Sony Vaio P Review

MSRP- $899

Best Features- Sleek, trendy design; lightweight

Worst Features- Poor battery life; poor navigation controls; price

Conclusion- This designer notebook is best suited to teens, but the price puts it out of range for most.

When this model was first introduced the Sony Vaio P review was quite high. The tiny notebook is somewhere in between a netbook and a smart phone when it comes to its size. However, in a short amount of time it became clear that this simply wasn’t a great choice for Sony. Most consumers will scoff at the price in an age when you can get a more powerful netbook for less than a quarter of the cost of the not affordable Sony Vaio P. It may be a good option for some, but you may be better off taking some time to compare Sony Vaio P to some of the other netbook and smart phone options out there.

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Sony Vaio P Specs

For this Sony Vaio P review, the VPC P113 is reviewed. However, there is very little difference between this specific model and the other Vaio P models available.

The base model includes a 1.6 GHz processor and a 128 GB hard drive. An upgraded model available for around $1,400 offers a 256 GB hard drive, and 2GHz processor. The diagonal screen size is 8 inches, and this entire device including the charger weighs less than 2 pounds. Bluetooth capabilities and built in Wi-Fi capability are also included. Those on a Verizon plan will have access to integrated Verizon broadband and GPS services as well.

The ultra-small computer is available in hot pink, green, orange, black, and white.

Sony Vaio P Review- Pros

Despite the price, the Sony Vaio P does have some benefit.

The Sony Vaio P review does note that the netbook is put together in a solid package. The small clutch style design will easily fit in a small purse or backpack. It seems to hold up fairly well with time.

The design is modern and neat. The available colors make it popular for college students and youthful adults.

The keyboard, even though compact, is easy to use and doesn’t feel compact. Those who like to use smart phone devices but don’t like the keyboard will like the feel of the Sony Vaio P.

Sony Vaio P Cons

While the design is cute, most Sony Vaio P review options show that this may not be a great notebook for those who want a traditional computer experience. There are several reasons Sony Vaio P reviews tend to be low.

The battery life is poor at best. For such a small machine there isn’t any reason to only get 3-4 hours of battery life out of it.

There is no touchpad for the mouse. Instead, the old fashioned track point is embedded in the keyboard. There’s a good reason most notebook manufacturers have given up this technology. The brand new versions do include a tiny touch pad, but it’s up near the top to the right of the screen. This makes it almost impossible to use for any length of time unless you’re holding the device while standing, which most people won’t do. This makes it extremely hard to navigate.

There is some debate on the screen resolution and size. The strange 8 inch screen can become awkward. Most browsers and web pages aren’t designed to accommodate the extra wide screen, and the result is small boxes in the center of a largely blank screen. This can be infuriating to try to surf the web with. The 1600X768 native resolution is a high resolution for a device like this, but it becomes a hassle. It’s difficult to read anything at this resolution. You can adjust the resolution with the press of a button, but it would have been much better for Sony to reverse this.

The price is the biggest downfall. You’ll be hard pressed to find a cheap Sony Vaio P online, even now that it’s been out for some time. A Sony Vaio P under $50 isn’t going to happen, but many smart phones with contracts will have the same functionality as the Vaio P for around this price with a new contract.

Bottom Line

This gadget looks beautiful and sleek, and had some great potential. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t make much sense in today’s market. Most of the Sony Vaio P review options you find will say the same basic thing. Save your money.