Tax(tm) for an OS I'm not going to use. Any recommendations on laptops with preloaded linux and places to buy them that *WON'T* charge me for Windows?

Re:Linux-Loaded?

[CondeZer0]

Please mod parent up, I'm in exactly the same situation!

I'm still dreaming of the day I can buy a Vaio PictureBook
preloaded with linux... *sight*

I wish that at least IBM started offering Linux as an option
for *ALL* their thinkpads.

\\Uriel

Re:Linux-Loaded?

[still_nfi]

Check out Tuxtops.com

Re:Linux-Loaded?

[sk8tr]

Since motherboards are getting more and more standard with built in video/sound/lan/usb/etc etc
With some MBs you don't even need to put ANY additional components.
Why doesn't some chinese manufacturer make some standard MB/chassis/battery/ flat panel connector/video controller
and sell them to the enthusiast market.
There are laptop manufacturers that are using standard desktop components in laptops just for the desktop replacement market and I don't understand why some company hasn't seen the potential in this market.
Standardization built the PC market. Whoever standardizes the laptop market could make a killing.
This would help linux out a lot because laptops would be available from the same mom and pop computer shops that provide a lot of the linux market with converts. No more M$ tax! plus make yourself a cool laptop.
Of course the chassis would have to fit the screen size and build quality would be iffy but the possibilities are endless just like on a desktop PC.

Re:Linux-Loaded?

[elflord]

Sorry to sound like a typical slashdot troll, but does this come with Linux preloaded? I'm shopping for a laptop, and I *really* don't want to pay the Microsoft Operating System Tax(tm) for an OS I'm not going to use. Any recommendations on laptops with preloaded linux and places to buy them that *WON'T* charge me for Windows?

I get my computers from ASL, and so do my employers, so I've dealt with a number of their machines. They do Linux laptops, and will not charge you for Windows on a Linux-only system.

Re:Linux-Loaded?

[nomso]

Any recommendations on laptops with preloaded linux and places to buy them that *WON'T* charge me for Windows?

Yes, here.

No prob. (disclaimer: actually UNIX loaded)

Re:Linux-Loaded?

[ShavenYak]

The website now points to Everguard Patch Management System.

Re:Linux-Loaded?

[metatruk]

From the MS Windows XP Home version EULA:

You agree to be bound by the terms of this EULA by installing, copying, or otherwise using the product. If you do not agree, do not install or use this product; you may return it to your place of purchase for a full refund.

It looks like you have the right to return your windows license for a full refund. I don't know of anyone who has tried this, though.

Re:Linux-Loaded?

[suwain_2]

I've seen some really good deals at Xtremenotebooks.com. I've never bought from them, nor do I even know anyone who has, so I can't vouch for them, but they have powerful machines at pretty good prices.

(Can anyone comment on the quality?)

Re:Linux-Loaded?

[Rude Turnip]

You could always go to www.powernotebooks.com. They sell Sager and PowerPro (ASUS) laptops. They don't put Linux on them...but you can get them w/o any OS installed. They have the highest rating on www.resellerratings.com. RobLimo bought a Sager from them, IIRC, and was happy with it. Keep in mind you can choose from models with mobile or desktop processors.

This is news?

[penguinboy]

I saw a laptop with a 16" screen in Best Buy about two months ago..

Re:This is news?

[Frank of Earth]

Yeah, but Tacohead didn't need a new laptop a few months ago.

I wonder if he'll actually get any freebies. Sony should send him a one month subscription to Evercrack.

my laptop idea

[Nate Fox]

My idea for a laptop: drop all the old crap and make it light. My wish list includes:

• a bunch of USB ports (4 or 6 of em..and spread them out around the sides/back)
• Firewire
• Built in 802.11b
• Integrated 10/100 + 56K
• Slot load DVD/CDRW

Honestly, drop the paralell/serial/ps2 ports. Almost everything nowadays is USB (desk printers, kybd/mouse, dig cameras, scanners). Now make a 15" (ok..maybe even 16") screen, but thin it up. If that means you have to drop the speed on the cpu, fine. Cant put a 40G drive in and keep it thin? Put in a 20G - should be plenty (for now). So basically, I want an x86 Itanium - big screen, slim, light (relatively), all new technology, and plenty fast.

And if anybody knows of a laptop that has all of that, please tell me :) I dont even mind if its expensive (~2500 is around top of the line nowadays).

Re:my laptop idea

[fgb]

my toshiba satelltie has almost all that. 3 usb ports, firewire, bluetooth (I use a pc card for 802.11b) 10/100 + 56K DVD/CDRW, 1.1Ghz Pentium III, 15" screen, gforce4go, 40G drive, 512M RAM. It also has a SD drive, but I have no use for it. Total cost: (including pc card) $2100.

Re:my laptop idea

[ALecs]

My idea for a laptop is one that has a standard DB9 serial port so I can actually USE it for something. About 80% of why I need a laptop is a portable serial terminal for supporting servers/network switches in the field that have console on serial port. It's still the best way to administer a server. 9600-8-N-1 is the least common denominator: it always works. :)

Re:my laptop idea

[Troller Durden]

Actually $4000 is about top of the line for a real desktop-replacement laptop.

Re:my laptop idea

[Sniffer]

I'm pretty sure that what he really wants is x86 Titanium, as in PowerBook G4 Titanium. Except for the x86 and 4-6 USB ports, it has everything he wanted.

15.2" screen (wide and beautiful for DVD playback)
1" thick
upto 60GB drive
Slot load DVD/CDRW
Integrated 10/100/1000 (why?!?) & 56k
Firewire
802.11b
DVI port
light - 5.4 lbs...

Things missing for this guy:
USB ports (why do you need that many? Honest question, not just flame bait..)
x86 (can't really say anything here...)

Re:my laptop idea

[The Fred]

Got one for you. Check out the Fujitsu P-series laptops. The higher end P-2000 has all that you desire, crusoe chip for long battery life, cd-rw, wireless, modem, ethernet, small but high-res screen + the thing is light and tiny.

Enjoy

Re:my laptop idea

[Mister Black]

Have you considered an Apple Powerbook?

*a bunch of USB ports (4 or 6 of em..and spread them out around the sides/back) has 2
* Firewire yes
* Built in 802.11b yes
* Integrated 10/100 + 56K yes - gigabit even
* Slot load DVD/CDRW yes

Itanium? Try Titanium

Re:my laptop idea

[Nate Fox]

Oops..my bad. Thats what I meant - the apple Titaniums rock - but I want x86 :)

Re:my laptop idea

[LenE]

duh.
My HP is a 2gig hz. (Max you get on powerbook is 800mhz? duh!!)

Do your lips move when you read? I'm just wondering because you seem to type your thoughs out, even while your brain farts.

If you've ever used a G4 TiBook, you would understand how stupid your lame attempt at belittling it's speed was. The 2 GHz. mobile P4 in your HP is detuned so as not to melt through your lap. It doesn't come close to the desktop version's speed. The G4 runs cool enough to be run at full bore, which is much faster clock-per-clock than the P3 or P4, especially the mobile ones.

2 Firewire portS d0h.
USB 2 d0h (care to see that on your powerbook?)

I have no clue if your machine has firewire or not as your brainfart seemed to become corrupted, but at least Firewire and USB work perfectly on the Mac. Where is USB 2 support from MS?

No, the PB doesn't have USB 2, it doesn't need it. I have yet to see a device where USB 2 really makes sense. Firewire is a much more elegant solution with none of the drawbacks since it is peerable and supports asynchronus and isochronus tansfers.

--Len

Re:my laptop idea

[King Babar]

No, the PB doesn't have USB 2, it doesn't need it. I have yet to see a device where USB 2 really makes sense. Firewire is a much more elegant solution with none of the drawbacks since it is peerable and supports asynchronus and isochronus tansfers.

There is one advantage that USB2 has over 1394, though: price of the peripherals that use it. Seriously, I was recently shopping for a Firewire hard disk and a CD-RW and such, and the USB2 prices were consistently much lower for comparable hardware. Very annoying. I ended up getting a Pyro 1394 enclosure and a naked drive of my choice.

They might not really need it, but I wouldn't be totally surprised if upcoming Apple hardware started to come with USB2 ports. Guess we'll see next Wednesday. :-)

Re:my laptop idea

[SlipperyGoo]

Other than the 4-6 USB Ports and the (~2500 is around top of the line nowadays) You just desribed the TiBook! Now go buy one...In a country full of Apples no one needs to go hungry.

Still looking for..........

[batboy78]

I wonder where I can purchase the "the port Lee pre- k tar.". Gotta love the fish.

Re:Translation (Smart Filter thinks babelfish is p

[GigsVT]

BABE-lfish.

Like hotbabeswithpigs.com hotbabeswithfish.com, etc.

Likely they just block everything with "babe" in its domain name.

they are blurred now...

[simpl3x]

i looked at this machine a couple of months ago, and it is large. nice screen, but the japanese like mobile computers, not necessarily portable (in this case). being able to move a desktop is a requirement given the sizes of the apartments in japan. several other japanese electronic companies produce similar profiles for the home market. here's another sony that's cool: http://www.dynamism.com/qr/index.shtml

Bah, what you really want is ...

[Greedo]

... one of these or even one of these. Little is where it's at, man!

Re:Bah, what you really want is ...

[Your_Mom]

I could see myself using the iBook. I've been seriosuly considering purchasing a used iMac to fiddle with OS X.
The Fujitsu model... Well... there is such a thing as too small, you know? :)

check the battery type before you buy

[0WaitState]

On some of their Vaio's, Sony's been selling them with a cheap-ass 45 minute battery (which of course rounds up to 1-2 hours in the sales literature). This lets them shave $200 off the list price, until you get it home and discover that your laptop is only portable for 45 minutes (less if you actually use the hd or cd/dvd). A decent Sony battery (2700 maH) is a BP71A, listing at about $240. The crappy one is the BP-1A, though part numbers will change.

So, before you buy, look at the maH rating of the battery. Or have fun getting Sony to upgrade your laptop with a battery that at least meets the low end of their claimed life.

Saw this at Metreon, in San Francisco

[laxian]

I'm pretty sure I saw this at the Sony store in the Metreon in San Francisco last week. This thing is giant ... thin ... but giant.

I folded it up and I imagined that carrying it would be like hauling around an artist's portfolio. I didn't expect it to be so huge.

Hmmm ... maybe this is a little better?

This is the same Sony that...

[Anonymous Coward]

• is a member of the MPAA
• is a member of the RIAA
• Blocked people from writing Open Source projects for their AIBO's
• Blocked people from developing with Linux on the PS2
• Sued people for writing emulators for their old discontinued games
• Developed the proprietary memory stick, and are a proponent of the DMCA

maybe its time for a change. Slashdot? You listening? *grin*

Re:This is the same Sony that...

[acceleriter]

took GPL'd code for POSE, modified it for the CLIE, and distributed binaries without making source available.

Re:This is the same Sony that...

[Anonymous Coward]

They also distributed a modified version of the GPLed POSE Palm emulator with their Clie development kits, sans source. When asked to make the source available, they told the author to go fuck himself.

Also, their CD players last about a year, in my experience. Shoddy and shady, I hope CmdrTaco is the only person to buy this laptop.

Re:This is the same Sony that...

[Anonymous Coward]

they're also putting serious pressure on the univeristy I work for to block IPs for sharing movies and music on the Uni network. they're bastards and should go fuck themselves. if they really wanted to stop piracy they should stop making CDRs and CD-RW drives.

Re:This is the same Sony that...

[acceleriter]

Haven't seen follow-up, but no reason to believe they've done the right thing. Original author's site not available from here; here's the Google cache.

wrong!

[simpl3x]

my tibook fits great in my brief case, and it's light. i thought i was going to die lugging around an 8lb dell 7500, though it had a great screen. i can't wait until the tibook has a 16" lcd with real resolution.

Japanese homes

[Anonymous Coward]

You have to take into consideration that most homes in big japanese cities are really small and space is an issue. A laptop like this could be an excellent desktop.

Too bad it has ATI in it

[GoSpeedRacerGo]

Sounds cool. I think I have seen it at BestBuy and the screen is freakin' hudge. Too bad it doesn't have decent, stable, and better supported graphics in it.

OT: anyone knows

[2Bits]

any japanese laptop shops that are willing to ship to US? Man, I'm drooling over these japanese ultra-light laptops (e.g. Libretto L5, ...) which are not available in the US.

Sure, you can buy from dynamism.com or conics.net, but they are way expensive. conics.net charges a lot of fee for credit card.

And Toshiba, are you listening? There are people in the US and other places that like small and light laptops too, not just those "mastodontes". There IS a market out here.

Re:OT: anyone knows

[bazzaga]

www.pricejapan.com ships all kinds of stuff from Japan to the rest of the world.

Wow, about time!

[genkael]

I was really getting tired of lugging around this 17" CRT with me everywhere I went.

VAIOs aren't good for business use

[Anonymous Coward]

I bought a Sony for work and although it's a nice machine (when it's working properly), Sony's tech support is intollerable. I have a combo DVD/CDRW on it and it stopped recording about a month after purchase. I called Sony tech support and the first thing they wanted me to do was use the recovery CD to wipe everything out and start with a factory install of software, even though I was getting hardware errors. They would not attempt to troubleshoot it until I did this. It being the only machine at my disposal, I didn't have time for this so I figured I'd live with no CDRW. About 5 months later, I was on the other side of the country at a conference when the CD drive stopped working completely. It wouldn't even boot to the CD so it was obviously not a driver problem. Even though they agreed that they would have to replace the DVD/CDRW drive they said they would still put a factory install of software on the hard drive because it was their standard procedure (no exceptions). On top of all this, the turn-around time was 14 business days.

Sony obviously does not cater to the business user.

Sony: Nice products, sucky support

[barc0001]

Pray to whatever deity/force of nature you subscribe to that it doesn't break. A client of mine purchased a Vaio in the winter, and it hasn't worked since day one. Machine starts up and then locks up intermittently. We've been running around in circles with Vaio support to the point my client had to call Sony of Canada's president to get any action on it at all. It's been 5 months. She runs a two person business. At one point, she was on the phone to the repair supervisor at the Coquitlam facility, and when she told him that the laptop had essentially been out of commission for the last 5 months with all this screwing around, and how was someone supposed to get along without a laptop for that long, the asshat actually asked her why she didn't have a spare for situations like this!? Hmm.. Let's see why she didn't have a spare.. Because she spent 75% of her small business's IT budget on a new Sony laptop that DOESN'T WORK?

Replacement parts expensive!

[Anonymous Coward]

Hi folks, Vaio's are nice, but watch out for replacement parts. If you look on the newsgroups, it might be difficult to find a replacement harddrive that fits physically inside. To replace a keyboard, pay $80.

I guess size isn't important for everyone

[Bluetick]

But jeez, 16.1 inches, that's insane. Though it doesn't surprise me I guess, Sony's computers have always been aimed at impressionable consumers looking for powertoys.

Anyone ever seen the episode of the Powerpuff Girls where the girls try to create a fourth sister? They don't quite get it right, and create a bucktoothed, ugly as sin, monster with the intelligence of slime mold. Design wise, Vaios have always struck me as being the mongoloid sister of Macs.

Re:DVD-RW vs DVD+RW: Sony Doesn't Get It

[n6mod]

Sony *does* get it. DVD+R/+RW are Beta all over again.

+R is more compatible than -R with settop DVD players and older DVD-ROM drives. +R/+RW drives write faster than their -R/-RW counterparts. It's arguably the "better" format.

But...
HP et al. screwed the early adopters with +RW drives that won't write +R. +R/+RW media is more expensive, and while + has the edge for the write-once discs, -RW has better compatibility with settop players.

Sony is big enough that they can just bet on both horses, and no matter who wins, they're OK. In fact, Sony is rumored (or maybe it's official now) to be building a drive that does all four (+R/+RW/-R/-RW)

compaq!

[Anonymous Coward]

i bought a presario 2815 last week: mobile p4 1500 mhz, 512 ram, usb 2.0, dvd/cdrw, 15" display (1400*1050), ati radeon 7500...

i love it!

i never really considered the sony stuff, they are so expensive. and they are selling copy protected cds and region protected dvd-players *ugh*

besides, i wouldn't really want a dvd-writer right now. not until there finally is a standard...

We're moving backwards

[Infamous Tim]

It appears that we're moving back to the days of yore, with luggables. Remeber the fledgling beginnings of the portable computer? Ratio of screen to device was like 1 to 4 ...
Well, perhaps it's not THAT bad these days, considering that the most ponderous device on laptops is the screen. But they're still heavy. Personally, a lap top should have the ability to do things, but conserve battery power above all. These mobile PIII and Athlon chips blow me away, I'm gonna go for a Transmeta when I go up for a lap top soon.

I've got the 15" variety

[Like2Byte]

I bought one of the 15" varieties @1.6GHz in April - a PCG-GRX550. If I could have afforded the $2200 price tag, I would have bought the 16.1" screen from Best Buy.

I didn't know it at the time but mine came with Win XP Home and not Professional. (I lost myself gazing into such a large screen and had to buy it - no matter what, dammit!) Models with a 'P' tacked onto the end of the model have Win XP Pro installed (IE: PCG-GRX550P.)

The one thing I'm not too keen on is some of the software that came bundled on mine. There's one program that is supposed to be some sort of graphical browser for viewing pictures with all the other pictures 'floating' behind the currently viewed picture. It was very straining to look at and very odd to use. I removed it quickly.

One of the good things about this unit is that it comes with a Sony MemoryStick port - making it very useful for people who have Sony digital cameras or a Sony Clie. Just pop in a cartridge and it can immediately access the card making sharing pictures between LT & Camera/Clie a snap.

The screen on the 15" model is very crisp but the 16.1" display is orgasmic! On a 15" model you can adjust the Radeon to 1600x1200 but it is 'windowed' and unweildy so I stay in 1024x768.

Re:I've got the 15" variety

[baxshep]

My wife has the exact same model. I'm guessing you can't get the display set up for 1600x1200 properly either. Too bad. I almost bought a Sony but when Dell was phasing out the P3s in favor of the P4, there was some deals to be had. Dual batteries for almost 6 hours of battery time, 15" UXGA display at 1600x1200, 40 gig hard drive, and my beloved Raeon 7500 64MB DDR videocard for $1538. Let me know if you ever get that display fixed

No problems here

[Skevin]

I bought my sister an FXA47 for her birthday, with WinXP pre-installed. WinXP on a Vaio doesn't seem to like DirectX 8.1, so I reimaged it with Win2K. The only things it didn't recognize immediately were the sound card and the modem (which was a WinModem anyway). I used the XP drivers that came with the machine, even though it warned me that the drivers were not signed/trusted; I got both working just fine.

The only problem was getting the original applications back onto the machine, complete with registry settings. The Application Restoration Disk keeps telling me that the installer can only run on Sony Vaios... Hah! (Along these lines, I'm trying to actually write a program/script to analyze a Registry Image for such settings... a Key Copier, if you will).

Anyway, I just want you all to know that OpenGL and Direct3D run *much* faster under Win2k than the default OS crap called XP that came installed on the system.

Solomon

Still looking for my ideal laptop...

[Coppit]

Here's what I want:

- > 1.5GHz
- > 4 hours battery life
- Built-in wireless
- Expandable to 1GB
- > 30 GB
- 1" thick
- 6lbs
- 15" screen
- Keyboard with a decent layout
- Decent docking station

I bought a Gateway 450X, but was sorely disappointed in the keyboard. (Is this a good enough reason to return it?) I wish Dell would update their Inspiron line, which still has a small screen and is more than 1" thick...

Sigh...

Re:DVD-RW vs DVD+RW: Sony Doesn't Get It

[calc]

Sony has optical pickups that do both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW as mentioned on this site it is in japanese also but you can use babelfish or just look at the pictures.

Sony Notebooks in general

[ErikTheRed]

1) I've always found them to be extremely fragile. The number of people I know with Sony notebooks that haven't (badly) cracked or broken the cheap plastic case within one year is still zero.

2) As has been mentioned, their driver policy sucks ass.

3) No DVD-RW drive for it yet, but my 1-Year Old IBM Thinkpad T22 has a 15" screen (1400x1050x32), weighs less than 5 lbs, fits in any standard-size notebook carrying case, has the traditionally awesome IBM notebook keyboard (and personally I prefer the Trackpoint to the various touchpads), runs any version of Windows that I want, and is fully Linux compatible (Red Hat 7.3 installs perfectly). Oh, and since IBM's notebooks use the "UltraBay" spec, I know that when they do come out with a DVD-RW drive, it will work with my machine...

'nough said.

Re:Sony Notebooks in general

[glitch23]

1) I've always found them to be extremely fragile. The number of people I know with Sony notebooks that haven't (badly) cracked or broken the cheap plastic case within one year is still zero.

Too bad you don't know me or that number would be at least a 1. I've had my Vaio Z505HS for over 2 years now and I don't have a crack in the case. Maybe your friends just don't know how to treat a $2000 laptop? I actually paid more than that for mine but you get the point.

As for someone else mentioning that no OS works on them except the one that is shipped on the system already I can only say that "policy" must be a new one since I got my laptop 2 years ago because I put Linux on it within weeks of having it and it's worked fine since. The modem is a winmodem so of course I can't use that but the jogdial is even supported now, the port replicator of course works fine, and the floppy drive works with the usb mass storage driver. I just wish the damn batteries lasted more than a year or so. I get a whole 5 min of usage on battery power right now and a new battery last time I checked cost $200+ and it still only lasts 70 min approx.

Yes with XP-W2k, no with XP - Mandrake

[Brijam]

Bought two Sony FXA-32s and was able to dump XP for W2k-- albeit with pain.

But the FXA32 wouldn't run Mandrake, so I returned one and got a Compaq 2710 which kicks ass in Mandrake. 15" screen with DVD and CDRW. =)

-B

Weight anyone?

[TibbonZero]

Am I the only one who could care less about how big it is dimension wise as long as it's light? I like thin laptops like the tiBook, as well as light ones. Carrying a 10 LB laptop all the way across Boston just doesn't sound fun.

If it was 2-3 lbs, that would rock however, and the 16 inch screen would just be an advantage.

Smaller Screens are NEVER a Saving

[donnacha]

16.1"? Why? Whats the point? Aren't laptops supposed to be /portable/? The last thing I want is to carry around a 16.1" diagonal behemoth, I'd much rather keep my 12.1" P2 300, which I can easily fit in my backpack.

Given the incredible convenience those extra inches give while you're actually working, I'd gladly put up with a little extra weight. I'd like to abandon the desktop but I don't want to have to waste time constantly scrolling.

In any case, how much can a few inches of screen add? Sure, the bottom section of the laptop has to be wider too, but they can mostly do that by redistributing the existing weight.

If somebody brings out a laptop with a 17" screen, I'll buy one.

Re:Smaller Screens are NEVER a Saving

[Babbster]

Actually, a 16" LCD would be equivalent in terms of viewing space to a 17" CRT monitor as the biggest viewable space I've seen on a 17" CRT is 16.1"...Of course, this is mainly true in America where there are laws (FTC regulations/policies might be more accurate) regarding the advertised measurement of picture tubes. For example, in Japan a widescreen HDTV might be advertised as 36" because that is the size of the tube, while here in the US the exact same TV will be advertised as 34" which is the actual viewable diagonal measurement. It's amusing when people start complaining that Sony/Toshiba/etc. are selling 36" widescreens in the Far East while we only get 34"! It must be a conspiracy! :)

USB Remote

[PCM2]

Admittedly it's not as nice as that Sony product you linked to, but Keyspan does make this...

Re:USB Remote

[Prop]

Try this one for $9.

It's serial (not USB) so that might be a downside, but it has linux support too !

I've been using one on my mp3 player box, and it's great!

Re:USB Remote

[Keith Russell]

Thanks for the tip. But I think I found something better. ATI is now selling the remote from their All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500 as a separate product, imaginatively dubbed the Remote Wonder. So far, it's only for Windows (not a big deal for me, at least), and I think I'll have to tinker to get some of the ATI-specific keys to respond in other apps, based on a hasty search of the browsable tech specs. But RF, more keys, and two-button mouse capability for the same price as the Keyspan seals the deal. I think I have a critical part of my Living Room PC project solved. Now I just need all the other parts. :-)

Good 'Ol Bablefish

[Like2Byte]

I translated the link in Babelfish and came up with this interesting translation:

"The DVD+RW alliance which consists of the enterprise which promotes DVD+RW standard on the 10th, held " 3rd DVD+RW Asian Pacific seminar " inside capital. The among those, the reporting authorized personnel was dealt with, press seminar was executed. "

Needless to say there are many openings in Japan for reporters but few takers.

Thinkpad ROCKS compared to Vaio GR

[Jack Greenbaum]

Keep the Thinkpad, 'Taco, or better yet get a new T series. I've had both a new GR Vaio and IBM T series this spring. Unless you are content being plugged into the wall and not moving, the Vaios suck.

The GR series Vaios are heavy, battery life sucks, disk is slow, and the keyboard layout is very emacs-antagonistic. Contrast this to the Thinkpad T series, of which I've had two now. Sub five pounds, better peformance, massively better battery life, better keyboard layout for those of us who actually use our ALT keys. The only benefit to the Sony is a bigger screen. But who cares about a bigger screen when your legs are going numb from the weight and the fact that you can't move around because you are plugged in recharging the batter?

Lastly I never got sleep mode to work with XP Home on the Vaio even after spending time on the phone with Sony. The T30 has worked solid from the moment I got it. I had a small bit of trouble with W2k on my last T series, but IBM's support folk were very competant and solved the issues quickly.

News for Nerds (you)

[ShoeHead]

You *are* a typical slashdot troll.

ATI 7500

[kwj8fty1]

I have a 64meg ATI radeon 7500 in my new dell 8100.

It was a REAL pain to make it work under X. You'll need XFree86 4.2.0, and if you want ANY suspend to ram/disk to work, you'll need to disable AGPMODE in the XF86config-4 file.

That means, if you want to have DRI/GLX support, you can't have APM.

It really sucks. I hope that the drivers improve for this device. I would hold off on purchasing a notebook if you are expecting to run linux on it.

Re:ATI 7500

[baxshep]

I have the same model and I love it! What distro are you running? Redhat 7.3 SEEMS to run fine but I'm a newbie still

Re:ATI 7500

[voidref]

-And- the video drivers suck under windows. There are serious problems with NWN, and I had to manually install them instead of using the installer because there was a 'fatal error' (fucking lazy programmers won't even tell me what so I can fix the problem)

Blea, I'm never buying any ATI stuff again.

sounds like you want an iBook

[JoshWurzel]

The new iBooks have a 14.1" screen (1024x768), DVD/CD-RW drive, firewire, 2 USB ports, a slot for airport (the card is an extra $80-$100), and your choice of drives from 20 gigs up 40. Its about 1.3 inches thick and nice and cool. 700 MHz G3, ram up to 640 MB.

www.apple.com/ibook

It's back to the eighties

[Albanach]

Remember when they used to stick a handle on the back of a 14" TV and call it a portable?

How big can you make a laptop and still call it a laptop - surely anything with a 16.1" screen is going to be a pain to lug around?

Me? I'm quite happy with my tiny picturebook, and a clie for when even that's too big. If I want a big screen I'll sit at my desk, or my bedroom, or in my living room and use a proper computer - one that can also be upgraded on a whim and at a reasonable cost, rather than a huge brick that in 24 months time will be a huge slow brick with no upgrade options.

Apple Titanium

[JoshWurzel]

www.apple.com/powerbook

800 MHz G4
up 1GB RAM
airport slot
4-5 hours of battery life
up to 60 GB HD
5.4 lbs
15.2" screen (1280x852 or something like that)
full size keyboard
docking stations available seperately, but fully functional.

Standardized laptops

[aridg]

The reason that standardizing PC's works is that you can put standard cards on a standard bus, and slap in any old power supply and case. The physical design of the desktop system just isn't all that important...

With laptops, it's a whole different story: every manufacturer is trying to squeeze as much functionality and as large a screen into the thinnest, lightest case they can. The physical design of the system is *everything*.

(Of course, if you like 9 lb, 2.5" thick laptops, ignore what I just said... But I'm not going to buy one.)

Here's what I'd like to get ...

[Sara Chan]

I prefer small ultra-portable laptops (for travelling). But, I also like big 1600x1200 screens. And I only want a single computer.

So what I'd like to do is buy an ultra-portable laptop and a separate big screen. Most of the time, the screen will be plugged into the laptop. When I'm travelling, though, I'll not take the big screen with me; instead, I'll make do with the screen that comes with the laptop.

Does anyone have suggestions on which ultra-portables this could be done with, and also on what potential problems might arise?

Kind thanks, Sara

16"? Cripes! This is getting out of hand!

[phillymjs]

These things are starting to stretch the definition of "laptop."

In another year or so we'll probably see models with four fold-down legs like a card table, because they'll be so big and heavy people will injure themselves if they try to just perch one on their lap.

Here's a sneak peak at the 2003 VAIO "portable" line: Item 1, Item 2

~Philly

Re:16"? Cripes! This is getting out of hand!

[SoupIsGoodFood_42]

You forgot one of these!

As long as we're comparing tech-133tne55

[naasking]

Specs:

• Pentium 90
• 98 MB of RAM
• Adaptec SCSI card
• 8 GB Quantum Fireball IDE
• 2 GB SCSI
• 1 GB Quantum IDE drive
• Two Macronix Ethernet NICs
• Debian GNU/Linux 2.2r3 + security updates

On home LAN running:

• Apache (http)
• Netatalk/Appletalk
• pop3
• imap
• imaps (imap tunneling over ssl)
• smtp
• smtps (smtp tunneling over ssl)
• Apache SSL (https)
• Webmail over https via horde+imp (php3)
• nfs
• ftp
• ntp time server
• postgreSQL database
• php+SQL based discussion forums (W-agora)
• ssh
• anonymous ftp
• rsync server
• IP Masquerading
• firewall

Not bad for a dinky little P90. hm? :-)

This is news? Mines 2 months old and kicking ass!

[Jason Straight]

My grx-570 is 2 months old. I canned my 2 shitty dells and got this beast and loving every minute of it.

The display is unbelievable; crisp as all hell.

Oh - and it's all working with linux. Modem, eth, pcmcia, radeon ati, sound, etc...

Most new laptops use ACPI only

[Chris Pimlott]

It's quite common nowadays; which is rather unfortunate, given the poor state of Linux APCI support.

And regarding ACPI superiority - APCI is more powerful, but it's also more complicated. It's not just for power management but for general device configuration and initilization as well. Additionally, it includes its own interpreted language, AML, which lets companies write their own custom routines. As you can imagine, having to implement the AML interpreter is a somewhat large task and may be a potential secure risk. There's an overview about this at Kernel Traffic from awhile ago

APM is about standard power-saving commands, whereas ACPI lets the manufacture program

Japanese laptops....

[Cryptnotic]

The spacebar on my thinkpad has been dying...

Taco, the spacebars on Japanese laptops are tiny. They're smaller than the shift keys.

Toshiba has one too

[Brian Stretch]

Toshiba's Satellite 1955-S801 has a 16" 1280x1024 display too, GeForce4 440 Go (32meg), etc. Unfortunately, like the Sony it uses an Intel P4 CPU. I gave up waiting for someone to make a decent Athlon laptop, gave my old Toshiba K62-333 laptop to my parents, and switched back to a custom-built desktop. Compaq's upcoming Presario 900 looks like the best bet, 15" screen, ATI Radeon graphics.

In other news...

[jrwillis]

Sony also reported that the new Vaio will have a revolutionary battery system which, instead of typical laptop batteries, the laptop will run off of any car battery for up to 1 hour without a charge!*

*Battery life may be lower if laptop is actually used.

I want it.

[jiminy]

I want it to have my children, man.... :-P

it had to be done...

Is the 16.1" still grainy/pixelated like my 15"?

[zardie]

I've got a Dell Inspiron 8200. I bought this thing a week ago. Nice machine, feels like a desktop PC in almost every way. I've got the 2GHz processor, the 1600x1200 "UltraSharp" display (with faster response times and a greater contrast/viewable angle), 24x CDRW/DVD combo drive, 60GB drive and the GeForce4 Go 440 (I'm a gamer and run large LANs so it's important to get a good gaming card vs. the Radeon).

Now it's a great machine, but the screen is VERY off-putting. The size is fine, the resolution is fine (for those who think 1600 gets a bit small, use it for five minutes and you'll change your mind) but the screen is pixelated. On the whiter areas, it's obvious - it's like a fine grane on the screen. Apparently this is the norm for such high-res screens but it really makes a difference to the usability of the machine. My 17" diamondtron NF based display looks nicer in comparison, and I remember preferring my 12.1" 800x600 LCD on my old Toshiba in preference.

Perhaps I should give Dell a call and see if they have any plans to offer a larger screen on their 8200s.

16" is *too* big

[jhiv]

-ahem-

Well, actually in a laptop -uh- computer it is.
I have a 15" -ahem- vaio and I find it rather difficult to use in the cramped seats of airplanes. Well, at least in caoch. It performs well in first class and on my desktop.

Seriously, your -cough- laptop can be too big.

I've advised my friends to get 14" versions.
(That way, I still have the largest)

They've been out

[picoears]

Didn't read the article and I didn't read any posts. I've had one of these since about the first week of June, and they'd been out before then. They're very cool if a bit bulky (I like bulky it means I'm less likely to forget the laptop somewhere.) I got it because I had wanted a desktop but decided I'd get a desktop halfway through college and didn't want to have it just replaced. Plus I never seemed to have enough room on my old computer (233mhz 15" screen 13.something" visable.) The screen is awsome.

forgot something

[picoears]

Oops forgot something, most laptop bags won't fit it, so you have to get the overpriced Sony one. Its a nice bag and all, but it was expensive

Sony horrid build quality

[Lawrence_Bird]

and even worse customer service. My VAIO laptop experience was so bad I will not buy anything made by sony again. Think long and hard before putting your hard earned $ on a vaio

Sony has a bad reputation

[pinkpineapple]

...not only in the posts I read here, but also in Japan where last time I went there, I was surprised when someone told his friend who was contemplating buying a VAIO: "Sony wa hidoi!" which translates roughly by "Sony, what a piece of crap!"

I used to own a VAIO Z505 and loved it, then I got a VAIO R505 and couldn't figure out why Sony had made the fan constantly working WITH a variable speed. Had it been rotating at a constant speed, it would have been ok, but the change in speed got on my nerves. The keyboard was soso and the finish kinda cheap (wasup with all the plastic crap around), I returned the unit (and shelved a 10% restocking fee, bastards!)
I also wasn't very pleased when I got a picturebook with WindowsMe to find out that there web site didn't have the drivers if I wanted to update to Windows2K. This one was also returned before the end of month.
With Thinkpads and Dells, I never was disappointed, but Sony, I am afraid that something wrong will happen again. Beside, Sony are not doing the right thing for people to like them (DMCA, MPAA, RIAA, etc...) so Star Wars Galaxy, I won't buy, Everquest: I stopped playing since they got bought. I don't even watch their movies and dvds, and boycotted buying their CDs. Why is /. advertising their crap is beyond me.

PPA, the girl next door

Wow.....

[Ab0rtRetryFail]

16.1 inches is probably about the same size as my desktop monitor (17 inches usually means 16 inches viewable on the olde CRTs).

Good idea, but for a couple of caveats:

Battery life? A Desktop-size monitor is nice, but not if it only lasts an hour and a half before needing a charge.

Size? How big IS this thing?

Re:Why is it...

[GutBomb]

dick size? it doesn't even matter that it was HIS laptop. he just said that the card in question performs better than the guy above him expected. chill the fuck out

New toy makes one forgetfull

[thunderbee]

We're not bycotting the _evil_ sony anymore? Ha.

Sony Support SUX

[N8F8]

I've had a VAIO for awhile and I can tell you firsthand that the support sux. Before you buy, bop around the support site. Don't worry, it wont take long (not much there). Dell OTOH has been wonderfull.

If it is anything like their current 16" GRX570..

[SmegTheLight]

Then I wouldn't recommend it.

I saw this unit at the store, and fell it love with it. A month later I was in a position to buy a laptop for myself for work, so I of course marched to the store and bought it.

After using it for a day, an evening, and a day - I returned it.

1) The Screen - I loved it - Nice and Big...
Very Big.. Very Very Big... Too big.. The footprint of this unit is just HUGE.. It isn't a laptop, it's a platter, and it feels like it.

2) Cut Corners - Everwhere.. Flimsy plastic shell. Little plastic port covers that would be broken in a matter of weeks. A battery cover that rattled. Case feet that were just bumps in the unit plastic instead of real rubber feet (ie.. No Grip, so the platter slides around the desk). The unit rattled.

3) Missing IO.. Other people seem to be able to include SERIAL & IrDA ports as well as the other goodies on this unit (Firewire, etc.). The only thing this unit has the others don't is an extra USB

4) Missing Floppy.. As with point 3, since this is such a large laptop, one would think they could have found space.


Those are the main reasons, and the main things you should consider when looking at this baby.

ps.. Bought an Asus L3C - Love it, nice solid unit with everything on it, and about $1000 cheeper (and .1 GHz Faster)