Sony unveils new Vaio roadmap
By Reuben Lee
23/06/2004
The Japanese manufacturer yesterday showcased its latest range of Vaio products at a press event held in Singapore. The lineup included the VGN-A17GP and VGN-S18GP, two next-generation notebook models sporting the new black theme the company is adopting for its mobile computing range. Vaio products have traditionally been offered in striking purple shades.
Also on display were two new Vaio offerings which have just been launched in Japan--the Vaio VGN-U50 tablet, which the company claims is one of the world's smallest and probably lightest full-fledged Windows XP tablet machine, and the Vaio Pocket audio player, Sony's much-awaited answer to Apple's iPod. According to the Japanese giant, these two new models are expected to be launched in Singapore next year.
Sony Vaio VGN-A17GP (Type A)
Sony's latest flagship notebook model is mainly targeted at those looking for a powerful multimedia desktop replacement. It features a sleek, streamlined design similar to the earlier Vaio PCG-Z1 model and comes equipped with top-of-the-line components including a dual format DVD burner, dedicated 64MB ATI Mobility graphics card and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity.
A unique feature of the Pentium M-based notebook is its proprietary ErgoBright technology, which promises optimum screen and battery performance by automatically sensing the lighting conditions and adjusting the display brightness accordingly. According to Sony, the onboard LCD is also equipped with dual backlights, dual inverters and an AR (Anti Reflection) coating to deliver brighter and better contrast images.
Other noteworthy features include a Memory Stick slot that accepts Memory Stick Duo memory without the need for an adapter as well as an integrated function that automatically adjusts the LCD screen resolution to the external display.
Price: S$4,299 (US$3,165.15)
Availability in Singapore: 10 July 2004
Sony Vaio VGN-S18GP (Type S)
Designed with the mobile professional in mind, the new VGN-S18GP's improved 312.5 x 224.8 x 35.4mm form factor offers a good compromise for notebook users who want a widescreen display but not at the expense of portability. Even with a 13.3-inch widescreen display and built-in DVD-RW optical drive, the S18GP weighs just 1.89kg, thanks to its lightweight magnesium alloy chassis.
In addition to its Centrino setup, the Sony thin-and-light comes with a powerful selection of features, among them includes a 32MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics chipset, 802.11b/g wireless LAN and a hearty 60GB serving of hard drive space. Road warriors will also be interested to know that the bundled battery is rated to give almost 5.5 hours of continuous usage on a single charge.
Price: To be announced
Availability in Singapore: End July 2004
Sony Vaio VGN-U50 (Type U)
Touted as one of the world's smallest and lightest Windows XP-based machines, the U50's tiny 167 x 108 x 26.4mm footprint resembles a Portable Media Center player more than a tablet-based notebook. Weighing just 550g (battery included), the U50 specs lineup includes a 900MHz Celeron M processor, 256MB RAM, 20GB hard drive and 5-inch touchscreen display.
As with most ultraportables, the Wi-Fi-enabled Vaio comes with a minimum set of onboard connectivity options such as a USB 2.0 port, audio jacks, CompactFlash and Memory Stick slots. However, Sony makes up for this shortcoming with a bundled cradle that adds FireWire, VGA-out, Ethernet LAN and more USB ports for the device. Also found in the standard package are a leave-shaped stylus, remote control earphones and a nifty foldable QWERTY keyboard.
Price: 178,500 yen or US$1,633 (based on Japanese list price)
Availability in Singapore: 2005
Sony Vaio Pocket VGF-AP1
The much-awaited Vaio Pocket is seen by many as Sony's answer to the Apple iPod. Surprisingly small and lightweight, the Pocket player features a 20GB hard drive capacity that can store up to 13,000 songs. Interestingly, it also comes with a 2.2-inch color screen which allows users to view downloaded images.
Like most Sony's other digital audio players, the Vaio Pocket supports only the ATRAC3 format which means the extra hassle to encode your MP3 files every time you upload it onto the player. But while it may not be as versatile as the iPod in terms of format compatibility, the Vaio Pocket does offer an interesting user interface. The Vaio Pocket comes with a unique navigation interface called G-sense, which allows users to control the functions on the screen by tapping on a series of 25 buttons on the right.
The Vaio Pocket is rated to last for more than 20 hours on a single battery charge and comes bundled with a remote control earphone as well as a cradle that provides the USB 2.0 connectivity and doubles as a charger.
Price: 52,500 yen or US$480 (based on Japanese list price)
Availability in Singapore: 2005
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