We recently reported that Sony had added a new Vaio P model to their site, which listed the netbook like laptop with a 1.6GHz processor and 128GB SSD for $1500. Well today we can report that the mini laptop is available to pre-order with higher specs and a higher price. Sony have recently released their Signature Collection of Vaio notebooks which includes the Vaio P. Each notebook has a limited quantity, with the Vaio P currently at 1000 units left. The Signature Collection Vaio P comes in a glossy black. Specs wise it has 2GB of RAM, 1.86GHz CPU and an SSD with 256GB. The higher, more reasonable specifications however don’t come at a reasonable price. The Vaio P699E/Q is priced at $2000.
UQ Communications and Sony Japan are currently working on bringing the WiMax technology to the Vaio P. UQ WiMax is only available in Japan, so a WiMax Sony Vaio P will be limited to Japan only. The companies are working on getting WiMax built into the Pocketable notebook. Currently there’s no estimated release date, or even a time frame yet, but we’ll keep you informed of any updates.
Likewise, also only in Japan, the Sony Vaio P has been fitted with the latest and fastest Atom processor, the 2GHz Z550. A forum member of Pocketables has already got hold of the latest upgraded Vaio P and bench marked it. The Vaio P has previously been benchmarked with the prior options. The results are almost twice as much compared to the entry level Vaio. It seems that it’s still the SSD which makes the most impact.
A while back we reported on a hack which enabled HSDPA on the Sony Vaio P. The hack only worked on US models of the P and with AT&T and T-Mobile sim cards. Today we can report that, thanks to DC-unlocker and Conics.net, non US models can also be hacked. The hack allows the Globetrotter MO40x modem to be unlocked and display the connected sim as being connected through HSDPA. For the time being, the DC-unlocker hack only works on non US models, as the US Vaio P’s contain a different chipset.
Currently, Sony’s Vaio P “not a netbook” netbook features fairly low specs for the price, and it wouldn’t hurt if it received any upgrades of some sort within the next 6 months. Fortunately, it looks like this is exactly what Sony has in mind, as six new model numbers of the Vaio P have reportedly been spotted, with upgrades along the lines of using a better processor, RAM or larger SSD drive. The new Vaio P’s ought to still be called Sony Vaio Ps, but there will be three models according to the leak, which are the P710, P730A and P730T. Overall, these different models don’t look like they’ll differ much in terms of features, but will be available in different colors. Sony hasn’t confirmed any of the above information, but check back here for an update regarding this rumor within the next few weeks.
Quick confession: I’m a fan of Sony’s instant-on mode for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. With a push of a button, I can go ahead and access all my favorite games and media in mere seconds. So I was a bit surprised and glad to hear that Sony has implemented the same technology on the Sony Vaio P. The Vaio P’s instant-mode gives users the ability to browse the Web on a Firefox-based web browser, access photos, videos and music, make VoIP calls with a built-in version of Skype, and chat with their buddies using the inbuilt Pidgin instant messenger. Above is a video demonstrating how it works, courtesy of UMPC portal.
It seems Sony’s not the only one who thinks taking out the trackpad completely and using an ultra-wide widescreen display are the next big trends in ultraportable computer technology. Pictured above, a small bronze notebook that looks just like the Sony Vaio P, only it’s from Lenovo, and it hasn’t been announced officially yet. Whether this photo is showing us only a prototype or a full working product cannot be determined, but we sure hope it packs at least some decent specs under the hood besides its decidedly wide display and roomy keyboard with an integrated green trackpoint (upper right corner). We’ll be on the lookout for more info on this thing and will update you when necessary.
While there are three different configuration of the Sony Vaio P available all over the world, recently published benchmarks show that these don’t differ much in reality. They’re only remarkable differences, in fact, lie in their disk drives instead of their differently configured Atom processors. You can use the above pictured stats for reference. This was first posted by Pocketables, gathered from users of their forums.
As promised, tnkgrl has come through with a handy little hack that will let you add HSDPA to your cute Sony Vaio P. The speeds look great, and the Vaio P probably performs just as good as any other HSDPA-enabled portable computer after this mod. If you’ve got time over the weekend with nothing else to do and have a Vaio P, this mod is worth checking out. Especially since that SIM card slot is disabled, and all.
Ever wondered how the Sony Vaio P will perform with Windows XP instead of Vista? Well, wonder no more, and head on over to tnkgrl’s blog for a set of screenshots and a link instructions for making it work. So far, tnkgrl claims to have made the WWAN and GPS radios to work, and she has her eyes set on modding it for HSDPA. If you are curious to find out what else tnkgrl is up to with her Sony Vaio P, check out the link below for more details.
As a gesture of kindness, Verizon is offering a $200 rebate for early adopters of the Sony Vaio P who shelled out nearly $1000 for this new pocket-sized computer. This rebate comes standard with every Sony Vaio P purchase that requires a 2-year contract with Verizon Wireless. And it should be noted that purchases made after March 31st aren’t qualified for the rebate. That brings down the Sony Vaio P’s price to only $699, but that’s definitely still a lot of money to most people. Do you think that’s a fair enough deal?
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