Sony Vaio P

[Quillz]

I went to the Sony store today and bought the Sony Vaio P ($899). Despite all the marketing, it's a netbook. But that's not at all a bad thing, and in fact, I think the Sony Vaio P is one of the better netbooks on the market, and you're certainly going to have to pay for it. What makes it so good? Read on...

First, a little info. As you're probably aware, "netbooks" have become popular over the last year or so. These are small notebook computers that run the Intel Atom processor, which is low-power and low-energy intensive, perfect for netbooks. These notebook computers are built specifically for the Internet and other light computer use. By compromising powerful hardware like GPUs and Intel Core 2 Duo processors, you get a small notebook with a display that is anywhere from 7''-12''. A netbook is best for someone who already has a computer, and merely wants a secondary travel companion.

So, what models can I get?

Good question. At this time, Sony is offering three configurations (for the North American market)...

$899

------

1.33 GHz Intel Atom processor

Intel GMA 500

2 GB DDR2 memory

60 GB hard disk drive

8'' display @ 1600?768 resolution

$1,199

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1.33 GHz Intel Atom processor

Intel GMA 500

2 GB DDR2 memory

64 GB solid state drive

8'' display @ 1600?768 resolution

$1,499

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1.33 GHz Intel Atom processor

Intel GMA 500

2 GB DDR2 memory

128 GB solid state drive

8'' display @ 1600?768 resolutioBuild Quality/b>

Here is where you immediately see what your $899 gets you. It gets you a very well-built netbook. Before purchasing the Sony Vaio P, I considered the Asus Eee PC and MSI Wind, among others. All struck me as somewhat cheaply built. Particularly the lower chassis that surrounds the keyboard and buttons felt very flimsy and overly cheap. But the Vaio P is quite different. Its chassis is plastic over a carbon fiber frame. This is the same as with all of Sony's Vaio notebooks. Holding the Vaio P in just one hand produces none of the dreaded "flex" on the upper lid that so often affects notebooks, especially small ones. I think that due to the Vaio P's very small footprint, the already sturdy build quality of the Vaio series shines even more than usual.

At the moment, I have yet to find or use a netbook that feels better built than the Sony Vaio PDisplay/b>

Here is another advantage to spending the $899 for the Vaio P. You get a LED-backlit X-BRITE display that runs at 1600?768 resolution, or 16:9. What this means to you is that the display is very, very sharp, as it's just 8'' diagonally. When comparing the display to that on my Dell XPS M1330, I must say that the Vaio simply looked better. Of course, the M1330 has just a 1280?800 resolution, so the Vaio will demonstrate better pixels-per-inch, creating a sharper image.

There are other netbooks on the market that can display a similar resolution, but they are often physically larger in size, generally around 10'' or so. The vast majority of netbooks, however, such as the Eee PC, are generally limited to 1024?768, or 10:7. And many others run resolutions lower than that! I think that the resolution (at the moment) is the biggest advantage the Vaio P has over the competition. It allows you to view most web pages how they were meant to be viewed, with no awful horizontal scroll bars to get in your Keyboardrd

Like most other netbooks, the Sony Vaio P does not have a full-sized keyboard. It's about 88% the size of a typical keyboard, which means that while you can certainly attempt to touch type, you will more than likely end up using a hunt-and-peck style, which is slower. I've found that touch typing is possible, but only after using the Vaio P for a while. You must get used to the smaller keys and some oddities, like a small Shift key on the far right and just one Windows key.

One advantage of the keyboard on the Vaio P, though, is that the spacing between the keys is better than on most other netbooks. The keyboard design itself is more or less identical to what you'd find on any other Vaio notebook or Apple MacBook. They are responsive and will take some getting used to. I would strongly suggest using an external keyboard if you have to resort to hunt-and-peck, thoPointing Stickck

Normally, you'd expect for a notebook to have a trackpad. But instead, the Sony Vaio P uses a pointing stick, like what you find on ThinkPads and Dell's business notebooks. As this is my first Sony Vaio computer, and have never before used a netbook or business notebook, I've never once used a pointing stick before. So, for me, it felt quite awkward at first. In fact, it still does. The pointing stick is far more sensitive than I'd imagined it to be, and I find that with very little pressure at all, you can move the cursor or apply slightly more pressure to register a click. The latter behavior is quite annoying, at least for me. Whenever I attempt to move the cursor around, I almost end up clicking an area of the screen I didn't intend to, which often takes focus off the window I have open. I wouldn't call this behavior negative, just different. For most people who are used to trackpads, this may be the biggest hurdle of using the Vaio P. But if you're used to the ThinkPad line or any other notebook that has a pointing stick, then you shouldn't have any real issues.

The actual pointing stick itself appears to be made of a felt-like material. It has a slightly rough but overall pleasant feel to it. Sony does include two replacement pointing sticks in case the stock model gets damaged or worn dBattery Lifefe

After letting the battery run down on both Windows Vista and Windows 7, I can confirm that battery life is quite poor, only maxing out around 3.5 hours. Windows 7 is a little better, with battery life closer to four hours. The battery life is on par with other netbooks of this size, but still pales in comparison to many other notebooks, some of which can now get upwards of 8 hours! Note that no matter which model you buy, you will get the standard 4-cell battery. Sony would be wise to bundle in a 9-cell battery with the high-end model, despite the fact that such a large battery adds physical size and weight to the VaiDid you say Windows 7?7?

Yes, the Sony Vaio P can run Windows 7 (Beta 1) with little issue. The most challenging part will be figuring out how to install it. I recommend you do it via flash drive. Once Windows 7 is installed, nothing will be configured, although all the hardware will be recognized. Wi-Fi worked just fine immediately after install, which allowed me to use Windows Update and get an Intel GMA driver update. The update gave Windows 7 the native 16:9 resolualthough I have yet to get Aero Glass to work.kThis is due to Intel having not yet released proper Windows 7 drivers for the Intel GMA 500.0.

Outside of the (very minor) Aero Glass issue, this netbook was built for Windows 7. It runs much better than Vista, booting faster and shutting down faster. Everything loads quicker, and the overall performance of the netbook was much smoother once I installed WindowSo, it can or can't run Aero Glass?s?

The Sony Vaio P is technically capable of running Aero Glass, but presently, it's only supported on Windows Vista. Intel has not yet released proper updated drivers for Windows 7, which is why Aero Glass won't currently work on it. Once Windows 7 hits RTM, I would expect to see an updated video driver from Intel.

Although the Intel GMA 500 is not particularly powerful, it is about on par with the Intel GMA 950, which means that it will do fine with the eye candy of Aero GlIs the machine quiet?t?

Yes, it's very quiet. So quiet, in fact, you might not even realize it's on! The Sony Vaio P does not have a fan, instead using a fan-less cooling system similar to what was on the PowerMac G4 Cube from nine years ago. Note that the base model ($899) includes a 60 GB hard drive, so there will be noise coming from that. However, the high-end models feature a 64 GB solid-state drive, which (from what I've heard) is virtually silent.

No matter what the specs are in the Vaio P, you can expect a very, very quiet machine. Which is good, becausThe speakers are crap.p.

Okay, maybe that's a little too harsh, but it's quite accurate. The speakers are what you'd expect from a netbook. There, but hardly anything groundbreaking. They produce sound well enough, but certainly aren't going to satisfy the audiophile in you. They won't produce highs and lows, just the midrange. I would suggest using headphones if you really want to listen to some music on this machine. These certainly aren't the worst speakers ever in a portable, they're just extremely medioSay "no" to upgrading!3;

The Sony Vaio P is "what you see is what you get," both externally and internally. Don't buy this machine and plan to upgrade the memory or the hard drive. It's just not going to happen. The machine has 2 GB of RAM that is soldered directly to the motherboard. I suppose you could replace the HDD or SSD if you know what you're doing, but be warned- this will void the warranty. However, most consumer who buy netbooks aren't interested in upgrading. And they shouldn't be, as that's not what a netbook was designed for. The Intel Atom processor running @ 1.33 GHz is decent enough for everyday, light usConclusions & Recommendationsns

The Sony Vaio P is certainly not cheap, at least as far as netbooks are concerned. Starting at $899, the Vaio P has to compete price-wise with far more capable notebooks from other vendors. However, what you compromise in terms of power and raw performance you make up for in size and display. Simply put, the Vaio P has one of the sharpest, most beautiful displays I've seen on any notebook I've ever owned. It's very bright and evenly lit, and uses LED backlighting for more energy efficiency.

Some in the North American market are upset that the Vaio P runs the Atom processor at a mere 1.33 GHz. However, both the Japanese and European markets have received both 1.6 and 1.8 GHz SKUs, so if you want something a little faster, consider importing.

Overall, I'd recommend taking a look at the Sony Vaio P if you're interested in buying a netbook. It's certainly one of the better ones on the market, and certainly the most stylish. I feel that even though it was expensive, it was a good investment in the long run.

Edited February 4, 2009 by Quillz

[tsupersonic]

what's a review w/o any pics?

[tomwarren Veteran]

Nice review, need some pics and might post this front page :)

[Unto Darkness]

Netbooks are generally very sturdy due to their small size. This results in smaller empty spaces inside the computer.

What made you feel the ASUS Eee PC was cheaply built? Also, is the widescreen convenient? It doesn't look that way in the pictures.

[Quillz]

what's a review w/o any pics?

There's many pics of the Vaio P on the Internet at other sties. I don't have any of my own pictures, so I didn't want to load down the review with stock photos. I guess I could include them, but I don't think it will add all that much.

Netbooks are generally very sturdy due to their small size. This results in smaller empty spaces inside the computer.

What made you feel the ASUS Eee PC was cheaply built? Also, is the widescreen convenient? It doesn't look that way in the pictures.

Like I said, I noticed that some of the keys, but especially the clicking buttons had a lot of flex and give to them. They could be pushed around and often could be very slightly flexed up and down without registering a click. Overall, when I picked up and held the unit, it just felt very cheap to me. Of course, this is a first impression based upon using the machine for only about 15 minutes.

As for the widescreen, it's up to you to decide. It's going to bother a lot of people, with the text being so small. But, what you get out of that is a 16:9 resolution, which means web pages load how they're supposed to. If you don't have trouble with small text on a screen, then the display resolution is convenient, since it's quite a bit better than what you get on other netbooks, which are usually 10:7 or 14:6.

[Quillz]

I've updated some portions of the review, notably regarding battery life. And I will include some (stock) photos in the next update. Thanks for the feedback I've received so far!

[TruckWEB]

$899 to $1499 !!!

This is still a Netbook and the slowest of all. All the other Netbook use the 1.6Ghz Atom, why did Sony go for 1.33Ghz? The hardware is still the same, same Atom, same GMA, same 2Gb.... Small 60Gb HDD (you get 160Gb on the Aspire One). And while 1600x768 is cool, at 8" it must be hard to read. Why so wide? I'm not going to watch HDTV or HD Movies on a Netbook, most users are using it to write, emails, web surfing... I'd prefer something more than 768 instead of having this wide 1600 screen.

Again, it's a Netbook !!! Nothing more. Blowing money in the wind....

[Quillz]

$899 to $1499 !!!

This is still a Netbook and the slowest of all. All the other Netbook use the 1.6Ghz Atom, why did Sony go for 1.33Ghz? The hardware is still the same, same Atom, same GMA, same 2Gb.... Small 60Gb HDD (you get 160Gb on the Aspire One). And while 1600x768 is cool, at 8" it must be hard to read. Why so wide? I'm not going to watch HDTV or HD Movies on a Netbook, most users are using it to write, emails, web surfing... I'd prefer something more than 768 instead of having this wide 1600 screen.

Again, it's a Netbook !!! Nothing more. Blowing money in the wind....

All your points are valid. But, the widescree display and very small footprint is appealing to some, and are willing to pay for it.

[TruckWEB]

All your points are valid. But, the widescree display and very small footprint is appealing to some, and are willing to pay for it.

The original idea of the Netbook, from the first Asus EeePC, was to be small and cheap.

One year later, and you can mistake some Netbook for real laptop. The screen is getting bigger (with 12" coming soon) and the price is getting higher. We are far from the $299 price point that Netbook where supposed to fit in.

Still, I find the Sony price to be crazy. Nice package, but it's still cheap crap inside.

[Quillz]

I have updated the review again. I fixed up the section concerning Aero Glass. I had reported that it wasn't working on Windows 7 due to Sony not having released drivers. In fact, it's Intel who has not yet released video drivers for the Intel GMA 500. This explains why Aero Glass works on Vista but not on 7. The drivers simply aren't compatible between the two OS.

[Digitalx]

the mouse stick is stupid. i have a laptop kicking round from like 1997 and it has one of them they're rubbish and thank god track pads were invented this is probably one of biggest downfalls of vaio P. in general it's way too expensive for what you get compared to competitors

[ToneKnee]

Another example of overpriced Sony equipment?

Like other users have pointed out, they've completely missed what a Netbook is. The Samsung NC10 which I'm going to buy soon is the most I'd pay for a Netbook and there is a lot of positive reviews about it. Too far Sony, too far.

[spd21]

$899/?615

:oo Wow, i found a 2.0Ghz 2GB RAM, 200GB laptop for ?299/$437

[Quillz]

$899/?615

:oo Wow, i found a 2.0Ghz 2GB RAM, 200GB laptop for ?299/$437

Yeah, the Sony Vaio P is priced more in line with mid-range notebooks. But again, it's a tradeoff. What you lose in processing power and dedicated hardware, you gain in size and weight. This is very much a niche product not designed to appeal to the masses.

[thealexweb]

From what I've seen of it it's slow, very slow.

[Quillz]

From what I've seen of it it's slow, very slow.

Well, it's certainly not speedy, but on the other hand, it's not bad for the uses it's designed to do. As a netbook, it's for e-mail, web browsing and the occasional Office document. In all those instances, I find the performance acceptable. However, it is quite choppy when watching videos, so this is certainly not a machine for gaming, movie editing or Photoshop.

[deuz]

my eee isnt choppy when watching video...and thats on powersave mode....must just be the sony.... it does everything but play games for me.. if i was spedning 899US id go for a small notebook (13'') which to me is pretty small and would do a much better job.. for what it gives its a bloody rip off....its pretty much two and a half to what i spent... but it is sony so...yeh....hope i can see a really one soon so my comments dont seem to bash-like

good review though...pretty imformative :) ( it confirmed to me which netbook was a better buy) :p

[Quillz]

I would like to update this review with some new info...

I now have Aero Glass working! It turns out the issue lied not with an Intel driver but with Microsoft shipping a buggy DWM driver in Win7 Builds 6801-7022. A fixed DWM driver is in the new build 7048, and now Aero Glass works just fine.

Another thing I may have neglected to mention is that Sony includes by default a dedicated "recovery" partition, about 7 GB in size. However, feel free to delete it. All it is is crapware and drivers, all of which are available on Sony's support site, anyway. With Win7, I also created a bare-bones installation, removing IE, Windows Media Player and several other applications I'll never used. On a 60 GB hard drive, this made a large difference, as I gained back some significant disk space.

[MMaster23]

Sound from netbooks are crap? Sure they aren't great for audio playback but my EEE 1000H does pack a punch. Wouldn't call it X-Fi quality however pretty neat none the less.

[sundayx Veteran]

I tried the P once, first impression, the screen is too small and resolution too big, meaning, unusable.

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

i have yet to see one of these in person however, i hope at some point to be able to see one they have intrigued me since i first heard of them.

[Quillz]

Sound from netbooks are crap? Sure they aren't great for audio playback but my EEE 1000H does pack a punch. Wouldn't call it X-Fi quality however pretty neat none the less.

Every netbook is different. But I'm hardly impressed by the speakers on the Vaio P. Are they acceptable? Yes. But don't expect to get stereo surround sound from these things.

I tried the P once, first impression, the screen is too small and resolution too big, meaning, unusable.

It's actually quite usable for me. And thus, that's why a product such as this is very much a niche product. It will appeal to a very specific segment of even the netbook market.

[aussiefloyd_fan]

what's a review w/o any pics?

thats how small the netbook is.. so small you cant even see the pics he posted :p

lol

[Brandon Live Veteran]

It's not a netbook, it's much too expensive for that name. And it's pretty slow... especially the one with the ridiculously slow iPod hard drive. I bought one but returned it two weeks later.

[1759]

It's not a netbook, it's much too expensive for that name. And it's pretty slow... especially the one with the ridiculously slow iPod hard drive. I bought one but returned it two weeks later.

Don't they all come with Vista though? Most of the negative things I've read about the P, are because Vista is a slow pig on it.