Sony Vaio C1MW PictureBook Review

daanger0us writes "There is an excellent review of the Sony Vaio C1MW PictureBook that uses the Transmeta Crusoe CPU and has a built in camera so you can capture all those special moments. Here's an excerpt: 'Size is not the only identifying attribute of this VAIO. The built in Motion eye camera is really the most intriguing part of the design - and probably the selling feature. The camera is built in on top of the screen and can flip to point to or away from the driver. The software loads at the push of the capture button and live video begins showing up within seconds. JPEG shots or MPEG2 video can then be recorded and replayed quite easily. With the included 30 Gigabyte hard drive a quick calculation shows that about 10 hours of streaming video and audio can be recorded at a time before running out of room.'"

Comments

Why not just get a digital camera

[Mr.Nifty]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see the advantage of this over a traditional notebook and a digital camera. Although that requires two different devices, it lets each of them be smaller, lighter, and more suited to their specific task without harming their ability to work together. This, on the other hand, means that whenever you want to take a video you have to bring your computer, and whenever you want to send an e-mail, you're carrying your camera with you.

Re:Why not just get a digital camera

[Mr. No Skills]

Sit in a coach seat for a few flights and you'll see the advantage. This laptop is much smaller that a typical 12 inch screen laptop (the screen is a letterbox format, not the typical screen proportions). If you wanted a separate camera and laptop, you still might want to give this form factor a look because it is so small.

I wouldn't compare this device to a laptop as much as I'd compare it to a PDA. A PDA that doesn't really fit into a pocket, but has the display you wish a PDA would have and the ability to look at a spreadsheet or document and comprehend it. Problem is -- it costs as much as a laptop.

The camera (at least at one point) was really sold for portable web-conferencing and not for video production. The ability to record MPEGs is more of a function of the newer processors. There's a firewire jack if you need to plug in a better camera.

10 hours of video but 2-3 hours of battery...

[allanj]

sounds like something isn't proportioned just right yet. Cool gadget, but I agree with the article that this is bound to be a niche product. Not enough power for serious data usage, too high price to be a toy.

Machine is out for over a year now

[Wizard of OS]

How exactly is this news? Okay, it's a new review maybe, but the machine has been on the market for over a year now if i'm not mistaken. One of my coworkers already had one when I started my current job in December 2001.

It's a nice machine, sure, but worthy of a slashdot frontpage post a year later?

Re:Machine is out for over a year now

[Phork]

This is a new revision that was anounced a few weeks ago, i think this is the third or fourth rev of the picturebook.

hmmm

[peterprior]

I'm sure this is an "excellent review" seeing as the guy who posted it has the same url as the review.

Unspecified options..

[dubious9]

Specs from article
Memory: 245216K total, 128880K free, (add type, clock here..)
Chipset: (add ID string here)

Male memory:
Memory: 245216K total, 128880K free, forgets birthdays, knows all Major legue baseball starting pitchers from '79-80

Female memory:
Memory: 245216K total, 128880K free, if-you-don't -know-i'm-not-telling-you

Fujitsu p-2000

[asv108]

I was in the market for an ultra-portable and I decided to go with the Fujitsu P-2000 over the sony picturebook. First of all, everything on the p-2000 is integrated in to the laptop at only 3.5 pounds it includes:

• DVD/CDR Comno
• Built in wireless
• Ethernet
• USB
• Firewire
• VGA out
• Svideo The sony looked real promising, but to use ethernet you need to attach a separate connector. I had no interest in attaching a box every time I want to hook up to a network so I went with the p-2000. You can check out my little review here.

  I'm amazed the p-2000 doesn't get more press, it packs everything I need in to small package without using any external gadgets.

Re:Fujitsu p-2000

[zulux]

And if you don't need the CD-RW/DVD - there's the Fujitsu P-1000. $1100 bucks - 2.2 lbs, and a touch screen.

I have one for job costing, and my notes are as follows:
I don't use the touch screen.
Small enough to open in coach class in a airplane and still use the keyboard.
Apps take a bit to start up, due to the Curusoe doing it's code morphing thing.
Hibernate works wonderfully - be up and running in 15 seconds after opening the thing up.
No serial port. USB dongle reqired to telnet into serial boxes.
Cheap keyboard.
$1200 less than the Sony.
Free USB Floppy drive that you can boot off of.
160 min of battery life. (really)
Only one year of warranty.
Only availabe from fujitsupc.com (nobody else stocks them)

Do note: the P-2000 does come with a weight saver - you can skip the CD-RW/DVD and get the P-2000 down to 2.6 lbs. Fujitsu makes a extra battery that will fit where the CD-RW/DVD normally does.

I chose the P-1000 due to cost issues - like I said it's $1100.