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Sony joins Netbook game with the Vaio W

Forget Sony's CES protestations that it wasn't interested in doing a Netbook. Forget, even, the impressively overreaching Vaio P ("Don't call it a Netbook!") Lifestyle PC. Sony has finally caved to market demand and is introducing what the company calls, "a chic new line of mini notebooks."

The Sony Vaio W is a 10.1-inch Netbook, with an Intel Atom N280 CPU, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP, and a 160GB hard drive--all fairly common specs for the category. But many laptops with similar specs run $299-$399, while Sony says the Vaio W "will retail for about $500." How does it justify that hefty premium?

It's a gamble, but Sony is attempting to do what many Netbook makers wish they could do--introduce a higher-priced "premium" version of a Netbook. To that end, the Vaio W packs in a higher-resolution screen at 1,366x768. There's also 802.11n Wi-Fi, a separate Memory Stick slot (on top of the standard SD card slot), Bluetooth, and Sony's typical fit and finish, which usually includes excellent keyboards and touchpads.

Sony's proprietary media software should also help the system connect to other DLNA devices easily, including the PlayStation 3.

The Vaio W is 1.3 inches thick, weighs 2.6 pounds, and will come in three colors--berry pink, sugar white, and cocoa brown. If that would make for an awkward conversation with a retail store clerk, you can probably just ask for it in plain old pink, white, or brown, and they'd be able to figure it out. The system is available for pre-order from Sony starting Tuesday, and should be arriving in retail stores sometime next month.

Click through for a couple of additional shots.… Read more

Sony's new Vaio NW series detailed

Sony's press conference earlier today revealed details of the company's Blu-ray strategy and introduced a new laptop in the Vaio NW series. We talked to Sony about the new system a few weeks ago, and here are some details on this Blu-ray equipped 15.5-inch notebook.

The basic NW180J/S is $880 (for $80 less you can skip the Blu-ray drive, but what's the point?), and includes a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a 400GB 5400rpm hard drive, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and a 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4570 graphics … Read more

Sony beefs up Blu-ray strategy

SAN FRANCISCO--Even as Blu-ray Disc and Blu-ray player sales are growing, Sony is looking to build out its larger strategy surrounding the company's high-definition disc products.

At a small press event here Thursday, the company introduced a new feature of BD-Live and a new piece of Blu-ray hardware.

MovieIQ will be included on some high-profile releases from Sony starting in September. It's essentially IMDb live--while a movie is playing, facts about casting, directors, production, and actors' filmographies pop up onscreen. It's powered not by IMDb, but by Gracenote, creators of CDDB, which Sony purchased just over a year ago.

It's the kind of feature intended to keep people from pausing a movie and hopping online to ask questions like, "I totally recognize that actress, but from what movie?" It's also meant to build on the inherent capability of Blu-ray players that have Internet access. Sony has tried to do this by allowing BD-Live access to exclusive trailers and some trivia games, but MovieIQ seems like something that users would engage with repeatedly, not something they'd just use once and forget about.

A senior Sony exec at the event, Tracy Garvin, called MovieIQ the "first killer-app for BD-Live." That sounded like an admission that none of the BD-Live features thus far have been all that compelling.

It's clear Sony is still in the process of fine-tuning its BD-Live strategy.… Read more

Sony's updated all-in-one continues to impress

We posted a review of Sony's Vaio JS250J all-in-one Thursday afternoon, and you can read all about it here. The system hasn't changed much from the model we reviewed last September. What's probably more interesting is how the rest of the all-in-one market has caught up to Sony.

As with Sony's original $1,000 or so Vaio all-in-one, we still think the JS250J is the best all-around Windows-based all-in-one. Apple's updated 20-inch iMac distances itself from Sony with its performance, but without a Blu-ray drive Apple can't compete with the Sony's versatility as … Read more

AMD cites chips that don't do Windows 7 'XP mode'

Select processors from Advanced Micro Devices do not support Windows 7 "XP mode" though, like Intel, the vast majority of shipping processors do support XP mode.

Microsoft describes XP mode on its Web site as follows: "As part of the upcoming Windows 7 Release Candidate milestone, Microsoft will release a beta version of Windows XP Mode, which allows users of Windows 7 Professional and above to launch many older Windows XP productivity applications directly from their Windows 7 desktop. The Windows XP Mode stand-alone feature is specifically designed to help small businesses that are using Windows XP … Read more

Some Intel chips don't support Windows 7 'XP mode'

Updated on May 6 at 6:35 p.m. PDT with additional comments from Intel.

A small brouhaha is erupting over Windows 7 and Intel processors. The hubbub is centered on which Intel processors will not support "XP mode" in Windows 7 and, by extension, which PCs will not support XP mode. Retail laptops may be one of the most prominent segments affected.

What is XP Mode? Here's how Ina Fried of CNET News describes it: "XP mode consists of two things, the Windows Virtual PC engine and a licensed copy of Windows XP Service Pack … Read more

Sony's crocodile skin Vaio has teeth

When I heard Sony Japan had updated its Vaio C laptop series with pink crocodile skin, I was extremely concerned. However, upon viewing pictures of the product, I kind of want one. Which concerns me even more, as generally I am morally opposed to pink gadgets.

Animal lovers needn't worry--no pink crocodiles were harmed in the making of this laptop. Sony used plastic to reproduce the crocodile effect, and the bumpy texture looks surprisingly authentic.

The exclusive Vaio Owner Made edition will also come in brown and red when it becomes available on April 18 in Japan for $1,… Read more