Smaller than a notebook, smarter than a smartphone: the Sony VAIO P
As the iPad nears its UK launch date, netbook manufacturers are getting scared – very scared. In the face of the tablet revolution, the choices are two: dissipate or innovate. Sony have chosen the latter option and created the VAIO P Series – an ultra-portable, lightweight computer with some heavyweight features.
Advertised as “smaller than a notebook and smarter than a smartphone”, the VAIO P certainly lives up to its word. Not only does it weigh in at a paltry 632g, the handheld device has also been specially designed for use on the go. As well as a centred trackball (for increased balance), the computer has an additional touchpad and mouse buttons located at either edge of the screen, to be operated by thumbs while holding the computer in two hands – perfect for standing or walking with the device, making it a long way from simply being another ‘lap’top.
The handheld device boasts Windows 7 Home Premium, as well as an 8-inch screen (with a massive 1600×768 resolution), Intel Atom processor, 2GB RAM and 64GB SSD flash drive. That’s the same size hard drive as the top-of-the-line iPad, and a screen with a much higher resolution (1600×768 versus the iPad’s 1024×768). However, the screen is 1.7-inches smaller than Apple’s 9.7-inches.
The comparisons between the VAIO P and the iPad don’t end there, with Sony’s new device going head-to-head with Apple’s in every department, bar the form-factor. The VAIO P Series features a built-in GPS and a digital compass, as well as on-board 3G, Wi-Fi and an accelerometer.
However, it is Sony’s custom software that makes these additions particularly interesting. The VAIO Location Search software uses this hardware to offer a real-time map view, displaying your current map position and orientation, along with nearby points of interest and even local weather conditions.
The built-in accelerometer has been designed to respond to physical movements – either deliberate or natural. Give the device a gentle shake to ‘flick’ through pictures or the pages of a PDF document, or to navigate back and forth through your web browsing history. Turn it on its side, and it automatically flips the screen for easy reading of documents or web pages in portrait mode. Obviously taking inspiration from the Sony Reader, the notebook’s additional mouse buttons are placed within reach for easy page-turning when reading in portrait mode.
The notebook also has an ambient light sensor to dynamically adjust the screen illumination depending on conditions, as well as a button dedicated to changing the screen resolution – allowing the user to select a larger font for on-screen reading, or switch back to maximum detail for movie viewing.
And, if all of those features haven’t convinced you to invest come June, it also comes in five colours – black, white, pink, green and orange.
