Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

New Sony VAIO Laptop w/ 16.1" Screen

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the now-thats-lustworthy dept.

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*

32 of 343 comments (clear)

  1. DVD-RW? by Prizm · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:DVD-RW? by DeltaSigma · · Score: 3, Funny

      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.

    2. Re:DVD-RW? by NanoGator · · Score: 3, Interesting

      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!

      --
      "Derp de derp."
  2. And the news is? by nigelo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Reduced to posting advertisements now?

    --
    *Still* negative function...
  3. Is there a point to this? by Your_Mom · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

    --
    Objects in the blog are closer then they ap
    1. Re:Is there a point to this? by rhadamanthus · · Score: 3, Insightful
      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

      --
      Slashdot needs to interview Natalie Portman.
    2. Re:Is there a point to this? by drudd · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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

      --
      Venn ist das nurnstuck git und Slotermeyer? Ya! Beigerhund das oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!
    3. Re:Is there a point to this? by shadow303 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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.

      --
      I've got a mind like a steel trap - it's got an animal's foot stuck in it.
    4. Re:Is there a point to this? by furiousgeorge · · Score: 5, Insightful

      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.

    5. Re:Is there a point to this? by Stoutlimb · · Score: 5, Insightful

      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!

    6. Re:Is there a point to this? by uradu · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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.

    7. Re:Is there a point to this? by Keith+Russell · · Score: 3, Informative
      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.

      --
      This sig intentionally left blank.
  4. Topic missed the point... by calc · · Score: 5, Informative

    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. ;)

  5. Oooh by billatq · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  6. Did they actually increase the res though? by ostiguy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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

  7. Got one of these last month by AirLace · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

  8. 16" too big? It depends... by GJSchaller · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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. ;)

  9. Battery Life by robertchin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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?

  10. Yet again another "Sony is godhead" story by MsGeek · · Score: 4, Funny

    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!!!"

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
  11. bad news for Linux? by tps12 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

    --

    Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
  12. Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft by The+Bungi · · Score: 4, Informative
      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?

    2. Re:Sony Has Sold Out To Microsoft by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 3, Informative

      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.

  13. Linux-Loaded? by Ted+V · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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?

    1. Re:Linux-Loaded? by elflord · · Score: 5, Informative
      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.

  14. This is news? by penguinboy · · Score: 3, Interesting

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

  15. This is the same Sony that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful
    • 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*
  16. Wow, about time! by genkael · · Score: 3, Funny

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

    --
    GeneralKael -- Slacker Extraordinaire
  17. No problems here by Skevin · · Score: 5, Informative

    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

    --
    "Twice half-assed makes an ass whole." --Solomon K. Chang
  18. Sony Notebooks in general by ErikTheRed · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    --

    Help save the critically endangered Blue Iguana
  19. 16"? Cripes! This is getting out of hand! by phillymjs · · Score: 3, Funny

    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

  20. Re:Whoa. by Zeinfeld · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

    --
    Looking for an Information Security student project suggestion?
    Try http://dotcrimeManifesto.com/