How could it be possible? For those who have been very aware of the latest development in the computer industry. You probably have known that SONY Singapore has announced the the launch of their latest notebook in town this week – VAIO P “Pocket style PC”. The new VAIO P “Pocket style PC” is an 8-inch full-featured notebook PC fitted into a pocket size that’s less than 20mm thin and is about the size of a business envelope.
When I first hold on to VAIO P, it feels like you are mantling with a toy. It is very light (weighs 594g with a solid-state drive and 620g with a hard disk drive) for a notebook and can be comfortably handled with a single hand. Ladies will love this device as it can be easily slip into a handbag while they are out for shopping.
Despite its small size, performance has not been compromised. Although it is run on Microsoft VISTA, I am surprised that most of the applications have been able to load relatively fast. Anyway, XP is still available in the market if you are not used to VISTA.
The design of the keyboard is pretty good given its small size. I appreciate that Sony has recognized the importance of typing experience. Extension of the keyboard to the edges of the chassis and maximizing of typing space do help men with big fingers like mine. However, it appears that the screen looks significantly shorter and smaller than the keyboard. It does not look visually appealing to people like me who have been used to working on normal-size laptop.
It does not come to me as a surprise when VAIO P has connectivity features such as built-in wireless LAN 802.11b/g/Draft n webcam. The interesting application is the Instant Mode that directly launches into Sony’s Xross Media Bar interface for quick boot up and access to music, video, photos and the Web. We tried to quick boot the system on the spot and it took about 30-40s to launch Instant Mode; probably due to the operation system installed in the device.
The VAIO P is almost as powerful as a normal-size laptop. Since it is run on Window VISTA, it supports other software. Additionally, there is also a windows arrangement utility preinstalled for easy organising of all open documents or websites, all with a single touch. The disappointment is short battery life of 3 hours (bundled battery). It is certainly not enough if you carry this device out for a whole day.
The new VAIO P is available in 4 different colours – Black, Green, Red and White and will be priced from S$1,299
For press release and specification of this product, please go here