Sony Vaio Ultrabook by Christmas

Did anyone read this article ?

Apparently Sony will launch an ultrabook around Christmas time. Sounds interesting.

 

Knowing Sony it'd be the same price as a Macbook Air or more expensive, have some sort of killer design, and a wonderful screen. I'm excited! Hopefully this will be the X with more power!

 

Not gonna happen.

 

I want a TT replacement

 

ok final word

 

I'll be content if Sony just put a better screen or offered as an option in CTO on SA/SB/SC.

 

a better screen on the SA/SB/SC would be nice but I doubt it.

Ultrabook probably no, since this might take sales away from the Z series. Still would nice to have a cheaper Z series that is lighter and under 1000 or even 1200.

I am still wondering when the freestyle hybrid pc is coming or if it was canned.
http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/sony_freestyle_hybrid_pc-580x435.jpg

maybe sony is waiting for windows 8 before pushing out new and different products.

 

^lighter Z?? You know it's lighter than every "ultra"book already. I think the Z holds it's own well, if the price could come down a bit. Maybe offer a PMDless version in the USA....maybe.

 

Oh and the "hybrid PC", actually the U series, was canned for the time being. At least it was canned for the USA.

 

agree 100%, a pmd-less z2 should cost around 1400, which would make it extremely competitive with the rest of the "ultrabooks" given that the z has a superior screen, and the ability to add a slice battery.

 

^and ports. And full voltage CPU.

 

^and using stock Intel graphics driver that supports OpenGL?!

 

lighter than the S current S series, so about 3 pounds or 3.2 pounds, 1.4-1.5kg, not lighter than Z series.

I would agree, a cheaper price would be nice for the Z series since at 2100 canadian it is a bit steep. 1800 with taxes would be a price I could justify for the new Z.

anyways, looking forward to CES 2011 and if sony will bring any new goodies.

I am wondering if sony would go for a arm powered small P Series replacement running the new windows 8. with a touchscreen of course

 

my point was Z is lighter than ultrabooks. Anyhow, here in the US Z2's with PMD start at $1799 at some retailers.

 

If you click on the interview with Intel's ceo, seems like he is unequivocal that Sony will introduce an ultrabook. Keep in mind, the UB is nothing like a Z or SA; it is far thinner, slimming to about .1" where lid meets deck, has a ULV cpu, not nearly as powerful as a Z or SA, is only available with a (small) SSD and retails for around $1,000. By early 2012, not having one will be like not having a netbook in 2009/2010.

Then again,

So I guess that's that.

 

I can wait till january and if need be even april or the summer to see what Ivy bridge brings.

 

The SB Z should, effectively, be just that. The advantages of the SB chip will include better battery life (fewer times most users will need to carry a slice battery) and improved graphics (fewer times a PMD will be needed by many users.)

Sounds like a lighter Z to me.

 

Sorry I realize I'm typo-prone today. No "lighter Z" is coming any time soon. I was trying to say "lighter than the Z"?? Meaning no 13" ultrabook is as light, let alone lighter, than the Z2.

As for Sony Ultrabook, I've seen nothing. I suppose they could be doing something exclusive somewhere - or for another region. But even then I'd be VERY VERY surprised, considering I haven't seen it.

Hope that clarifies.

 

I hope my response wasn't confusing. Of course nothing is going to be lighter than a Z. My comment only concerned "effective" weight based on how many components a given user may need to carry with them.

As for a so-called ultrabook, it wouldn't have a Z screen so who cares?

 

^Fair enough. Z2's travel weight is still lighter. Remember it still does more than an ultrabook without the PMD. I think of the pmd as a bonus.

 

For all the hype, over-hype and hip-hype rap about ultrabooks, I think they're an over-rated category. What sort of ultrabooks are we really going to see? Variations on the MBA at a lower price, mostly. There will also probably be some lower-cost variants on the SA/SB, perhaps slightly shrunken, with full voltage processors, small SSDs and, in a few instances, a 900p screen.

Affordability is a key part of the ultrabook concept which means no serious competitor to the Z. It's unlikely that any $1K machines next year will include full-voltage i5/i7 processors, 8GB RAM (yes, CC -- a 16GB option would be nice), build quality, FHD display and video drivers that couldn't even support cave painting. That's even without the PMD and its extra ports, blu-ray burner, etc.

In short, the Z, which was King of the Ultrabooks before it was even a formal category, will continue its reign as King after lightweight SB machines are introduced next year.

 

I think IB might be able to make ALL laptop dual core procs ULV

Intel did state something to the effect, I just have to find the article again...

Also, one KEY... and I mean KEY thing nearly every "Ultrabook" MBA wannabe is missing badly on? Display quality. On the 13" model, only ASUS has gotten remotely close, and they eventually decided to get more brightness vs better viewing angles (polarizer choice - this should seem familiar to some SA owners, lol).

And despite everything? The Vaio Z2 is still the slimmest one out there, and has a slice battery option. All while tanking a full speed dual core and possiblely the best 13" display selection to exist to date. Also comes with a PMD which includes a HD6650m. That and the above mentioned drivers

 

Ultrabooks may not be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but Sony will sit them out at their market share peril. By this holiday season, to not have an Ultrabook offering will be like not having a netbook in 2009-10. These are very appealing to a large slice of the notebook market, who needs/wants little more than a very light, very fast 13"notebook for email, web surfing, MS Office and watching videos. With their speedy SSDs and ULV corei5 cpus, the MBA and Asus Zen UX 31 score over 10,000 PC Mark Vantage points, beating most DTR/Gaming rigs for everyday uses. For around $1,000, it's going to be hard to beat the UB format if you can live with the limited ports, and without a discrete GPU and, of course, that long pronounced dead appendage, the optical drive (which I have yet to go a week without using at least once!) I agree that screen quality will be a differentiator, but no more so than on any 13" notebook today, and Apple and Asus have already upped the bar on that. It's hard to imagine a Sony UB cannibalizing sales of the Z or SA since they have discrete GPUs suitable for gaming - or at least the SA does. - and all the other stuff that's too fat/heavy to fit into an ultrabook, which may be thicker than a Z at one end, but has to slim down to 0.1"in front.

 

^they may represent big share someday, but they wont for holiday. Figure 2% share or so. Netbooks saw over 15%.

 

yeah, because cheap little netbooks sold well because... well, they were cheap, lol. It was almost novel having a cheap laptop, espec ially since they used to cost at least 500USD++ for even the most basic ones, and ultraportables were expensive... something Z and S owners should very well know (and T,X,U,P series, for the era past).

 

It is an interesting form factor, but I'd wait for Ivy Bridge.

Also, I'm not sure why Sony doesn't do something like the Shuriken panels from LG. They could totally fit the "13.3" screen in a 12 or 11.6 form factor. Give me that with the 512GB SSD and I'm happy.

I'll call this the Super Mega Ultrabook Gamma 3000.

 

Can't disagree with you, at least based on offerings announced to date and their price points, but you can be sure the MBA will garner more like a 5% share, and that is huge when you consider they will retail for almost 3X what netbooks sold for back then. (2% share at an average selling price of $1,200 is still a lot of revenue.)

Plus, Paul Otelini, Intel's CEO, is not known for gossip mongering, and he didn't sound at all equivocal naming Sony as having an UB by Christmas:

"...we should be seeing an official Sony Ultrabook announcement within the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out the source interview here for more information."

Sony Launching Ultrabook in December Says Intel

I do not think it is going out on a limb to say that Sony will have an UB by Spring 2012, with IB cpus, at the latest. By then, they are likely to be mainstream and Sony could well start losing sales of S models to competitors' UBs. Again, the Z is in protected territory due to its lofty price, SV cpus and outrageously great displays. But they will always be a low volume, high margin product, while UBs, stand likely to be the opposite once they kick into gear. Having owned an MBA13 (2010) for a while I can say:

1) it is a very seductive and high productivity machine
2) my only gripes with it (other than being Apple, and I dislike OSX and am a bona fide Apple hater), were the then-anemic cpu and a screen that, while decent, couldn't cut the mustard with my Z-spoiled eyes. But most UB buyers will be coming from garden variety crap 1366X768 glossy screens.

 

They did with the Z1, that things bezels were nice and thin. NO clue what happened to the Z2

 

You want a 1366x768 panel now?

 

^FHD in a 11" format.

 

^Does such a panel exist?

 

... or a tablet in 2011.

I actually think we'll see a shift towards the ubook category for most consumer and mid-business use. The big notebooks will still be around for gamers and power users... but what's not to like about lightweight and long battery life? Isn't that how we wanted our notebooks to begin with?

 

I think there's some possibility it'll go the other way as the tablet market continues to explode. If you're using a tablet for some of the stuff requiring ultraportability, I think you're more likely to consider a heavier, multimedia-esque laptop instead of an ultra-thin laptop with the screen, speaker, and keyboard compromises that go along with it.

In other words, if you've already got a Vaio F and a Tablet S, what's the appeal of an ultrabook? Ultrabooks are jacks-of-all-trades, but masters of none, on the line between laptops and tablets IMO.

Edit: just to be totally clear, for people who work on the move, obviously an ultraportable laptop makes sense. I was talking more about casual users, where using on the move means web surfing and/or light gaming while waiting for a bus, while on a plane, while sitting on the couch, etc.

 

I'm referring to the existing Z FHD screens. There is room to reduce the screen bezels on even the Z1.

...and I guess nobody watches Southpark.

 

Hmmm.... Intel sez Sony is coming out with an UltraBook this year. Let's see now. Based on the Light Peak experience, it sounds like Sony will come out with a lightweight $1k computer that's completely incompatible with every other ultrabook coming on the market.

 

^But the Z1 bezel was thicker. I am of the belief the the width of the display bezel, and the whole chassis for that matter was made wider for rigidity. But we'll never know!

 

But it's not happening....

 

Just as well. Who really wants a cut-down Vaio designed to prevent it from taking sales from the SB/SC?

 

D:

No thanks.

I guess this is the X replacement. An Ultraultrabook?

 

While this probably deserves its own topic ('The Future of UltraBooks')... I've based my opinion on my personal observations, what I see at the retail channels and what I see at the business level (mostly for salespeople).

I think the substitution effect will be like this:

Netbooks -> Tablets (already happening)
Netbooks/MidSize Notebooks -> UltraBooks
Desktops -> Full Spec Large Notebooks

While tablets and ultrabooks do overlap, there are many reasons why people will prefer a notebook form factor over a tablet but still wants the instant-on, long battery life and portability of a tablet. Netbooks didn't seem to fill that niche so well. But, that also depends on how Windows 8 does as that will blur the line between tablets/notebooks.

Again, I just don't see a large market for the mid-size multimedia notebooks as they won't be as powerful as the full-size ones and they won't be as portable as the ultrabooks... and with technological evolution, ultrabooks can certainly attain the midrange multimedia chops people are looking for.

But we'll see in 2012, you might be adding a Sony U to your S and F.

 

I had a nice chance to play around with the new tablet S and what I have seen and used it is a nice piece of kit. It is smaller than I assumed and lighter and quite comfortable to hold. The galaxy tab 10.1 is lighter I believe and thinner, but it is not that nice to hold. Still it has native xvid and divx support which the sony lacks. I was planning on picking up a tablet this fall but have opted against to see what ivy bridge brings next year and what sony will deliver either at ces or in the spring of 2012.

as for this ultrabook, perhaps sony will release something but I think it would make more sense for it to be released next year in the spring.

 

I wish I had a Tablet S! As it is, I've got a Vaio F and a long-in-the-tooth Kindle and that's it

 

Is there a reason there seems to be antagonism towards the idea of a Sony Ultrabook? I recently took a 2-day business trip with only a tablet and a smartphone + stand and bluetooth keyboard. Let me tell you, I would have killed for a UB/MBA instead of the multiple pieces that require you have time and space to set up, only to have a greatly limited capability. Tablets and smartphones can do many things but they just aren't substitutes for "real" computers, which UBs are, and though I love my Z11 on my desk, it is up to 1 lb heavier than some of the UBs recently announced and, with the standard battery (else it's over 2 lbs heavier) it gets only 3-4 hrs on a charge, plus it's fragile on the outer surfaces (yeah, I could put skins on, but I really don't like skins - if I wanted plastic surfaces I could have gotten a plastic laptop - where the Asus Zen appears to be made of a scratch resistant durable metallic material.

So, why the resistance I sense for this relatively new format, which seems to offer so much and which it seems all major brands are ready to come out of the shoot this holiday season with some of the nicest pieces of work any of them have ever produced in the notebook realm? Perfection? No, not yet anyway. Extraordinarily attractive, convenient and stupid fast for a (much, much) lower price than a Z, SA w/SSD or even MBA - which, if you haven't noticed, truly invented/perfected the category and is cleaning up in the market. Why does there have to be something wrong with the mainstream brands (finally) beating Apple at its own game before it runs away with yet another category killer?

 

I'm not resistant to it at all. I think it would be a great business move by Sony, and I think Sony should be offering something in the UB category. I'm just saying that I, personally, wouldn't get one.

 

I still don't understand the concept of tablet. What good is a computer without a keyboard (and I don't mean one of those silly virtual keyboards that are barely good for typing a few words)?

 

^I have 5 or 6 tablets, and, oddly, I'm with you. I'd rather have a full PC than a tablet, given the choice.

 

In passing: Tablet shipments exploded in Q2 to surpass netbooks for the first time

 

We took both a tablet (iPad 2) and a notebook (Z1) on our last trip a couple of months ago.

For doing content consumption (email, surfing, navigation, ebook), the tablet's form factor is superior. Just pull it out and do what you want to do. You don't have to open a screen, balance it on your lap or a table, wait to boot, etc.

For doing content creation, well that's another story. Much harder.

My guess is that when I'm traveling without having to worry about business issues I would be OK with the tablet. Certainly my wife would.

 

^How do you type on the tablet? I've found them impossible to balance physically to respond to an email, etc. I actually find it easier on a smartphone.

 

We're OK with the virtual keyboard for short messages. Hold in left hand, one-finger type with right. Balance on lap/table for two hands. Not great but again, not for long either.

If I have to do anything longer than a few sentences, then I will lay it flat or at an angle with the SmartCover.

It's like any other form of torture: Eventually you learn to live with it.