Sony TT series discontinued, a casaulty in the very competitive CULV and netbook market

The Sony TT series has been discontinued in the US. In the Sony TT owners thread in the Sony forum this was predicted quite some time ago. Sony were not updating lines and only offering limited configurations and models.
It was also noted a few days ago that Sony had withdrawn the TT series from their website.

Engadget have also confirmed from Sony that this laptop is being withdrawn and that Sony have no intention to bring it back.

It is still being sold in the EU and may be other parts of the world but it might be a matter of time before the TT is withdrawn elsewhere.

It is a shame that this laptop is being withdrawn. I was very fond of this line.
First of all we had the TR series, then the TX/TXN series, TZ and then TT series.

These were high end ultraportables like the x200/x200s Asus U2E and Fujitsu P series, Latitude E4200 and Toshiba R600 series. I wonder what keeps some notebooks going like the Toshiba R600 series and others like the TT series fail to make it? The x200/x200s with their faster processors are postioned in a slightly different market but they are still a high end ultraportable.

These high end laptops and especially those with a ULV processor will of course face more competition in this now very competitive CULV and netbook market. There is still a market for those who want high end business ultraportables but clearly manufacturers have lost some of their market base and for Sony it was not a profitable venture for them to keep the TT series in their line up.


Who knows what Sony may have on the cards. It has been speculated that they are now going to focus on the W series but this is really more of a budget line.

 

5 quid on that sony would bring it back after the recession.

 

What I believe will happen is Sony will relaunch the TT with CULV CPUs instead, bringing the price down to the level expected by the market.

 

Sony probably need to take part of the blame themselves by having a more business-oriented, just as powerful and even lighter G series (which, BTW, never made it to the US) and the 0.3 lb-heavier power house Z series. They are all slightly different, but arguably the only thing that TT stands out is the 11.6" wide-screen form factor.

While I am a little bit sad, I am not sure this withdrawl in US really means the end for TT around the world. If it is, I think Sony will push out something in place of TT soon, my bet is that we are going to see P-series gets a CULV make-over or a sub 3 lb next-gen Z pretty soon.

 

price i think is the cause of it......but not very sure thou

 

The TT already used culv processors (SU9300/SU9400/SU9600), and even Celerons in Asia.

 

I was overpriced IMO. When you can get a similar laptop for less, why spend more for the same?

 

I am hopping they relaunch the line with the Intel SL line the MBA and the older 11in Lenovo U110 use, but hopefully give it a better gpu, like ION on the MBA, while still keeping all the ports, the dvd and options the same to differentiate it from the rest of the market.

What I really hope for is the 2.16 Intel SL line cpu, and the gpu setup of the Z, while still keeping battery life at 7 hours, while bringing the total weight to 3lbs to account for the slightly larger battery and air flow space.

 

... Recession, buddy it is going to take longer than you expect...

 

Man, I hate to see the T series go. I loved that line, though it was always about 2 times more expensive than my budget allowed. Really, really revolutionized the ultraportable market, and redefined how a tiny laptop should look, feel, and perform. Pity that the exclusive, high price ultraportable style has pretty much gone extinct with the new netbook and CULV markets, but it needed to happen.

 

Well you can get lucky and get a older 1.2ghz or maybe even the 1.4ghz model for under 1250 american now which isn't too high. That how I was lucky to get mine.

 

Where did you get yours?

 

From Amazon's box deals. Mines was open box but new, and the only thing missing was the headphones, which they gave me a $25 credit towards.

 

OMG!! Wow, This was a great notebook.


Sony has something up there sleeve probably another ULV notebook($1000 club)

 

I'm hoping they move to the LV cpu you see in the MBA, and the old Lenovo U110, and keep the price in the 1000-1600 club, maybe 2500 loaded with two 256 ssd, and everything option ticked.

 

Hey guys is it really dead? Check out the Sony Asia Pacific website with the new TTs running Windows 7 now with support for up to 8GB of ram!

http://www.sony-asia.com/product/vgn-tt47gg

 

Its definitely not dead worldwide, it is dead here in North America since netbooks and now CULV notebooks have came on the scene.

Japan at least has a long culture of ultraportable and expensive subnotebooks which they are very happy to purchase vs. them being an extremely small niche market here in the U.S. When cheap netbooks and CULV notebooks came on the scene, the Vaio TT here with its relatively high price didn't stand a chance. American customers largely want value in their computers, not expensive subnotebooks which are super-lightweight with high battery life.

Although I believe Sony is bringing the Vaio X to the U.S but once again it is expensive compared to netbooks and CULV ultraportables but even far weaker than the Vaio TT.

 

BTW parts of the EU also have this newer model available. That 8gb of ram was introduced in the refresh that came out during the summer last I heard. What is new here is Windows 7 and I think even a newer intel wireless card.

 

Yes, Sony typically has continued to sell models in Japan after they have been discontinued elsewhere. This is nothing new and they have done this with the Vaio G series.

It appears to be well and truly gone in North America. In some countries in the EU like coldmack said it has also been pulled. Probably where this was a money maker for Sony they have continued it.

I think it would be clever if Sony repositioned this as a CULV cheaper notebook by offering different processors. They can also keep the high end config also. They have appeared to have attempted to do this in some countries in the EU but they could do better. Over the likes of the x120 the TT has several advantages. Prices start in some countries in the EU at €1,000 but you get a lowly 723 Celeron processor.

It will be interesting to see if they continue this in Australia and New Zealand.

If i wanted to buy a new TT in the UK from Sony Style i don't think i would bother. Why should i when the prices here are much higher than the rest of the EU and Sony did not refresh this line. You get this laptop with a 1.6 processor in Germany but in the UK it goes up to a 1.4 and it is £300-£400 more expensive. On the principle of that i would not buy this.

I'm pretty much used to things being expensive compared to North America but in the EU such pricing like this i won't accept.

CULV notebooks have really caught on in North America also but these notebooks are priced significantly lower than the TT.

 

Then again I have yet to see a CULV in the 11in category offer the SU9x000 cpu, optical drive, or the option of two SSD the TT offers. So, the Sony in some ways still has the unique product. There is the Asus U2, but compared to the new CULV device that are coming out it has the older X3100 gpu, lacks hdmi, and I read battery life was okay.

 

Good discussions guys.

I will keep an eye out on any potential new TT models during the Windows 7 refresh for Sony Australia and New Zealand.

I reckon the TT really has a good reason to remain in the market. For people hwo need more grunt on an ultraportable, nothing beats the TT. Sure, the likes of the SR and Z lines are similar in size, the TT is still smaller with a longer battery life.

 

So, are there any ultra portables featuring a blu ray optical drive anymore? The Asus U2E looks great, but I'd rather not purchase a notebook without blu ray.

 

the VAIO Z and the SR are still small enough or no?

 

The Sony TT in Japan is currently no more. A forum member heavenly_wild reported today that this model had been withdrawn in Japan.
In the EU you can now only configure a low end model with a 743 celeron processor but for may be how long?

Is this the end of the TT and Sony's premium ultraportable line altogether or do Sony have something else up their sleeve? May be they might come back with a i5/i7 um ultraportable. They might even bring out a more budget friendly model.

I think it will be a shame to see the end of this line.

It is hard for these high end notebooks to compete though. Some people do see the value in a high end ultraportable like the TT but the netbook/CULV budget market squeezed them out. Not only that Sony's own product line up didn't help.

I'm very glad i got one when i did as this is such a nice laptop and the best that i've owned.

 

Yes, the Vaio TT is pretty much in a class by itself. It has a screen no other 10in-12in can fully match, nice keyboard, and power that is pretty decent. There are a few lower price 13in and 14in i Core machines with dedicated gpu, I would like to have but the screen is what keeps me from moving.

 

RIP. Always liked it for its size, and always wanted it until I saw it in person and found the 1366x768 on an 11.1" screen a little too small. Sony should update the G and bring it here in the TT's place.

 

The TT series screens have a very high pixel density which I know my eyes would object to. The G series was perhaps too far in the other direction and doesn't get enough information on the screen. One alternative is the Toshiba R600 which packs a 12.1" 1280 x 800 screen into a very thin and light chassis. However, Toshiba's transflective screen isn't among the best for normal usage.

John

 

The Vaio TT series with its 11.1" 1366x768 screen has a pixel density of 141.18 per square inch.

But the newest Vaio Z series with some models having a 13.1" 1920x1080 screen has a pixel density of 168.16!

And the Vaio P series with its 8.9" 1600x768 screen has a pixel density of 221.85!