Official Site Bumtion Network: Sony Launch Vaio P In Low Key Event

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Sony Launch Vaio P In Low Key Event

Posted by Bumtion Network

The words "low key" and "Sony" don't often pop up in the same sentence, especially not when you're talking about the launch of a highly anticipated product such as the Vaio P, but unfortunately, those were the only words that we could muster up when looking back at the events that took place yesterday.

Held in Sony Malaysia's office at Mid Valley, the Vaio P was launched with minimal fuss to a room full of journos - a stark contrast from the in-your-face PS3 launch last year, and even their usually prim and propper Bravia launches. Was this a sign of tough times ahead? We can't say for sure (even though Sony did post their first loss in 14 years), but enough about that for now.

Between the two flavors that are available, the fully fledged P15 and toned down P13, one thing is undeniable - the Vaio P is a bloody stylish netbook pocket style PC. However, once you get past the sexy form factor and gleaming exterior, you might be a tad surprised to find the specs a little light weight.

The P15 comes with an Intel Atom Processor Z530 (aren't all Atom powered notebooks automatically called netbooks?), 2GB of RAM, and a 64GB SSD, while the P13 comes with a Intel Atom Processor Z520, 2GB of RAM, and a 60GB HDD. In terms of connectivity, both models come with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. The P15 ships with a set of noise cancelation ear phones as well as a LAN/Display USB dongle, whereas owners of the P13 will be required to buy the dongle as an additional accessory.

The other thing that caught our attention was the quick boot feature which allows you to boot up the Vaio P into a interface that's pretty similar to that on the PSP. In this quick boot mode, you can listen to music, watch videos and even surf the net without having to wait a whole minute or so to boot up Windows. Oh yeah, these ship with Windows Vista, NOT Windows 7.

The Sony Vaio P15 retails for RM3788, while the Vaio P13 retails for RM2788, however neither are available on the local market yet. You can place your pre-order with Sony, and they should arrive by Valentines Day.

Maybe, just maybe, a more elaborate launch will take place then.

More pictures available after the jump.