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S$1699
Product Summary
7.5
out of 10View score
The bad: Stuck with Windows Vista (for now); trackpoint navigation isn't ideal.
The bottom line: Sony's upscale Atom-powered Lifestyle PC has the components of a cheaper machine but the design of a more expensive one. The end result will be a useful travel PC for some and a conversation piece for others.
Read full review of the Sony Vaio VGN-P15G »
Average User Rating
from 11 users
7
out of 10CNET Asia Review
Sony likes to keep its Vaio products aimed at mid- to high-end buyers--much like Apple does--and generally eschews the budget end of the market (although there are a handful of less expensive Vaios we've reviewed favorably).
When it comes to Intel-Atom-powered systems, it's no different; Sony's entry into the very hot mini laptop category shares a lot with Netbooks such as the Dell Mini 9 or Asus Eee PC, but clearly goes out of its way to avoid being lumped in with them (Sony doesn't even call the P-series a Netbook).
Even with a widescreen, 8-inch, 1,600 x 768-resolution display and reasonably usable full keyboard, the
Editors' note :
Design
The P-series Lifestyle PC is one of the smallest laptops we've seen; it almost reminds us of a UMPC (such as Sony's own UX series), but with a traditional clamshell laptop design. Sony offers a variety of colors, including garnet red, emerald green, onyx black, crystal white, and classic (matte) black, with matching accessories including a fitted leather case.
Price as reviewed (Starting price)
S$1,699 (US$1,223.53) (S$1,299 (US$935.47))
Processor
1.6GHz Intel Atom Intel Z530
Memory
2GB, 533MHz DDR2
Hard drive
64GB SSD
Chipset
Mobile Intel 945GSE
Graphics
Intel GMA 500 (integrated)
Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium
Dimensions
245 x 120mm
Height
19.8mm
Screen size (diagonal)
8.0 inches
System weight (Weight with AC adapter)
594g (773g)
Category
Netbook
To fit a reasonably full-featured PC into a chassis this small, some sacrifices had to be made, and the lack of a standard touchpad (instead there's a ThinkPad-like pointing stick), keeps the P-series from being as useful as it could be. The pointing stick's sensitivity has to be jacked up to get across the widescreen easily, which makes fine control difficult.
The mouse buttons are relegated to tiny slivers at the front edge of the system. One can also optionally tap on the pointing stick for a left-click, although you'll invariably end up with a lot of false left-clicks that way. A middle mouse button for scrolling helps, as does an additional button to the right, which arranges your open windows side by side on the desktop. With the extra-wide 1,600-pixel resolution, you can fit a couple of open browsers or document windows next to each other.
Tags: Netbook, Sony Vaio, Laptop Computer, Mouse Button, IBM pSeries
Rate It Now
User Reviews
Beautiful
May 19, 2009Rating: 8 out of 10 (Excellent)
Pros: Great design
Cons: Expensive
Opinion:
People saying 'don't buy this, buy the EEE' are morons; they don't understand the concept of different people having different demands/needs. The EEE laptops are cheap and cheerful; similar processor performance, and if that's ALL you care about, why are you bothering to even look at the Sony? Every aspect of the Sony's design is better; the keyboard, the screen, the dimensions and (by far) the general aesthetics. If haivng a very portable laptop that has a great keyboard/screen is worth the extra money to you, then spend more and get teh sony. If you just wants something that does the job, and it you don't feel spending the extra money is worth it to you, then get teh eee. Remember, whether it is worth it is really supjective and relative to your lifestyle. For me, paying extra for a computer with better dimensions/keyboard/screen that I'm going to be using every day, and carrying with me very often is ... Read more
Good Keyboard with many compromise
Apr 5, 2009Rating: 3 out of 10 (Poor)
Pros: Good Keyboard and slim design
Cons: No Touchpad, Limited Battery Life, PRICE, lack of connectivity
Opinion:
Well considering that this is a net-book, the price should lower, yeah its stylish but are you really getting your moneys worth? If you ask me if the net-book that I am planning to buy is in this price range,,,, I would rather get a notebook which has a similar price, that provides you with more value for your money. In this desperate times in our global economy we should really think of what we get off in exchange of our money..... The HP mini is a comparable equivalent with a more subtle price range, and you should look also at the EEEPC...
Sleek, lightweight, excellent build
Feb 3, 2009Rating: 8 out of 10 (Excellent)
Pros: Small, light, performance good enough to cut between netbook and notebook
Cons: Vista is sluggish on this config
Opinion:
i tried the sony vaio p at the sony center in sm megamall for a few minutes. the keyboard takes some getting used to, but not bad at all. after a minute or two of typing, it became easier to land my digits on the right keys. i launched a few applications, checked the windows experience rating (said 2.9 but said it needed to be refreshed) and opened a couple of browser windows. on the average, application launch speeds were good, ranging from 3-4 seconds, as against a full Core 2 Duo's 1-2 seconds, of course. the real challenge here is vista as OS. while it does aero quite well, it cannot sustain aero even when playing a short video. once its available in the market, i will install windows 7. overall, i think vista was just the wrong software for an otherwise decent-performing, delicious-looking machine. so if you're brave enough to ditch the one-year warranty, install XP ... Read more
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