In order to make the VAIO Z so thin, engineers had to change the approach to how your laptop is put together. Instead of stacking parts, like is common on most notebooks, the VAIO Z keeps things flat. This spread out design makes it possible to go thinner than before.

Sony has included a dual fan setup as well in order to keep the notebook cooler and shrink the size of the notebook.

As it turns out, heat is a major issue that prevents notebooks from going as thin as the components can go. To make the Z thinner, Sony added multiple vents, including holes in the keyboard to aid cooling.

The video is pretty interesting if you’ve ever wondered what it looks like inside an ultraportable notebook.

The VAIO Z comes with a price premium, but may show more than you expect about the future of computing. As prices come down, you too may have an ultraportable notebook with the basic power you need, that can be docked at home to power big displays and multimedia needs.

Given Intel’s push for the Ultrabook, we may start seeing more thin notebooks which will need to take advantage of similar strategies to offer a cool notebook experience. Intel’s Ultrabook fund could help make this a reality. Unlike the VAIO Z, which is $2,000, the Ultrabooks are expected to be under $1,000 when they arrive this year.

Because you shouldn’t leave something so expensive in pieces, Sony has also showed us how the VAIO Z gets assembled in this short video.

Sony VAIO Z Teardown Video Shows Tech Inside Super Thin Notebook is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The Sony Vaio Z connects to the Power Media Dock to power up to 4 Displays.

Sony has crammed a collection of great specs into the thin and light frame of the VAIO Z starting with a 2.7GHz Intel Core i7 processor capable of TurboBoost speeds of 3.4GHz, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. The 13″ display comes standard with a 1600 x 900 resolution, but if you can’t settle for anything less than 1080P Sony also has you covered with an upgraded display option. A backlit keyboard, optional 3G, 1.3MP webcam and HDMI out round out the internal specs. Sony claims 7 hours of battery life with the built in battery, but offers a sheet battery which will stretch your computing time out to the 14 hour mark.

The Sony Vaio Z Power Media Dock delivers more power when you are at home.

At first glance the VAIO Z looks like another MacBook Air competitor trying to out-spec Apple’s most popular notebook, but when you take a look at the dock you’ll see why Sony thinks you’ll choose the VAIO Z over the competition. When you return home from your road trip, where thin and light are most important, you can plug the VAIO Z external dock into the Light Peak (Thunderbolt) port on your VAIO Z to gain access to a Blu-Ray Player, AMD Radeon HD 6650M graphics with 1GB RAM and a slew of connections including HDMI, VGA, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0.

The dock can power 4 monitors at once including the notebook display, which is a big deal for power users. Sadly the Light Peak connection uses a Sony specific connector so you won’t be able to enjoy the new Thunderbolt accessories, whenever they make it to market.

The VAIO Z is thinner than the MacBook Air, but just barely with a thickness of 16.65mm compared to the MacBook Air’s 17mm body. The VAIO Z is also lighter, weighing in at 2.64 pounds compared to 2.91 on the MacBook Air 13″.

Hands on with the Vaio Z and Power Media Dock

We expect to see the Sony VAIO Z go on sale in July in the U.S. Currently UK readers can pre-order the VAIO Z, which is available for roughly $1,835 and an additional $500 for the dock. If you want the higher end 1080P model prepare to sacrifice your car down payment to come up with the $3,000 estimated price, but at least that includes the dock.

Sony Vaio Z: Thinner Than MacBook Air, External Dock with Powerful GPU is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Sony VAIO E Series

The Sony VAIO E Series update includes new processor options, allowing users to pick between the latest Intel 2nd Gen Core i3 or Core i5 Intel processors and the AMD Fusion E-350 dual-core fusion processors which pack in a very capable AMD Mobility Radeon HD6130 GPU to handle graphics. You can pick up a VAIO C notebook in 14″, 15.5″ or 17.3″ sizes to fit your needs. The color options include midnight blue, glacier white, charcoal black and blush pink, but the 17.3″ VAIO C will only be available in black or white.

The cases of these computers have an interesting geometric pattern on the lid and wrist rest that grabs attention, which Sony says will make the notebooks fingerprint resistant.

In addition to color enhancements the E Series now have keyboards that span edge to edge, with the larger models packing a dedicated number pad. Sony describes the touchpad as dimpled,  meaning it is recessed into the wrist rest with two buttons in front of the pad.

Three hardware buttons on the E Series will engage WEB, VAIO and ASSIST functions. They three functions do the following:

• WEB – access to the Internet without having to boot into Windows
• VAIO – loads the Sony Media Gallery software which plays various kinds of media
• ASSIST – takes you to the VAIO Care support system

Sony is aiming these notebooks at the average user who wants to do basic tasks , with the ability to also deliver on the entertainment experience. The computers can be connected to an HD TV for 1080p HD movies via a HDMI cable. There will be an option for Remote Keyboard function that interfaces with Sony branded TVs, Blu-ray players to control them and there will be Remote Play for connecting to a Sony PlayStation 3 so that you can access the multimedia content on your PS3 using the notebook through the Internet while away from the gaming system.

Other features include:

• LED backlit LCD
• Built-in mic
• Web camera with face tracking

Pricing and Availability

These VAIO E Series computers will start at around $550. You can pre-order one starting on June 19 at Sony’s Website. Sony Stores and other major retailers will be carrying them in the next month.

Sony VAIO C Series

For users that want a more portable solution, with the ability to add a Blu-Ray drive, Sony offers the refreshed VAIO C notebooks which come in 14″ and 15.5″ sizes. Along with new spec options, which include Intel Core i3 and Core i5 Sandy Bridge processors, the VAIO C notebooks can now by purchased  in Neon Red and Thunder Blue.

Graphics will be powered by the AMD Radeon HD 6630M 1GB Hybrid GPU on higher end models. This graphics processor will give you pretty good performance and thanks to the hybrid system decent battery life when you don’t need the horsepower. Sony promises up to nine hours of battery life on the smaller 14 inch system, while the larger 15.5 inch C Series will give you up to eight hours. Even if we discount the battery ratings to two-thirds, the promised battery life is still quite good.

On certain “Signature Collection” models Sony will include their Imagination Studio Suite 2 VAIO Edition which is optimized to handle multimedia editing  for users who want to get creative with pictures, audio and video.

If you get the Intel WiDi adapter along with your C Series laptop, you will enjoy wireless HD video streamed to your HD TV set. The computers also sport the following:

• Backlit keyboard, with a number pad on larger models
• HD web camera with Exmore sensor technology
• The same three shortcut buttons for WEB, VAIO and ASSIST mentioned above

Pricing and Availability

Like the E Series, you can pre-order The VAIO C notebook in Thunder Blue at Sony.com on June 19 starting at $730. This Thunder Blue model will also arrive at many retail locations in June.

The Neon Red VAIO C will come out later this summer, with availability at the following stores:

• ABT Electronics
• B&H Photo
• Fry’s Electronics
• J&R Electronics
• MicroCenter
• Nebraska Furniture Mart
• Sony Stores

Sony VAIO E and VAIO C Notebooks Gain Faster Processors, Brighter Colors is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

More important than the layout, is the fact that you will be able to go hand son with all of the Sony notebooks from the 3D Sony VAIO F, to the bright VAIO CB notebooks; they are all there for you to play with. On top of the various notebooks, there will also be a wide selection of accessories, keyboard skins and colors for you to see.

Sony Store VAIO Display

The ability to touch, feel and test drive the high end, and expensive, Sony notebooks is a big plus since Sony relies on standing out with premium materials and looks. With the prices easily jumping over the $1,000 mark and higher the need for retail stores is stronger for Sony.

Sony Store Headphone Demo Station

In addition to notebooks, we were overjoyed to see the wall of headphones which Sony has installed. When you visit, you can listen to any Sony headphone on a Walkman, or on your own device, to see if it is music to your ears.

The new look launches today in Los Angeles and Sony is celebrating with over 100 prizes including a Sony VAIO notebook. The design will eventually roll out to other Sony Style stores, giving Sony faithful a place to go and try ou the latest goods.

Via Sony Blog

New Sony Stores Let You Play with Notebooks, Try Out Everything is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The new notebooks come in an array of sizes and include the incredibly bright neon colors of the Sony VAIO CA and VAIO CB notebooks which were announced juts recently. The new VAIO notebooks available for purchase include the following models. You can click on the links to get more info on each model from our previous coverage, including easy to read features, specs and capabilities.

• Sony VAIO S – 13.3″ – Starting at $969
• Sony VAIO CA – 14″ – Starting at $899
• Sony VAIO CB – 15.5″ Starting at $879
• Sony VAIO F – 16″ 3D – Starting at $1,659

All of these new Sony notebooks use the latest Intel 2nd Generation Core i family of processors which include the graphics chip as a part of the main processor. This means that users get a much nicer graphics and multimedia experience without upgrading to a separate graphics card.

With the new Intel Core i 2nd Generation processors, you should be able to play many mainstream games on these notebooks as well as convert video to playback on your iPhone or other device much faster. Select models have WiDi 2.0 which will allow you to stream tot he big screen without any wires, as long as you have a Wireless Display 2.0 Adapter which retails for about $99.

The Sony VAIO F 3D notebook is a new entrant into the 3D notebook market and in addition to playing back 3D Blu-Ray movies, it can convert 2D HD video into 3D with a push of the 3D button on the VAIO F. This notebook comes with one pair of 3D glasses to get you started.

The Sony VAIO S notebook is a new ultraportable from Sony that packs in Blu-Ray options, high end Intel processors, WiDi and USB 3.0 into a small package. The battery can last up to 15 hours with the optional slice battery.

The Sony VAIO CA and VAIO CB notebooks include capable processors and graphics cards as well as the extras like WiDi 2.0 and can even be configured with an HD screen if you want the option. These notebooks are most well known for the bright orange and bright green finishes, though you can opt for a more toned down black or white.

All of these notebooks area available in the Sony Style store today. Some of these notebooks are still listed as pre-order, but should be available to ship shortly.

Sony VAIO F S and C Notebooks Now Available w/ new Intel Processors is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The Vaio YB VPCYB15KX/P has a 1.6GHz AMD Fusion dual core E-350 processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB hard drive and Gigabit Lan, WiFi B/G/N as well as Bluetooth 2.1 and HDMI out. The 11.6″ display has a 1366 x 768 resolution and the mini laptop is rated for 6 hours of battery life with the standard battery. You can purchase an extended battery for $249, which will extend your battery life to 13 hours, based on the claims from Sony.

The VAIO YB can be purchased in silver or pink and comes with a backlit keyboard that will make typing in dimly lit environments a breeze.

With a small screen and a weight of 3.23 pounds this device is pretty portable and should be able to provide users with an adequate mobile computing experience. We are looking forward to getting out hands on the device soon and will share our impressions of the Sony VAIO YB.

The VAIO YB on sale at Amazon has only 2GB of RAM, but maintains the rest of the specs. The VAIO YB isn’t yet shipping if ordered from Amazon, but we expect that to change soon.

Sony YB AMD Fusion 11.6″ Notebook Up For Sale at $600 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The Sony VAIO EB series of laptops recently received an upgrade and Sony sent us over the VAIO VPC-EB33FM/BJ to test out. This 15.5″ laptop comes with a Sony styling, the latest Intel Core i3 processor and some extras like Intel Wireless Display for streaming content wirelessly to your HDTV with a WiDi adapter ($99). In our testing we found that the Sony VAIO EB is a very capable laptop that delivers on many fronts including price. The VPC-EB33FM/BJ is available from Best Buy for $599 online though inexplicably for $649 in store.

Sony Vaio EB VPC-EB33FM/BJ Quick Specs: This specific VAIO EB series laptop comes with a 2.4GHZ Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, a 500GB hard drive as well as Intel WiDi and 4G networking where available (with additional fees). This model also comes with a Dual Layer DVD drive (read and write) and a webcam with built in microphone. Our test machine had a Blu-Ray combo drive and the larger 500GB hard drive, but you’ll find the model configured in most stores with a 320GB hard drive and no Blu-Ray

Who is this Notebook for? This specific laptop is a good fit for a home or student user who wants a laptop that is durable with enough power to handle most needs including getting work done and entertaining. With the inclusion of 4G WiMax you can get connected on the go, but you will need to pay for it and it is not available in all locations, so don’t make that a primary buying decision unless you plan already live in a location with WiMax and plan to use it. If you do want 4G you can save $100 on this laptop if you activate in store at Best Buy.

Design and Build: As with many of the Sony notebooks we have had hands on time with the VAIO EB Series has a very good feel to it. The laptop feels quite sturdy with little flex on the display when we put pressure on the rear. The hinges on the VAIO EB were sufficiently strong that the screen was held in place when open and also when closed.  Overall it is quite a stylish and sturdy feeling laptop which should serve owners well even during the stresses of use in a college setting. The matte black lid will attract fingerprints, but not nearly as bas as a glossy display like does.

Sony VAIO EB VPC-EB33FM/BJ Review: Great Package for Under $600 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Sony VAIO EC Series (VPCEC3BFX/BJ) Quick Specs:

The VAIO EC series can be configured with up to an Intel Core i5-580M processor, or on a budget configured like our model with a dual core Intel Pentium P6100 2.0GHx processor. Our model also comes with 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5740GPU, Blu-Ray Drive and a Motion Eye Webcam. This notebook has a 17.3″ display with a lovely 1600 x 900 resolution that lets you do more on screen.

Our review unit retails for $839. If you order right now you can save up to $848 in upgrades including a free Adobe Bundle.

Who is this Notebook For?

This notebook is a good fit for home or school users who don’t need a machine to take to class on an everyday basis, but are simply looking for something to take from room to room or around the dorm. The model we reviewed has a dual core Pentium processor which isn’t the latest and greatest, but when paired with the dedicated ATI graphics allows us to edit some photos and short video clips using Microsoft Live Essentials, but it’s not suited for heavy gaming or lots of video work — unless you upgrade to a faster processor.

Build and Design:

The VAIO EC series notebook, like many of the Sony laptops we have had time with shows an obvious thought for how the final product will look. Like the Samsung RF510 we recently reviewed the keyboard area is a slightly different color and texture than the palmrest which gives the notebook a nice upscale look. The build quality of the EC series from Sony is also pretty good. While it isn’t a business class notebook we were happy to find a very strong hinge that keeps the screen where you position it and keeps it closed when carrying it, something that bothered us in our first look at the Lenovo Z360.

Screen:

The screen of the VAIO EC is massive! At 17.3″ and offering a 1600 x 900 resolution we didn’t even need to plug in our external monitor to get work done while comparing web pages and documents side to side. The screen is glossy like you will find on most consumer notebooks which means you will need to adjust the display to find a good viewing angle if you are near direct light. The display does get sufficiently bright and in the lowest setting is still usable if you need to conserve battery power.

Side to side viewing angles were pretty good, enough so that you could share a movie from the included Blu-Ray drive with 2-3 friends and wouldn’t have to pick favorites, but the up and down viewing angles were not very good. Thankfully the display tilts back pretty far, so you are able to find an angle that works, but if you are looking down at the notebook from a standing position you will notice that the screen is a bit washed out.

Mouse and Keyboard:

The keyboard on the EC offers a very desirable typing experience with good feedback on an island style keyboard. The keys do have more travel than some keyboards, meaning that you have to push them down a bit further, but it doesn’t detract from the overall typing experience. Thanks to the button placement and a very nice spacing we were able to type almost as fast as we do on keyboards from Lenovo and on the MacBook Air. The keyboard also offers a dedicated number pad which is great if you need to enter numbers into any document on a regular basis.

Unfortunately the mouse experience isn’t nearly as good. There’s no reason that a mouse shouldn’t allow you to scroll using two fingers these days. The mousepad is pretty accurate and didn’t fail during extended use, but the need to search for a scrollbar instead of scrolling wherever is annoying to say the least. If you plan to get a laptop this big you’ll probably use it at a desk, so we recommend that you pick up an external mouse.

Webcam:

The built in webcam on the VAIO EC did a decent job, allowing us to record a short video message in a decently lit room and comes with a few extra tools like tracking which will detect motion and begin recording, the ability to track your face for several in camera functions and more.

Processor and Performance:

The VAIO EC series laptop we reviewed only had a dual core Intel Pentium processor, but it was able to keep up with multitasking. During our review we had Chrome open with 3 tabs, Evernote, Norton and played music in Windows Media player without a stutter. We did notice that it took a couple of seconds longer than we expected to get some programs up and running, but for your average home user the dual core processor and ATI graphics will offer enough power.

Playing back High Def content didn’t give the EC any trouble, even with other programs open int he background. We tested out the 1080P trailer for Big Buck Bunny and found that there wasn’t any stuttering or lag.

Heat and Noise:

This notebook did heat up a bit faster than we expected, but thankfully the heat vents out pretty well. The left side of the notebook, specifically the vent, does get warm and we could detect a slight rise in temperature on the palmrest. The temperature increase wasn’t enough to make use uncomfortable, but it did increase enough on the palmrest that we noticed it and our palms did sweat.  The bottom of the notebook on the other hand, was very cool even after an hour of use.

Sound:

The sound on our review unit was very good providing enough volume to fill a room and spill over into the next without distorting. There was of course not much bass, but we were able to pick out various samples in Girl Talk’s newest mix which samples numerous artists, weaving song into song. The speakers were definitely a standout feature.

Battery:

The battery life on this notebook is just over 2 hours with the screen set at 2/3rds brightness, WiFi web surfing with no peripherals attached. That’s decent given the size of the screen and discrete graphics. Since you will likely be near an outlet while you use this notebook it isn’t as bad as a 2 hour battery life on a 15.6″ or smaller notebook. If you dim the screen all the way you’ll see slightly longer battery life.

Connectivity: The Sony VAIO EC series notebooks have a wide array of ports, thanks in part to the large area to put the ports and connections.

Left (left to right):Power, Ethernet, Vent, VGA, HDMI, eSATA/USB 2.0, Expresscard 34

Right (left to right): USB 2.0, USB 2.0, USB 2.0, Blu-Ray Drive (DVD Burner), Kensington Lock

Front (left to right): Memory Stick Reader SD card reader, Wireless switch, Headphone, Microphone

Software:

While many laptops these days come loaded with crapware the VAIO EC we reviewed was a pleasant surprise. Yes, it did come with a Norton Antivirus trial that wouldn’t leave us alone until we registered or uninstalled it, but the notebook already came with most of my favorite programs installed such as Chrome, Evernote and Skype. This saved me about 15 minutes of setup and provided a much better out of the box experience — one we wish other manufacturers would take note of.

If you order right now you can score a free Adobe Bundle which will include the following apps:

• Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0 - Turn your home videos into professional-looking movies complete with customized effects, transitions, soundtracks and more. Ongoing tutorials and tips & tricks help make it easy.
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0 – Make your photos look extraordinary, fix common problems like red eye, and easily manage and protect all your photos and video clips.
• Adobe Acrobat Standard 9.0 - Create PDF documents, organize content in a single PDF file, quickly create and distribute forms, and share documents more securely.

There is also VAIO Gate, a docking bar that runs across the top of the screen and allows users fast access to applications. It’s not something we found ourselves using, especially with Windows 7′s better taskbar, but some users may like it. Those that don’t can easily disable it.

Value:

While you will pay a bit more here for the Sony name, you do get a good user experience and a sturdy laptop. If you don’t need a laptop to take with you every day and want a few flourishes that you won’t find on a  Black Friday doorbuster the VAIO EC is worth a look.

Conclusion:

Assuming you plan to use the VAIO EC as a desktop replacement and are OK with hooking up an external mouse you this is a decent notebook. Even with a dual core processor it was able to handle anything we tried to do. Combined with the lovely display, capable keyboard, quality sound and nice out of the box experience and you have a large and in charge notebook for the average home user.

Pros:

• Large display with a high resolution
• Good keyboard
• Good Sound
• Good software combo for a better out of the box experience.

Cons:

• Heat on the palmrest
• Low battery Life
• Mousepad is subpar

Sony VAIO EC (VPCEC3BFX/BJ) Detailed Specs:

Sony VAIO EC Series Review (VPCEC3BFX/BJ): Large and in Charge is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The Sony VAIO Signature Fall 2010 Collection includes 10 Sony VAIO Laptops and one Sony All-in-One that combine luxury, special accents, color combinations and specs into a high-end package that definitely stands out.

• Sony VAIO P Black Crocodile – $999
• Sony VAIO P Pink Crocodile – $999
• Sony VAIO Black Limited Edition X – $1,499
• Sony VAIO Gold Limited Edition X – $1,499
• Sony VAIO Limited Edition Z – $4,699
• Sony VAIO Infinite Stripes Limited Edition Z – $2,499
• Sony VAIO Bordeax RedLimited Edition Z – $1,899
• Sony VAIO Sangria Red Limited Edition Y – $749
• Sony VAIO Black Arabesque Limited Edition EA – $969
• Sony VAIO Gold Arabesque Limited Edition EA – $969

Check out all of the VAIO Signature Fall 2010 Collection in pictures below.

via Laptoping

Sony VAIO Signature Fall 2010 Collection Unveiled – Pretty & Pricey is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The dominating news was that RIM had finally launched BlackBerry Tablet. Last week we thought this device might be called the BlackPad, but it turns out that sharper minds prevailed and on September 27th at DEVCON RIM announced the BlackBerry PlayBook.

While no one has yet been able to get an actual hands on with the BlackBerry PlayBook we have collected the best first impressions of the PlayBook from around the web, which include many almost hand’s on or “Eye’s on” reports with the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Acer Winter 2010 Notebook Lineup Unveiled: Acer showed off six new notebooks this week including the small, but Core i7 packing Aspire 1830T.

• Acer TimelineX 1830T 11.6″ Notebook with Core i7 Announced
• Acer Refreshes their TimelineX Series Models with 5820T, 4820T and 3820T
• Acer Updates Aspire 5745 and Aspire 7745 Notebooks with Blu-Ray
• Acer Aspire 5742G with Optimus Announced
• Acer Aspire 5745DG with NVIDIA 3D Vision Announced
• Acer Aspire AS8943G Announced with 2GB ATI Radeon 5850 Graphics

Other New Notebooks for Winter 2010:

• Sony Updates VAIO EA, EB, EC and VAIO F Notebooks for Winter 2010
• Panasonic Announces 12.1″ Business Rugged Toughbook S9 w/ DVD
• LG announces the LG A510 3D Notebook, the Company’s First
• Toshiba Satellite A665 3D Laptop Announced: Upconverts 2D to 3D
• Toshiba Satellite C660 Notebook and Pro C660 Serve Up the Basics for the Common and Business User
• Gateway NV Series Comes with Optional WiMAX and More
• Sony 13-inch VAIO Z Refresh Coming With Core i5 and i7
• Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11 Announced, Reviewed — Sadly Not Available in U.S.

Highlights from Notebooks.com:

• How Android Fragmentation Hurts Regular Users — And Android as a Whole
• Best Buy Launching Free Phone Fridays in October
• Scosche motorMOUTH II: a Bluetooth Hands Free Solution that Uses Your Car Stereo
• Monster and Beats Add new Headphones and a Speaker Dock

Reviews and Guides from Notebooks.com:

• Acer Aspire AS5745PG-3882 Review: Touch Me, Touch Me, Touch Me
• Samsung Fascinate Review Roundup
• iHome iB969 Charging Station Neatly Charges Your Mobile Toys and Tools
• Scosche Universal Dash Mount Holds Your Mobile Phone or GPS In Place

Highlights from GottaBeMobile.com:

• Hello GBM! I am Chris. – Welcoming Chris Leckness to the GBM team!
• HP Exec claims webOS-powered PalmPad coming early 2011
• Are you kidding me? No Windows tablets ’til next year?
• Dell’s 7-inch tablet to launch in next few weeks”

Highlights from our Friends in Tech:

• Asus Eee PC 1015PED review – Liliputing
• Advertisers: We Know Where You Are, Thanks to Android – JKOnTheRun
• Sunny Days: Staying Connected with the Monaco Solar Cell Charger – LaptopThoughts

Notebooks.com Week in Review PlayBook and Winter Notebooks October 1 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.