CES 2009: Sony launches 3G ultraportable laptop
Sony have launched the latest in their popular Vaio range this afternoon, with the P Series ‘Lifestyle PC’ AKA pretty coloured laptops. There’s built-in GPS, an 8-inch LCD screen, which is wider than your average, to minimise the need for horizontal scrolling, and the ability to masquerade as a business envelope in terms of size. Sony are taking a not too subtle dig at the netbook market with this new model, and it looks like if you’re after a lightweight, sturdy model, this is a serious contender, albeit it a seriously more pricey contender.
As for the 3G element, there was no mention of markets outside the US – here in the UK we’ve already got a few cheaper models toting 3G from the likes of Vodafone and 3, so you’ll have to stay tuned to see if they can find a Verizon equivalent.
In terms of operating system, it runs Windows Vista, although you can boot it up in Sony’s XCrossMediaBar mode, which allows fast access to functionality such as IM and internet browsing. It’s packing an Atom processor, a 60GB HDD and 2GB of RAM.
It’s available to pre-order now, for £849. So yeah, it’s no netbook.
