New Sony VAIO X Series Announced

actually, there is no point to the x series

 

There is.

Its for the people who wish to spend 1500 Pounds or more on a netbook.

Now how many people this will be - I don't know.

 

maybe same reason for people to spend 1000€ on a mobile phone that is gold and have diamonds on it.

stupid thing to say this laptop is useless, its one of a king, nobody is even near it in terms on weight and size and i bet it will stay like that for a long time..remember x505...

 

Stupid thing is to say that is useless?? For the majority of the people the X series is beautiful but absolutely doesn't justify the price. And is not a laptop, is an Atom-based netbook. We can put a poll to see how many people would buy this netbook. But like I don't criticize who spend a premium to buy it, in the same way, I don't accept to hear that because I say that is an useless machine means I say stupid things! Everyone to his own, what is this thing to call stupid who things differently?

 

Yeah, exactly one of the kind! These horrible specs for this price! Only Sony. The point is that if it would cost around 600-700 euros would be ok, and if it had a CULV or SL would be ok for the actual price, but is the combo Atom-price that makes people angry.
Check out this:

Dell Adamo Desire gets 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo SL9600, 256GB SSD:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/19/dell-adamo-desire-gets-2-1ghz-core-2-duo-sl9600-256gb-ssd/

If the X had these specs, I would pre-order now! Learn Sony how to put a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo SL9600 processor, a 4 GB RAM DDR3 in a 0.39-inch thick machine.

 

The only thing I would really consider to be "netbook" in the Vaio X is the CPU; although at 2Ghz that's not necessarily terrible.

Compared to most standard netbooks (and I am aware there will be exceptions, so no indignation is required please ), the X does have the following "laptop" features (I base this on the European model):

-Superior 11.1 inch screen; many reviews attest to this
-2Gb memory; not loads, but still more than most netbooks, and less of an issue when using Windows 7
-Intel GMA500; better than most netbook graphic controllers (low power, but hardware acceleration still there)
-Wireless N, bluetooth and HSDPA; not always as standard on netbooks
-8 hours battery life; comparable or better than most netbooks
-128GB SSD; not sure yet what model of SSD drive is in there but it's not going to be the cheap junk found in a lot of netbooks, or a traditional harddisc
-Carbon fibre frame and general design; I'll bet that the build quality of this laptop will beat most netbooks on the market
-13.9mm slim and 0.78kg; this is the key advantage - netbooks are slim and light, but not THIS slim and light

The most obvious use for the Vaio X is as the business travellers best friend; long battery life, exceptionally slim, looks well, has VGA output for presentations etc, still has ethernet port, and has SSD for reliability. These factors justify the price.

Yes yes yes, I'm trying to rationalise spending a huge wad of money on this...

 

I'd go for the same configuration, but with the 128GB SSD instead to save a bit of cash.

Despite being your island neighbour, my localised Sony Style store seems to think it's in the late 1990s so there's no mention of the Vaio X yet, let alone the configurator. Now that I think of it, I don't think the configurator option is available for Ireland, you'd have to phone them to get it configured as you like. Boo!

 

Maybe you will be able to configure yours soon?

I could have saved about £400 opting for the 128GB drive, but I've sold my MacBook which will help fund this, so went all out for the top config. It's expensive, but it will be perfect for my needs when I'm travelling.

The X is desirable for many reasons, but I don't think it should be judged only by its price tag. That reeks of bitterness...

 

Are we sure that the RAM is DDR2? Does anyone knows if Sonystyle gives two batteries included with the X?

 

I think in USA there are two batteries, in EU, there is only one.

 

So .... I currently use a Z21WN/B ... having moved from the SZ ....

I LOVE the look of the Vaio X .... but HOW painful will I find moving from my current very well specced Z21 .... 1600 x 900 4GB etc to the X?

Clearly it is in a different league ... but if most of what I do is Outlook 2007 and Office 2007 based, Internet etc ... do you think it will be bearable?

..... as for the cost ... agree it is astranomical for an ATOM based notebook ... and as to why UK prices soooo much higher than elsewhere just irritates me ... but .....

 

why dont you go to local sony store and check it out? when they will be available...

 

Exactly, try before you buy if you are unsure

 

I went from a Vaio A217M with a 17inch 1440x900 screen to my current Vaio SZ with a 13inch 1280x800 screen and initially I found it small, compared to what I had been used to. Especially for apps such as Photoshop and VisualStudio.

Whats handy for me though is that I use my wife's Vaio TZ from time to time, so I already have a pretty good feel for the screen size and resolution. While it's certainly small, compared to heftier laptops, it's perfectly acceptable for my own needs; Office, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, that kind of thing. Having said that, the screen is a problem for the people in my family with less than perfect eyesight

If I do go for the Vaio X (increasingly likely ) I'm still going to be hanging on to my SZ for some heavy duty tasks, such as more serious Photoshopping, Visual Studio stuff, CD/DVD burning, Video Editing and converting etc. Anything limited by a smaller screen and simple CPU, basically.

Like the others say, try before you buy. But I would still hang on to a higher-specced laptop for the occasions where you may need it.

 

I found the X SSD is probably different from regular SSD we can buy now.
This means we probably can't upgrade X SSD.
It locates in the middle with bare PCB with ONE small chip (Controller) between 2 big chips (Flash chips).
Connector is probably ZIF type.

 

x review out!

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/21/sony-vaio-x-reviewed-outrageous-battery-claims-tested-nearly-v/

 

Interesting review. Looks like the extended battery lasts just under 10 hours, which is just amazing!

Downsides - the heat as well as the inability to play HD video smoothly.

 

Not sure if it was mentioned before but www.Laptopmag.com has their review up too.

 

At 2.2lbs it gets just under 10 hrs battery life with the extended battery that increases the overall height of the notebook. The likes of the Toshiba NB205 gets almost equal battery life to that with standard batteries. I'm a little disappointed by these figures. The extended battery is rated at 60whr. The L shaped battery that comes as standard (and the only battery) in some countries is rated at 30whr. Sony claim 8hrs how can that be? Surely it cannot be with the L battery alone??? So to get any kind of really decent battery life you will probably need to buy the extended which i personally think looks pretty bad. Some people won't though have an issue with using this in public.


It also gets 40 points more in the Geek bench test that tests memory and the CPU. Most netbooks though come with 1GB of ram. I don't know what OS they tested these netbooks in either, it was probably XP but Win 7 is not that resource hungry either.
I can see the attraction though. It sure does look good and aside from the likes of the NEC 10.6 there is nothing really else like that out there in the 11.1< market right now. It can handle basic tasks and for some people it will be worth it. I’ve got my sights firmly set on getting a TT now though.

 

Hm...they were testing the "US" version of notebook, as I see...so the one with 3 cell primary and extended battery hooked on. I am sure both batteries work as one, so you actually get more power from "EU" version, that already have long life battery as primary, and hooked the extended one would give us around 13-15 of battery life, is this true?

 

No, the extended battery replaces the standard battery. Check the image gallery, the standard battery has a special recycle icon and the extended one does not.

2.2 lb for 10 hrs is still better than competitors, even NB205 comes at 2.8 lb, but obviously you wonder why you need to pay an extra $1000 to save that 0.6 lb.

 

Too bad then, I expected more battery life, TBH.

 

if the battery can last long enough so i don't have to lug an ac adaptor cord with me all day that saves me the weight and bulk of the adaptor, which is considerable. i was going to buy the Z, as it has modern laptop specs and can be maxed out at 8 G RR3 mem with 512 SSD drive, but have preordered the X at sonystyle despite specs that put it in the netbook catagory just for the battery life. i'll likely carry the spare regular battery with me.

 

Well the Z you should be able to get about 9hrs battery life with the extended battery using the right settings. Anyway firebreather1, i hope that you'll be happy with your purchase.

 

Saw the X at the SonyStyle store in Vegas at the Forum Shoppes... I was kind of sold on it when it was first announced, but now that I've seen it in person - I'll totally be buying one of these when I have a chance. Yes, it is pricey by most standards for what's considered a "netbook" - you definitely will not be doing heavy media editing or development - don't expect to run multiple VMs on it... however for the business travelers, who don't have a problem dropping $1500 on a computer that more than satisfies their performance requirements, this is definitely a steal.

Curious - I'm not that knowledgeable with CPUs, but performance wise, how huge of a difference is there between the Atom Z series and the SU9xxxx found in the TTs?

 

I went from the N series Atom to the SU9x00 in the TT, and for me it was almost like night and day when it came to many tasks. I was not able to watch regular youtube videos with out having the cpu usage moving towards 100%. Your usage may vary a bit and the Z series with the 2.0ghz is a bit faster than the 1.6ghz N, so yeah...

 

.... I've pre-ordered my custom built.... 2.0Ghz, 128GB SSD, carbon finish ..... now let's hope I don't live to regret 'downgrading' to the ATOM?!!!

 

the price of X is out in my country... and no doubt they named it X for some reason (eXpensive)...

the lowest end X has the price tag of 1999 and is more expensive than SR
the highest end X has the price tag of more than 3k, and is comparable to a Z

For an ATOM, this pricing is really skewed...

 

Here in Singapore:

X115LG/N - S$2199
Z540 1.86GHz
2GB RAM
64GB PATA
VGP-BPL19 Battery
Windows 7 Professional

X113KG/B - S$1999
Z540 1.86GHz
2GB RAM
64GB PATA
VGP-BPS19 Battery
Windows 7 Home Premium

Heard it's cheaper in Hong Kong.

 

Would someone be kind enough to upload the wallpaper from the x series. Only need it in one resolution - 1366x768. Thanks in advance.

 

Yup. So much cheaper.

 

Profit??? Well, ain't Sony profitting enough by selling their VAIOs at such high prices?

 

Actually funny you should say that because this year Sony did not make a profit for the first time in its history!

 

EXACTLY! I have provided Sony with a profit model, it they were to implement my ideas, their stocks would be soaring.

 

I have a Z series and I'd like an X series because of the size,weight etc.
But it's not powerful enough...

 

X series sound like a cheap netbook.
I dont see myself buying Sony laptop no more. Their laptop just getting cheaper look.

 

you need to setup proper codecs so hardware accell kicks in.

 

the intel integrated card accelerates x264? i used some kind of this acceleration with powerdvd codecs... are you talking about this? i thought only nvidia and ati accelerate it?

 

It's not a priority, I am just trying to bring up a point.

Sony is putting low-tech parts to save money on production and then over-selling it to consumers. We ALL know Sony can outfit this netbook/laptop with more powerful components than an Atom, but they just want to make money (Sony X = $$$, Sony 1, Consumers 0)

I know Sony charges an unusually high price for (some of) it's products, but this is simply not worth the investment (at least not right now anyways).

 

No. Sony is putting low-tech - POWER SAVING parts into this machine, so they can build the lightest and thinnest laptop EVER.

that would not be possible with any of current chipsets or CPUs our there, check TT, how much bigger is compare to X.

Any lets face it..for 400$ we get some lenovo or toshiba netbook, that is:

- ugly
- plastic
- poor battery life
- over 1kg
- over 1 inch thick
- "normal" HDD
- awfull LCD
- awfull keyboard

no wonder this baby is so more expensive than the rest of the netbook squad, its far above them, i bet even only carbon chasis is more valuable than whole lenovo netbook itself.

the rest of netbooks are made only as a "toy", for a third notebook usage...maybe for kids, for schools, etc...this, sony X, is actually the first "netbook" that is usable for a normal person.

i personally, would not have a problem taking this baby anywhere with me, but with asus eee, i would rather left it at home and use my experia X1 instead

 

^^^^^ I disagree with half of your post. That is all I will say.

 

I am going to have to disagree, Sony could have put both a power saving and a decent powered CPU into the Sony VAIO X and accomplish the same objective (thin and light). But, no Sony had to cut corners, rip-off consumers and put some low-tech Atom processor that is slower than South African Internet Service Providers.

 

Funny you should mention the Xperia X1. Was looking at dimension6's pics and noticed the box of the Vaio X had a 'X1' on it too!

 

I agree. If Sony can actually put ULV in X without worrying about getting sued by customers burned by extreme temperature, they will put an ULV in X and charge you another $1000 premium...

Atom and VGA port really are good enough for business use, but it definitely falls short for tech-savvy consumers.

 

this only goes to page 60, what happened to pages 61+.

 

Several of the other posts have been moved to an owner’s thread where they were most appropriate.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=429543
This is not an owner’s thread it is a pre-release/announcement discussion thread.

 

I don't think so, the weight of Sony VAIO X138 is very light and just 737g with standard battery. If you are interested it, you can read theSony VAIO X138 Laptop Review: Unlimited light only 737g on Laptop Z blog.