CES 2009: Sony Vaio P netbook, an expensive accessory

CES 2009 is here again, and with it the unveiling of the Sony's entry to the netbook scene. The world’s lightest 8" notebook is here, and please, don't call it a netbook, insists the Sony guys.



It comes with Intel Atom 1.33Ghz processor (note, not the usual 1.6Ghz version found in most netbooks), 2GB RAM, up to 60GB of HDD or the pricier 128GB SSD, and it's installed with Windows Vista Premium or Home, depending which version you pick. It comes with 4 unique colors, built in GPS, and oozes the Sony style.

But beware, this style comes with a typical Sony hefty price tag. Starting from US$899, to as much as US$1499! At that price, you can deck yourself our with a super-duper full-scale notebook.

Anyway, only time will tell if Sony will capture the hearts and minds of the Sony fanbase or it has priced itself out of the market, especially in these bad times.

Personally, I don't think it justifies shelling out US$899 (which is like S$1400) for the Sony Vaio P, no matter how stylish or portable it is. But that's just me. You decide.

Check out the official Sony Vaio P website. Or how about some great pictures of the Sony Vaio P, and a first look/hands on of the Vaio P.

Netbooks running Google Android? Can't be!

Yeap, it's 2009, and happy new year to all! The new year starts with news about a couple of guys, Matthäus Krzykowski and Daniel Hartmann, over at VentureBeat who successfully grafted Google Android onto an Asus EEEPC 1000H; and it took them only 4 hours to do so.

"Here’s the significance: Imagine the billion dollar market at stake here if Google can make good on this vision. Netbooks are basically small-scale PCs. For Silicon Valley myriad of software companies, it means a well-backed, open operating system that is open and ripe for exploitation for building upon. Now think of Chrome, Google’s web browser, and the richness it allows developers to build into the browser’s relationship with the desktop — all of this could usher in a new wave of more sophisticated web applications, cheaper and more dynamic to use. Ramifications abound: What does it mean for the stock price of Microsoft? Microsoft currently owns the vast majority of the desktop operating system market share? In recent weeks, Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer repeatedly dismissed Android as competition to Windows Mobile."

Source: Android netbooks on their way, likely by 2010