New Sony vaio G! 12" 1.98 lbs!

Just saw this on Engadget:

http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/01/sony-vaio-g-1-98-pounds-of-12-1-inch-laptop-coming-at-ya/

The new vaio G is made out of carbon fiber, has a 12" screen, a 1.2ghz low volt processor and starting out only weighs 1.98 lbs. Even better, with a 12 cell battery and an optical drive it only weighs 2.47 lbs!

Looks like a great package for the size, but it's going to be expensive. In Japan, they're roughly the equivalent of $2,000 (Dec. release date). However, imported to the states they're ridiculous (Dynamism.com).

Clearly it's not going to be able to run Vista particularly well but really why even care? For the kind of things a notebook like this is made for, XP, in its mature state, is really all anyone will need for the foreseeable future.

This definitely is going to be the new hotness for ultraportables. But it seems to make the TX obselete if you ask me. Will it be relegated to budget status once this hits the market?

Specs:

CPU: Intel U1400 Core Solo 1.2GHz or Intel U1300 Core Solo 1.06GHz
L2 Cache: 2 MB CPU integrated
RAM: 512MB (1.5 GB Max)
Chipset: Intel 945 GMS Express
Storage HDD: 80 GB (Ultra ATA/100, 4200 rpm)
Optical Drives: Option of DVDRW DL
Graphic / Video Features: Media accelerator 950
- 128MB (shared with main memory)
12.1" XGA TFT

and

Physical Features Size:
10.9(W) x 8.46(L) x 0.93-1.00(H) [inch]
277 x 215 x 23.5-25.5 [mm]
Weight: 1.98 lbs(898g) to 2.46 lbs(1115g)

 

Zaz already had a thread up about this, but that is one sexy, sexy laptop. That has to be one of the thinnest screens I've ever seen. I'm not sure they're too expensive when compared to similar offerings from Panasonic. I believe they're in the same ballpark.

 

"12.5-magical-hours capacity"...

I wonder if it's 'magical' because the capacity disappears before your very eyes...

 

The 'G' still has a significantly larger footprint than does the TX [12" 4:3 screen vs. 11" 16:9 screen] making the TX much more truly portable IMHO.

Also, in my experience the TX battery is capable of a very real 10 hrs.

The TX will live on in one form or another for some time to come.

 

I also think that designing a lappy that is not widescreen is as yesterday as black and white TV.

 

A 4:3 screen is actually better in the eyes of most business people.

 

Well business eventually ends up adopting what consumers prefer, so kiss 4:3 goodbye.

 

Pretty. I'd get one if the specs weren't so weak. Maybe they'll come out w/ a C2D ULV CPU when that's released.

 

this might have the 4200rpm drive as the largest capacity is 80gb which is typical for small ipod type of drives. and the cpu type

this systems looks like the similar DELL latitude D420.

 

Wonder what the product placement strategy on this one is?

Aside from the screen resolution 1024x768 vs 1366x768 there doesn't seem to any other major differences with the G and the TX.

Dimensions are near identical as well 10.9 × 8.5 × 1.0 vs 10.7 x 1.12 x 7.7.

Weight is similar 2.75 lbs. vs 2.52 lbs. (for similar setup)

Perhaps this is a replacement for the TX? Can't see why Sony would lose the widescreen that is so popular nowadays though? I guess it can't be a bad thing more choices for the consumer, i guess it is nice to be able to choose a 4:3 or 16:10, as well as a DVD drive or not. I am sceptical on the 'magical' 12 hr battery life, but with my TX i do get about 7-8 hrs. Maybe it's 'magical' because only it only works for Sony.

 

Obviously, it isn't a gaming machine. For web & email, word processing, movies and music, this a perfect machine. I wish 1.8" hard drives caught up with 2.5" ones...