Sony VAIO TT: Sony’s answer to the mini notebook boom?

Sony has yet to grace the market with a VAIO mini laptop, in fact Sony has been openly reluctant to produce and sell a netbook. Sony executives have said that the cheap laptop concept does not align with Sony’s “premium” corporate image. That said, I’ve seen Sony make some pretty crappy electrics, for example my TV, so this could be taken one of two ways: snobbery or a joke.

But in recent years, Sony has come up with some very genuine, high-end products that back up this claim. Sony’s Bravia range of televisions is market leading, they have continued the ‘Walkman’ legacy against the power of Apple’s iPod and iTunes and, in gaming, have expanded their PlayStation brand, replacing the best-selling PS2 with the PS3 with a staggering £ 425 RRP against Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii. Their line of VAIO laptops is very good too.

But have they left the netbook market entirely? Technically, yes. Try searching for “netbook” on Sony’s VAIO minisite, no results. Sony does not and will not associate itself with the spicy and cheerful image that Asus presented when it launched the Eee PC. But they have a VAIO laptop that’s small, light, and portable – the VAIO TT.

The TT is an impressive product, offering an 11.1-inch screen, up to 9 hours of battery life, and a weight of 1.3 kg, putting it on par with the 8-inch HP 2133 mini-note. , 9 inches and the lighter versions of the Asus Eee PC 1000. All TT models feature a strong carbon fiber chassis in a choice of two colors, ‘intense noir’ and ‘gold rush’. Sony claims that carbon fiber “is used in the manufacture of racing cars or airplanes, that it is 200% stronger and 30% lighter than conventional materials used in computer chassis design.”

A byproduct of the larger screen is a larger keyboard that is nearly (but not quite) comparable to a full-size laptop. The keys are large and slightly spaced, with the center of each key marginally indented for better precision.

Against the background of Sony’s TV, the 11.1 screen comes with a lot of experience. Viewing on its widescreen with a 16: 9 aspect ratio and 1366×768 resolution is a delight. Additionally, the ability to read blu-ray discs (or any disc) provides much more flexibility. You don’t have to worry about burning DVDs or downloading movies online, and the quality is such that viewing quality is not compromised either.

The enormous battery life (up to 9 hours) lends itself to use while on a business trip, more than enough for a full workday. Sony has incorporated a variety of energy-saving and efficiency functions, such as the battery care function that prevents battery drain, automatically adjusting the brightness of the LCD screen according to the environment you are working in, and the ultra-efficient use of Intel Centrino. 2 technology.

Connectivity is undoubtedly at the heart of the TT, with 3G ‘Everywair’ built into various models with speeds up to 7.2 Mbps. A T-Mobile SIM card is incorporated in a free trial. Fortunately, you can remove it and use your own SIM card so you are not bound by a new contract.

Perhaps then, Sony has definitely entered the mini notebook market, but specifically marketing it as if it hadn’t. Oh yeah, the website emphasizes “slim and sophisticated design” and how portable it is, but Sony is very reluctant to use the ‘n’ word. Maybe it needs to be said for them, maybe not.

The difference between the VAIO TT and a typical netbook like the Asus Eee PC or the Acer Aspire One is very profound. Are they in the same league? As for the price, certainly not; The VAIO TT is expected to retail for around £ 1,200 for entry-level models, compared to a more modest £ 200-300 for its everyday mini-laptop. It is certainly just as portable and usable; however, it is clear that Sony has taken a different approach to portability.

Asus pioneered the netbook by starting over, building a small computer that could handle simple processing tasks, fast internet, and make it affordable. Sony’s response was to reduce size and weight to make it ultra-portable while maintaining excellent performance. The result is a very high-performance laptop, which has the size and weight properties of a netbook; It is, if you like, the sophisticated mini laptop.