January 7, 2009 4:15 PM PST

The Sony P-series Lifestyle PC: Just don't call it a Netbook

by Dan Ackerman
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Much like Apple, Sony likes to keep its Vaio products aimed at mid-to-high-end buyers and generally eschews the budget end of the market (although there are actually a handful of sub-$600 Vaios we've reviewed fairly favorably).

When it comes to Netbooks, it's no different; Sony's entry into the very hot minilaptop category shares a lot with Netbooks such as the Dell Mini 9 or Asus Eee PC, but clearly goes out of its way to avoid being lumped in with them.

The P-series Lifestyle PC is one of the smallest laptops we've seen; it is almost similar to a UMPC, but with a traditional clamshell laptop design. The widescreen 8-inch 1600x768 display and tiny keyboard make for a form factor that has roughly the same footprint as a standard white business envelope, and is less than 1-inch thick, weighing 1.4 pounds.

To fit a reasonably full-featured PC into a chassis this small, some sacrifices had to be made, and we're worried the lack of a standard touch pad (instead there's a ThinkPad-like pointing stick), will keep this new system from being as useful as it could be. It does, however, include a 3G mobile broadband antenna, 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth, with mobile broadband service provided by Verizon.

Like several other laptops we've seen recently, there's a pre-Windows instant-on operating system, which uses the familiar Sony cross-media bar menu found on the PlayStation 3 and handheld PSP consoles. Once you boot into Windows, instead of the XP variety found on most Netbooks, it has Vista, although the 2GB of RAM (up to 4GB capacity) should help it run smoothly.

Sony told us it was planning on marketing this almost clutch-size laptop specifically to women, but we didn't take them seriously until we saw these lines in the official press release:

"Designed for the fashionista in all of us, it's the ideal companion..."
"The spacing between keys has also been engineered to help reduce typing mistakes making it perfect for long fingernails."

The P-series Lifestyle PC will retail for about $900, and options include solid state (up to 128GB) or standard hard drives and a variety of colors, including garnet red, emerald green, onyx black, crystal white, and classic (matte) black, with matching accessories including a fitted leather case. More photos are after the jump.

Meet Sony's new Vaio Lifestyle PC

The following product mentioned is available.

On Sale Now: $949.00
View the latest prices for Sony Vaio VGN-P588E Lifestyle PC

New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan.
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CES - Computers and hardware

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sony,

Vaio,

P-series,

Lifestyle PC,

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) (28 Comments)
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by eldiadelaluna January 7, 2009 5:58 PM PST
seriously whats the point?

keyboards can be run on touch screens. this product will have a shelf life of about 8-14 months. its not as clunky as their Sony VAIO VGN-UX180P Micro PC and It does look 'sexy' in form factor with a metallic flake paint job. -But there will be a merger between the iPhone style interfaces and ultra small laptop markets. I can imagine them dropping support within 2yrs. Not a good investment. The traditional laptop is dying.
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by PizzleDizzle January 8, 2009 6:58 PM PST
I've heard this idea buzzed around for awhile. Not true. I've been browising via my Pocket pc for over two years, and with my third party browser it behaves similiar to the iphone although download rates are faster. That said, it is WAY different than using a netbook. Netbooks offer more functionality than a mobile device currently. The size of the screen alone adds an exponential improvement over mobiles. With Skype taking up almost 10 percent world wide telephony why not a netbook? Got a media server at your house streaming your flicks? Watching them on my mobile is good, netbook is better.
by DarkHawke January 7, 2009 11:12 PM PST
Crikey! The Poqet lives!
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by cnet-og January 8, 2009 5:17 AM PST
Interesting, but I suspect Sony missed the mark, again. A $900 netbook (that's right, I said it)? The price tag pretty much precludes it from being a portable device you are willing to throw into a purse (unless you have more money than sense). And no touch pad??? C'mon, Sony... have you actually field tested the pointing stick? I agree with the comment above... short lifetime indeed (unless Sony beats this horse long after it's dead, like so many of it's other products). Perhaps if Sony adds a touch pad and when SSDs are much cheaper (so the price drops by several hundred dollars), this product may have a chance.
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by czmyt January 8, 2009 9:43 AM PST
The only thing I don't like about this is that Sony chose the lower-performing Atom processor, so it will not be as fast as practically every netbook out there now. And in the high-resolution version, the dot pitch is insanely small to the point of being almost unreadable by anyone who doesn't have perfect eyesight. Other than that, I want one! One of these, and one of the new touch screen, swivel screen Asus netbooks.
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by Freddy_The_Nuke January 8, 2009 11:44 AM PST
First of all our household have been waiting for something like this product to hit the market. Short of a full touch standard page sized, ultra thin, solid state tablet PC (i.e. Ipod on steroids) this is the best fit for service tool bag, travel, and purse use. Second I hate the pointing stick with a passion and it is the single outlying agent that will stop me from purchasing one of these. Considering cost and resisting more expensive options I believe that Sony should remove the stick and replace the two Windows buttons on the bottom row of the keyboard with track balls. If I want a hot key to the start button I should be allowed to put it in a function key of my choice. What do you think?
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by PizzleDizzle January 8, 2009 7:01 PM PST
Thumbsticks are fine once you set their responsiveness. Unless you have Huntington's disease. Get a wireless mouse. Track balls are ok, I'm just not the type that like rolling my palm around a ball.
by Freddy_The_Nuke January 9, 2009 8:08 AM PST
Hi PizzleDizzle. I just never got the feel for the stick, it feels like trying to hit a target in a video game, plus I have had a bad run with them maintaining durability , I like the tactile feedback and finer control of the track ball. I have a HP Pocket PC also and I like it a lot. I am curious, What third party browser are you using and do you know a good link that I could get it at? Thanks
by blakghostSP January 14, 2009 7:04 AM PST
opera mobile!!!!!!!!!!! 9.5 beats iphones ass get it
by RideMan January 8, 2009 4:54 PM PST
I think instead of the pointing stick they should have gone with a touch- or pen-sensitive screen.

I want to see real dimensions on this thing. Will it fit into my hip pocket? Can I actually type on the keyboard? Can it be hacked to run Darwin or OS-X? Most important, is it *finally* a decent replacement for my Psion 3mx? (And is its screen cable more durable?)
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by Freddy_The_Nuke January 9, 2009 7:51 AM PST
1.4 lbs.2 (with standard battery)
9.65"(W) x 0.78"(H) x 4.72"(D)
by DMANBEHINDU01 January 8, 2009 7:38 PM PST
according to sony's website max ram is 2 gb
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by Freddy_The_Nuke January 9, 2009 7:53 AM PST
Yea! The site has some errors, I contacted Sony last night and they have corrected some by this morning. I found on the site today 4 gb max
by EveHarvester January 10, 2009 4:08 AM PST
Here is my take on this product

First
This is obviously form over function
The VAIO line from Sony usually is

This product is meant for those that have more than enough money
Netbooks are beautiful if you are only using internet, email, and such
Yet this costs more than most decent laptops, with only an eight inch screen

Sony is using this to create a fashionable dichotomy in the average blocky, bulky netbook category
All things aside, most can say this is a very attractive product

Understand, once more
Form over function for this

Most people are missing the point with the track pad
It is not that you are losing the track pad
But gaining a full keyboard
If you have enough money to buy this product
For whatever reason
Do not be discouraged by this product set back
There are plenty of USB mouse options

Forgetting the trackpad all together saves space, there by increasing the keyboard size
Which is usually the main problem with net books
Most track pads on these products, and on many laptops can be awkward
Or near impossible to use
Having a USB mouse
While not very efficient taking into account this product is meant to be carried in your bag
Is a better option than a trackpad

I believe Sony certainly accomplished what they were looking for
An attractive, high end, product that can potentially redefine the netbook
Though Sony wishes for this to be called a lifestyle PC
Which is like saying a burger is not a burger
But your own personal, portable, customizable steak

Do not look at this as a product
But as a door opener to the next generation of netbooks
Full keyboards
High definetion
4 gigs of ram
And the ability to run higher end OSes

How I wish you could see the potential
The potential of P series Sony
It's like a netbook elegantly bound bound but
With a price, that you can't pay, just yet
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by JebusWankel January 10, 2009 7:37 PM PST
I'm so psyched to see this. I stumbled upon the old ultraportable Vaio C1 on wikipedia's subnotebook page and I fell in love. I put the idea on WePC.com but I guess sony was already on it.
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by bdaughtry January 11, 2009 6:58 AM PST
Great size! This is what a "netbook" should be. Yes, Sony, it's a "netbook". But, forget Vista and the price tag! Now, watch MSI and ASUS come along with a model equipped with Windows XP and a price under $500. ;-)
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by April 28, 2009 9:01 AM PDT
I hope you're right! I would love if this brought back the old Psion-type formfactor brought up to date. Just add touch screen!
by Call_Me January 13, 2009 8:45 PM PST
I only found out about the P-series today, the 13th, and have gone to the Sony website and pre-ordered the Garnet colored model. I upgrade my lap tops every two years and sell the old ones on ebay or give them to friends so if this is obsolete in two years, I could care less. Show me a cell phone or iPod that within a years time isn't "NEW!!!" or "IMPROVED!!!" ????? See, you can't do it because as soon as Apple launches something to the public, within a year's time they have a newer/better model out (according to Apple). So, what does that mean, that the consumer waits until "infinity", when that absolutely PERFECT cell phone, MP3 player, laptop exists??? It doesn't and it won't so for those of us who do have the money (because we're prudent in other areas) please allow us to heal the sagging American economy by buying our toys. (and yes, I know it's a Japanse company but somebody in the U.S. has got to make a buck off of selling it.)
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by Irfanxx January 24, 2009 5:18 PM PST
You remeber the feeling when you just feel in love with some one. You will overlook the most obvious and notice the most tiny details. But ill still be rational because its a machine, so whats the biggest fear the touch pad, well its time for me to be a more efficient user and start using more short keys. I am a PC and i want to rn my online life on a PC and i should be able to carry it in my hand or coat not in a BAG. Can sit anyplace get connected to a wifi and read or write or just do some penidng work like pay my bills. Now what are the tiny details ?
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by jonathon0713 January 27, 2009 5:47 AM PST
Almost perfect for Sony on this one. Just put a swiveling monitor like a not pad and give it a touch screen and it would be unstopable. I like it.
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by MrMurder February 8, 2009 10:39 AM PST
What a joke! Who would waste $899.99 on a business envelope-sized computer that has a 1.33 GHz processor and only 2GB of RAM. I like the design but this is the most ridiculous price I've seen for an ultraportable. You could get a Blu-ray Disc drive-enabled Sony Vaio N with 4GB of memory and a 2 GHz Core 2 Duo processor for the same cost. Sony should consider pricing more aggresively because their laptops cost twice as much as they're worth. And the worst part about this machine is V-I-S-T-A. Yup it needs XP. Sony better make Windows 7 the OS once it comes out because Vista is too bulky for netbooks and ultraportables so for now, XP is best.
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by viper396 February 24, 2009 4:10 PM PST
Sadly there are people who would buy it (Just look at some of the comments above). With purchases like this an emotionally charged, self-indulgent "cool" factor often overrides a persons sense of practicality or good judgement. These are the same people that would buy a Macbook Air for $1800.
by Gorifyny March 25, 2009 6:37 PM PDT
I would be greatly tempted to get this if it had XP instead of Vista. It's a great-looking machine with a nice form-factor. I'm glad I'm not tempted to buy it, though, because it's way too expensive.
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by techgirl4 April 18, 2009 4:06 PM PDT
I think that if you add all the things that come standard on this computer v. HP, Dell, etc. you would be surprised how similar in price the Sony is to the other computers. Who needs a netbook with 16 GB when you really only have 5 GB to play with in reality. I did a lot of research and finally bought the Sony and really love it. It's ultra portable, reliable, etc. I am not a fan of Vista at all. This is truly a computer and it easy to customize and use (bigger fonts, a lot of preloaded useful programs, etc.) I would give it a serious look before you decide.
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by April 28, 2009 8:46 AM PDT
If this had a touch screen, I would be all over it. It's pricey for me, but the price is worth it to get this configuration, which is what I've been searching for years for. I consider this to have the OPTIMUM dimensions for a UMPC/subnotebook with a keyboard, and the optimum use of keyboard for those dimensions (small size + good keyboard is very important to me).

The screen is sized to the keyboard, instead of the other way around, which makes perfect sense if you want the smallest possible typeable device, and the vertical resolution is 768 rather than 600, so it should be able to handle 720p HD video with the right drivers. It's horizontal resolution extends well beyond 720p HD requirements, allowing for the possibility of the new even wider video formats.

Battery life appears to be great at an advertised 7 hours, although I yearn for even more, which a few new UMPCs are beginning to provide. Still, the form factor of this thing is extremely compelling for me. Fellow Psion afficionados will know exactly what I'm talking about.

The one other thing that would tempt me to buy this would be if it had XP rather than Vista. I'm afraid this thing will be sluggish as a result of Vista, plus I don't like the OS hogging all the resources that I want to use. That and a touch screen would make this my new UMPC pick by a mile.
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by April 28, 2009 8:59 AM PDT
I neglected to mention the pointing stick/no trackpad aspect. I feel a trackpad either wastes far too much space (makes the footprint too large or forces the keyboard to be too small). If I need finer control than the pointing stick affords, I have a tiny usb trackball that slides onto an index finger which I've grown quite accustomed to and makes that point moot, IMO. Plus, I actually LIKE pointing sticks, because they allow me to keep my hands on the keyboard. I hate having to jump back and forth between keyboard and mouse, or keyboard and trackpad. It's one of my pet peeves!

Someone spoke of this being form over function. I say it's form following function. And yeah, they prettified it too--that's not a large consideration for me, but it is nice. I also like that they paid special attention to making the keyboard actually useable for such a small device. BIG points from me there.
by indymtb May 16, 2009 8:27 AM PDT
I just purchased it. I will check it out and see if I want to return it. 1) I travel 30 times a year and have to lug a 14" laptop out mid-flight. Sometimes, I really don't even need the laptop but have to bring it anyways. I bring an extra gps and this seams perfect for not lugging the laptop around when I want to reply to e-mails or just open the netbook hit outlooks, word or powerpoint. I think this will fit the bill. If it way under performs, I will return it.
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by ROFLMAOOL July 26, 2009 3:12 AM PDT
Its expensive considering how small it is.
but i love it :)

i live in new zealand and it costs $2000.
$899 or $999 isnt much compared to here.
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