Sony readies revamped netbook
Retailers reveal all
Sony looks set to replace its Vaio W netbook series with a new model based on the latest Atom chip series.
A number of UK retailers - check out Tesco or Dabs, for exmaple - have begun listing the Sony Vaio M, in particular the M11M1E/B.
Sony's Vaio W: set to be replaced this month...
The spec is standard fare for an early 2010 netbook: 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 1GB of DDR 2 memory, 250GB hard drive, and a 10.1in, 1024 x 600 display.
The M also comes with 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1. It will come as no surprise whatsoever that it will ship with Windows 7 Starter Edition.
Prices range from £305 to £350, depending on which retailer you look at, and while everyone is listing the machine(s) as out of stock, some say it will be available on 16 March.
...buy this?
Sony itself currently lists all but one version of its £300-350 (depending on model) Vaio W as "temporarily unavailable".
Expect the new machine to come in a range of colours. ®
COMMENTS
Unless
"Oh, and the next "modern" machine I see with a modem needs to go in the blender - waste of space and power"
Unless, you're a Road Warrior. You know, the kind that may need to make (or receive) a fax whilst in <enter a random nowhere-ville location here> for business reasons. You know, the type that might be in to the ultra-portable and light, but cheap for the beancounter's approval, type laptop.
Never buy a Sony laptop
My experience with a Sony Vaio laptop has been-
1. First one was DOA.
2. Second one worked, but fit and finish was poor and had dead pixels. I kept it. Didn't have a choice.
3. Poor warranty and poor service support. Also no driver updates.
4. Ended up selling it and buying a Thinkpad as a replacement.
It has been quite a few years ago, but the experience was bad enough that I will never buy another Sony computer.
Why?
Like they have said before me the screen is rubbish.
My HP DM 1010sa has a 11.6" tft with 1366*768 and thats just about right for the panel size.
And the DM looks better than this and only was £349 when i got it.
Fail well it is a Sony
Based on my Sony experiences...
Won't this be loaded with bloatware, trialware, crapware, etc etc as is traditional for Sony computing products?
Yes, experiences is in the plural, as I didn't learn my lesson with them the first two times.
See the camera?
See the camera? Recall the school that installed secret software to turn on the camera and peer into the homes of it's students?
Recall how Germany approved the installation of remote software trojans to spy on people.
That's a nice shutter free camera you got there, and a nice mic. How long before spying software is found on mobile phones, and laptops and someone in power is defending it's use?
