Where is Sony AW replacement ?

Guys,
The last AW has disappeared from usa sonystyle.com Any news, info about coming replacement? When ?

Thanks !

 

Judging from the fact that the F series now has a keypad (and is a bit wider than the FW), it might be that they're looking to phase out the AW for now, maybe for update later?

 

phiorala you could be correct. Then again, for years now Sony has had a funky release schedule that seems to only make sense to nobody. I'm on board with the F Series even though I know they will come out with new colors and some new specs in about 3 to 6 months.

I'm wondering how well the AW sold or if the creative professionals it was targeted at went with cheaper smaller units or stayed with Apple. Perhaps the target should have been gamers.........

 

The AW was a heavy clunker...unless they release it with a very slim form factor with powerful innards, then it's not worth it. I am a creative professional and I found it to be impractical (tried it at a sonystyle store). A 16.4 inch is the perfect size for many applications.

 

So that's it ? No more AW, no more 18.4" screen I cant believe that Sony stopped this line.

 

I don't think anybody knows for certain whether they stopped the AW or not. I think there is still space above the F-series, for a max performance true desktop replacement with a larger screen and all, with a desktop like max performance i7 CPU et al. We'll know for certain over the next month or so.

As it stands, going by the specs of the FW, one could be forgiven for feeling that the AW has been replaced by the FW - obviously with a (relatively) much smaller form factor.

 

I was looking at the AW as I like the very large screen for an around the house laptop. I was waiting for an update with faster processor and ram.

I have to believe if there was an AW replacement anywhere close to ready that they would have shown it at CES. Makes me think that 16.4" is it for now at least.

 

Not necessarily. The annual PMA show (for professional photographers) is coming next month, which is where laptops with high-end processing power for photoprocessing etc are displayed and Sony could very well be waiting for it, before unveiling their A-series (assuming that is what they would call their AW-series' replacement).

 

there will be a 17.3" model.

 

Do you have any more info?

 

nothing much, it will come in about a month from now probably, not en of january like most of new models.

 

I say February their will be more models, it would be great to see SLI ATI and or a single 5870 and like the original RGB LED screen.

 

They discontinued the entire line. I called Sony to inquire about buying 8 VAIO VGN-AW290s and a representative told me the sad news.

Not to be an arse (or worse, a fanboy), but I really doubt you're a "creative professional", let alone someone who has actually touched a Sony machine from the AW line. For their size and range of features, not even the much-vaunted Apple Macbooks could touch them for performance, quality, and especially style.

True, the AW's are big laptops at 18", but they were hardly "clunky".

Besides, if a person is at all accustomed to working with real media production equipment, the AW line would be among the least "clunky" piece he/she could work with.

 

I want to know!

Set my heart free!!

 

I know they discontinued the AW series but will it re-appear as the "A-series" ? There was a post from someone else who seem to indicate that a 17.5" screen might be forthcoming, which of course as all rumors go, will need to be taken with several pinches of salt.

 

It was redundant alongside the FW. Let's be honest.

 

I'll disagree with you. The difference between a 16.4 and 18.4" screen is quite substantial in terms of screen area especially with these new wide format screens.

Its so frustrating trying to use the internet with smaller wide wide format monitors. I really prefer the older format for internet use but not much out there anymore.

 

To me the AW190 I bought instead of the FW series not only asthetically looked better, but the USB placement ( 1 on the left, 2 on the right instead of all 3 on the right ) was more convenient. Also, the keypad area was used more effectively, unlike the FW having so much unused space on each end. And having the 18.4 " screen made more sense being that this is more of a desktop replacement computer, and at half the weight of a real desktop pc. So if anything, the AW is an improvement over the FW. They should have further advanced the AW series, improved on the NW series since that is close to the FW in screen size and of course now the F series, and just phased out the FW and not even made the F. Just sayin'.

 

I still believe that AW was a great model and they are going to support it with the updated model.

 

Ye, there is a chance of a Sony Vaio A coming that is also 18 inch and also a Sony Vaio N that is 15 inch but they may be canceled and that will depend on Sony

 

By the time you hit 18" you might as well get a desktop or real hot rod type of laptop. That is the real competion there. And at that point, a heavily priced Sony pretty-boy is not all that competitive. Besides the FW series always had the better screen anyway.

On a more philosophical note, you only have to look at how apple dominates profitabiliy in the laptop business with just 4 or 6 models, well spaced apart in size. And none above 17". It's quite instructive. The days of all these PC laptop makers offering a gazillion units of mininla differentiation has to end. You can do business a lot more effciently with a lot less units - the key is making those units better in quality, better supported and more desireable.

This is the real path forward for the PC industry, not same old losing game of flooding the market with so many units that overlap too closely.

So for me, yes, I would offer a 16" or 17" and stop there. I would not have both that an an 18".

 

Going to a "non-standard" size like an 18.4" is that even minor things like bags that can hold such a large size are extremely limited, unlike say the "standard" 17" or 15.4" etc that have a TON of options.

However, I agree that the sheer pleasure of using one definitely exceeds the pleasure of using smaller screens. Bottomline, an 18.4" is closer to a desktop during usage, while retaining the ability of a laptop to be unplugged for at least a certain duration.

 

As I said...17.3 models are coming in february...18.4 is probably gone.

 

That is very interesting! How would they profile such a vaio? With only 0.9" difference it must be targeted at something specific to differentiate it from the F-series? Especially since the F-series seems to have such a wide range of usage?

 

Maybe go all-out from a specs standpoint in the 17.3" version ? 16GB RAM, high-end graphics card, top-end Quad-core i7 processor (920xm) and so on......

 

Just read in russian article that no anymore AW or 18" screen notebook from Sony..Sony has canceled this line completely

http://mobile-review.com/articles/2010/sony-vaio-2010.shtml

 

Maybe it did not sell enough to keep the line open. It definitely had its share of admirers who just loved the high quality screen and just enjoy working with the machine, but unfortunately, there were probably not enough of them.

 

Don't worry guys ..
the successor coming up of AW and it will be A- series .. I bet
That will be most powerful top laptop on the earth

 

I bet it stars with a letter E

 

no before was FW and new is ..... F
now new model after AW will be ... A tadaaaaa

 

The new Sony AW replacement begins with the letter "M"!

http://www.sonyinsider.com/2010/01/25/new-vaio-m-series-spotted/