If you won’t argue about the logic behind a Rs 42,000 worth sub-notebook, then you might appreciate the latest Sony Vaio P. Even though the body is mostly plastic, it still feels strong enough. Best described as a cross between a smartphone and notebook, the Vaio P is just 19.8 mm thick and weighs less than 600 grams. Sony ditched the trackpad, leaving just a nub nestled in the middle of the keyboard for cursor control, which takes a little practice to master.
The 8-inch 16:9 widescreen renders clear images and runs at a resolution of 1600x768 pixels which, although an impressive technical feat, will leave many users squinting at the screen. Since Vaio’s chassis isn’t designed to be opened and serviced by the owner, it would be very difficult to upgrade the netbook hardware by yourself. The 2 GB of system RAM is pretty much soldered to the motherboard and like other netbooks, the machine requires intricate disassembly in order to get to the storage drive, system RAM, or wireless cards. The P-series sports two USB ports and a combination HDMI/port extender. Sony provides a small extender to add video and wired Ethernet ports in the sales package too.
Vaio P sports 1.6GHz CPU (that’s an Intel Atom) and 128GB solid state drive instead of a hard disk drive, like most netbooks. A Windows Vista on Vaio P almost dampens the entire beauty of this ultraportable. It takes over a minute to load the Vista’s desktop and another minute to begin surfing the web. To make things worse, once you instal Microsoft Office (or similar utility software) and start using Vista’s widget bar, it adds at least 15 to 20 seconds more before getting the full potential out of Vaio P.
Nearly all of the Intel Atom-based netbooks produce a reasonable amount of heat while running and Sony Vaio P is no exception. Under normal conditions such as surfing the web, typing a document, or downloading email attachments, exterior temperatures remained at acceptable levels. But if you are watching a movie or listening to music, then the netbook needs to be stationed on a table.
For those with the money to spare and the need of a functional ultraportable notebook that can slip into a large coat pocket, this could be a winner. We guarantee that if you pull this out of your pocket at a meeting it will definitely get you envious glances.
Promising to give the Sony Vaio P competition is the HP Mini-Note 2133 that shares Sony’s striking looks. HP Mini-Note measures 10.0 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches and weighs around 1.2 kg. With a 1.6 GHz VIA processor, up to a 120 GB hard drive, 2 GB of RAM, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0, Mini matches up to Vaio on hardware.
Design glitches like mouse buttons that are positioned vertically to the left and right of the touchpad can be awkward to use. The Mini-Note did take over a minute to load Vista but it ran multiple applications without a hiccup. The machine also generates heat but it does not get hot and definitely not uncomfortable. Prices start at Rs 20,000, depending on the hardware configuration. Yes, it still is pricier than Asus netbooks, but HP 2133 Mini-Note offers an adult-size keyboard and is solidly-built.
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