Sony VAIO P Series (with video) review

Let's get ultraportable...

Since it's launch at this year's CES Sony has been keen to stress that its VAIO P-Series is definitely not a netbook but an ultraportable PC. The P stands for portable and we’re in full agreement that no recent laptop comes close to matching the P-series when it comes to mobility.

Weighing in at just 625g, it’s considerably lighter and more compact than any current laptop or netbook. Despite being small and light enough to fit in the back pocket of your jeans, the quality of the build is excellent. Available in pearly white, bottle green, red and black you’ll find glossy and sturdy plastics in place. At 21mm in depth, it’s also one of the thinnest laptops available and skims 9mm off the Samsung NC10.

- Watch our hands-on video and pics of the P-Series

The 8-inch screen is more distinctive than the current crop of netbooks, with the widest aspect ratio we’ve seen. It features a resolution of 1600 x 768 – with images appearing considerably sharper than even the most high-end ultraportables. There’s enough space to work with a number of windows open simultaneously, although text and icons may appear too small for some users.

With an integrated Intel graphics card, don’t expect outstanding 3D performance, but to be honest who would with the 8-inch screen? Power-wise the P-Series has three hours of battery life with the bog-standard battery pack, but there is also an optional additional pack which would boost the juice up to eight hours. On the subject of battery life, another nifty feature that the P-series sports is the Xross Media Bar that owners of the PlayStation and PSP will be familiar with. Skim through the icons to browse the web, use the laptop as a media player or scroll through your pics without booting up the whole laptop. Handy if you’re on the move and a bit low on battery. We were able to watch movie clips with ease on the hoof, although performance dropped off with all Aero effects turned on in Windows Vista.

One of the things that will get VAIO users thanking their Sony god is the keyboard. Considering its size, it’s excellent. Using the responsive isolated keys inspired by Apple’s MacBook is quite unlike grappling with the clunky ASUS Eee PC’s keyboard. Although there isn’t as much travel as on larger laptops, the keys move with precision and offer faultless usability.

There’s no touchpad though, as the ultra-widescreen layout leaves no space for a palm rest. Instead, the P-series is controlled via a pointing stick. This can be over sensitive at times and with a brush of the finger the mouse does tend to zoom across the screen.

The main giveaway that the P-Series may indeed be more of a netbook than a notebook is the processing power. You won’t find a ULV Intel Core 2 Duo processor, but instead an Intel Atom chip. Running at 1.33GHz, it’s backed by 2048MB of memory, offering enough power for regular office tasks. Storage space comes from a 1.8-inch 60GB hard drive, with a 128GB solid state drive offered on the top of the range model.

On first look another disappointment is the lack of ports on the P-Series. The two USB ports are in-keeping with other ultraportable VAIOs, but there’s no display-out, modem or Ethernet connection. But, clever little Sony supply the P-Series with the VAIO port that adds Ethernet and VGA to the lappies list of goodies. Another feature in keeping with the sleek feel of VAIO’s is the inbuilt 3G connectivity, just nip to your local SIM distributor purchse a 3G SIM, slot it in the back and you’re away. Other wireless connectivity are also impressive, with both 802.11n and Bluetooth in place.

The VAIO P-series is a curious machine, with no real rivals. The high-resolution screen and the stunningly usable keybord will appeal to those who find netbooks slightly poky but the whooping price puts it out of anyone’s reach who’s looking for a cheap and cheerful portable notebook. If you’re looking for the ultimate in portability and have a few bankrolls in the coffer, there are few machines that can compete with the P-Series.

Buy one now: SonyStyle
 

Related links:

• New Playstation 3 this autumn?
• Sony NWZ-W202 Walkman MP3 player review

Posted by Rhiain Morgan on 2009-01-27