Best Buy Announces New Exclusive Consumer Notebooks

Best Buy Announces New Exclusive Consumer Notebooks

Best Buy has announced itsBlue Label 2.0 notebooks with wireless display technology. The lineup includes a 14" Toshiba, 15.6" Dell, and a 13" Sony. The Blue Label 2.0 notebooks are exclusive to Best Buy and feature Intel Wireless Display technology, enabling consumers to wirelessly stream video and pictures directly from the notebook to flat panel TVs. For example, Hulu and Netflix shows can be streamed in up to 720p quality. The notebooks feature the latest Intel Core i5 processors.

The Blue Label 2.0 notebooks will be available from Best Buy on 17 Jan starting at $899.99.

 

Wow, the 13" Sony is the new S series, which was not announced in CES here in US, but did find its way to European market press releases. I hope this doesn't mean that the only new S will be from Best Buy.

 

Exclusive just means overpriced.

 

O dear god. I do not look forward to explaining these to customers. We probably have these in already, I'm gonna go look at specs tonight while I'm at work.

 

I haven't heard much about this until recently. Widi seems like a good name.
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Bestbuy means it's overpriced.

 

WiDi seems pretty rockin, Im have to look at this tech.

 

Sonystyle isn't even selling S11's yet, I definitely want more information if I'm going to be getting a laptop within the month!

Any chance you've heard anything new Charles?

 

This is all I have at the moment - they should be on sale a week from now.

Angelic, any info on these?

 

Thanks for the prompt reply Charles. I can see why your reputation is regarded so highly. I hope Angelic can get some information from her store! That S11 would be mighty nice if it had discrete graphics!

 

O no, I completely forgot about these. I'm sure we have them in stock somewhere, I just need to find them. I'll write myself a note to look tomorrow, I promise!

 

Hey Angelic, I'm dying to know the specifics for the Sony S11, let us kno what you find out!!

 

Wow, it's a pain trying to get on here from work. Anyway, I found the new Toshiba laptop. However, it's not on the website yet, and the only spec I could find was the processor. I have not yet located the Sony, but inventory is still stocking the new laptops from the truck as I'm typing this. I will post if I find it.

We might get the Sony in on thursday (our trucks are tuesdays and thursdays). I actually think I can get the full specs on the Toshiba at least, if anyone cares. I still have to look for the Dell but we probably have it.

 

As far as I know, we only got in one 13.3" Sony, so it must be the one with this new technology. The box didn't say it had it, but I can't see us getting in two 13.3" Sony's.

Anyway, the specs I saw on the box:

Price: $1049.99 (May change)
CPU: i5-430M (2.26 Gz)
Display: 13.3" (1366x768)
Memory: 4 GB DDR3
HDD: 500 GB
Color: Silver
GPU: Intel 4500 HD (It just said Intel HD on the box, but I assume it's the 4500, correct me if I'm wrong)

That's all I could get. Hope I helped.

 

Thanks a lot for your help. The results are a bit disappointing though, the i5 core they used is the least powerful available of all the i5 lineup. And the Intel HD GPU, naturally, is not preferred to the Nvidia 310m that is offered throughout many Sony lines. I'm still probably gonna buy it, but that price better not go up any more.

Both of these were probably chosen for more battery life...so I doubt there's any mention of a backlit keyboard is there?

 

The graphics are based off the 5000 series, but Intel the official name is "Intel HD Graphics".

 

All I could do is look at the box and scan it at the register. I won't know any other details until we put it out on display, which come to think of it, may happen tomorrow.

If I find out anything else at all about the Sony I'll post it here. If anyone wants specs on the Dell/Toshiba let me know, I might be able to find out a little. It's harder because they don't put specs on their boxes, but I can go into our sign system and find the specs I think.

Ooo ok thanks! I haven't kept up with the integrated graphics much. But anyway, I'm 99% sure the specs are correct, with the lappy being over 1,000, it has to be the right model.

 

Angelic - I thought I saw somewhere that the Dell will be a Studio 1569? In the one image I saw, it looked to have a different case than the 1555/1557 series. Any additional info would be appreciated ...

 

That number rings a bell. I'll look tomorrow and get back to you.

 

Yes.

 

When you put something on display, is that when it goes for sale? The press releases say that it'll go on sale on the 17th (Sunday) but if some stores are selling it earlier, I'd love to know.

 

We aren't allowed to sell early as far as I know. It's just on display for customers to window shop.

 

My heart is officially broken since that GPU is so underpowered. Everything was looking pretty great up until that! Why would the notebook need an "Intel HD 5000" if the i5 is supposedly supposed to do the gpu work?

Thank you very much for your hard work, I really appreciate it.

 

Angelic, I'm definitely interested in buying at least one model. The Toshiba looks fine because of WiDi, maybe the Sony if more thin and light than the others.

1. What are the specs on the Dell?
2. Do you have specs on Blue Label 2 program?
3. The Toshiba has international warranty. What about others?
4. Any advice on discounting?

update: I see Blue Label 2 requires Widi and Dell is 15.4".

 

I won't be able to post specs on the Dell until I go on lunch, I'm kinda busy right now.

 

So I just went to Best Buy and told them essentially that a brand new Sony is in their warehouse and demanded that I buy it haha. So they sold it to me and said I can pick up the Netgear crap I don't really even want on Sunday once the "bundle" is ready.

I honestly think I might be the first person in the country to have this new S11 model typing on it now--it is brilliant.

 

wow, I'm suprised bestbuy would do that for you. I demand pictures from you haha.

 

LOL

We demand pictures, more impressions, etc. I might write up a news bit about it.

 

Dubbs, you really have chutzpah. Good work. Now how 'bout typing some specs at us. It's a 13.3 right? How's the keyboard and trackpad? What's the weight?

 

It's weird, I had this guy come in and demand that we allow him to buy the new Sony computer. We had to give in and sell it to him.

In other news, the managers have told us to go ahead and sell all the new models we have in, since we're almost out of the old ones anyway.

I'm very surprised they're doing this.

 

Well earlier I made a thread w/ pics and specs and stuff on the Sony sub-page which was made the official "owners" page for that Sony model: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=450794

And Angelic, again your information was most helpful--I wouldn't've been able to get it today or learn as much bout it beforehand without your info, thx again!

 

So it's housed in a durable-feeling magnesium alloy, very light at 4.4 pounds, and very good looking (it does look quite like a macbook pro in my opinion, and that's def not a bad thing.) The screen is stunningly bright as I've come to expect from Sony, and the backlit keys are definitely a nice feature.

Best Buy apparently customized this and chose to leave out the Nvidia 310 discrete graphics that is normally available probably because Intel or someone told them that it wasn't necessary--that the new Intel HD graphics line would be more than capable for 95% of uesrs. And I'd agree with that. It also saves battery life by not having to switch between the built-in GPU that's on the Core i5 and the discrete card.

The Core i5 itself is indeed on the low end of the cores recently available on the market, but it's not significantly slower than the mid-range i5s that I was expecting so I had no hesitation in going forward with the purchase.

 

Darnnit! I still can't find that darn Dell with the wireless display technology. I'll keep looking I guess.

Anyway, your quite welcome Dubbs, I was glad to help. I can't wait to get to see it myself.

 

dubbs and Angelic, you are now famous:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5733246#post5733246
Don't forget about me.

Edit: Yup, now on Engadget:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/best-buy-lets-out-the-widi-enabled-sony-vaio-s-a-week-early/