Sony VAIO A Series Released (pics, specs)

Introduced in New York City today, the new Sony VAIO A Series. This laptop series packs big screen entertainment into a stylishly transportable package. Available from the SonyStyle.com website are the following new A series notebooks:

Sony VAIO VGN-A190 view VAIO VGN-A190 spec sheet

Sony VAIO VGN-A160 view VAIO VGN-A160 spec sheet

Sony VAIO VGN-A150 view VAIOVGN-A150spec sheet

The VAIO VGN-A190 sports a gorgeous 17-inch XBRITE display

With a 17-inch WUXGA (1920x1200) display, the VAIO VGN-A190 model claims the highest resolution display available on a notebook computer. And Sony's own XBRITE™ technology ensures that video playback is crisp and vivid.

The VAIO VGN-A190 is a multimedia master

Users can create and watch DVD movies with the built-in DVD+/-RW drive, as well as live or recorded TV with the aid of Sony's own Giga Pocket™ Personal Video Recorder and what is likely the most powerful TV tuner ever offered with a notebook. The Sony-engineered tuner is part of an AV entertainment dock that comes standard with this model.

The AV entertainment dock also includes a variety of analog and digital AV ports and Sony's S-Master™ digital amplifier, which preserves music quality from the PC through delivery to the specially tuned stereo speakers for true sound fidelity.

The AV entertainment dock allows a variety of outputs toother audio and video equipment.

"Sony knows entertainment," said Mike Abary, general manager of VAIO PC marketing for Sony Electronics. "For the A series, we are using various AV and IT components, software and services developed throughout the company to deliver the best entertainment experience possible on a notebook PC."

Technology on Display

To ensure that the quality of video playback is optimized for almost any environment, A series notebooks employ an ambient light sensor. ErgoBrite™ technology, originally developed for Sony's stand-alone IT displays, automatically adjusts screen brightness to accommodate various lighting conditions. No more worrying about struggling with configurations when plugging your PC into an external display device as Sony's Smart Display Sensor™ automatically adjusts to a compatible screen resolution and aspect ratio when using an external monitor or projector.

Intel® Centrino® mobile technology provides the processing muscle for this PC, while allowing the unit to run quite, cool and efficient. The mobile processor also contributes to the computer's thin profile, making it the lightest notebook of its kind.

Enhanced Software for More entertainment Options

In addition to hardware breakthroughs, the A series also sport newly enhanced Sony exclusive software. Among these are Click to DVD™ and SonicStage™ Mastering Studio applications for effortless DVD burning and professional quality re-mastering of analog music to digital formats. VAIO Media™, Sony's entertainment networking software has also been updated to support a wider variety of digital content formats for video and music.

VAIO A series notebooks will be available at retail and online at www.sonystyle.com in a variety of configurations. In addition to the VGN-A190 model that will sell for about $2,800, the VGN-A160 model with a 15.4-inch wide format display will be available for $2,300 including the AV dock. For business users, the VGN-A130 model will be sold through business-to-business channels and online at sonystyle.com. It has a 15-inch 4x3 aspect display and will be available with an optional business dock.

 

Any word what the US processor and vid card will be on the A190? I saw 64mb listed for the vid card and 1.8gig (if you pay up for 2gigs of ram [ !]) on the japanese website.

Any confirmation?

 

Does someone know if the ports (USB, FireWire, S-Video.....) are located only on the port replicator?

Thx!

 

All I have to say is WOW!!!! This will probably be my next notebook! Any news on pricing for this?

Just checked the Sony Japan website and found this link on the Type A VIAO's. Too bad it's all in Japanese. [ ]

http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/Style-a/Product/A17/index.html
http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/VGN-A70P/spec.html

Looks like they're also going to release a 15" model of this unit.
http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/Style-a/Product/A15/index.html

From what I can see on their site these units will have:

PM-1.5 to PM-1.8 CPU's
512/1GB upto 2GB Ram
40-80GB HDD
XP Home or Pro
802.11a/b/g and/or Bluetooth
ATI Radeon 9200 - Radeon 9700 GPU
USB 2.0 (Don't know how many)
Firewire
10/100/1000 LAN
PCMCIA
56K V.92 faxmodem
3.9Kg
405.5mm x 42.2-45.2mm x 280.1mm

Can't wait for them to be released in Canada.

-Vb-

 

All the details are there!

http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/VGN-A70P/parts.html

I am impatient to order it [ ]

 

you can order it now from www. sonystyle.com, I just did -- ouch $$$ after my customizations...

 

I saw that you can now order these from sonystyle

Is the only one that comes with the ATI 9700 the top of the line 17inch one?

 

I just picked up the news yesterday, and I can only say one word: beautiful! Best screen ever, Xbrite, OnyxBlack, whatever thay are calling it these days, amazingly looking. Magnesium case, rounded shapes, it would look amazing on my desk [ ]

Too bad they are going with Radeon 9200 in cheaper models, and the 15" screens have only 1024x768, but this screen certainly makes you think twice before refusing one of these babies. I was going to get an Acer or Asus laptop soon, but I'll definetly wait a bit longer until VAIO A series gets settled on the market.

Great job, Sony, keep it going, people are using laptops for playing games too, you know?! [ ]

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I can believe I almost forgot to mention something that bothers me a lot with nowadays laptops - VAIO A has the keyboard layout I'am looking for (earning my living as a programmer). It's incredible how most of the laptop manufactures use some cramped up keyboards, with having to type Fn+PageUp for an END key, and such of these - people, I use lots of Home and End, I don't give a freeking damn about PageUp and stuff like that, I have a scrolling mouse to do that, for God sakes.

 

Hi everyone! This laptop looks absolutly amazing! Right now I really want to buy this laptop, I just have a few questions, and im asking for your opinions. I will be going to college next year, and I want a good laptop that is expandable. Every summer I travel across the country to CA. This is what I am looking for: a reliable laptop that has enough power to play games, use for school, and it has to look good, lol, this computer obviously looks great! Right now its down to deciding what screen size to get(i think, unless its not powerful enough, im used to a 3.02ghz desktop, so it will be a step down, i just want to be able to play games on it) I really want the 17 inch, makes me drool, lol, but it really needs to be small enough to use comfortably on an airline, either in my lap or on the tray table. But also, like I said, I only travel during the summer so should i sacrifice screen size for that? The 17 inch is great since I do a lot of CAD work. Does anyone have this laptop yet? How efficiantly does it run? actual battery time, anyone played games such as HALO or Need For Speed on it? Any comments welcome, thanks!

 

I think this is GREAT for professionals and for anyone who needs a high resolution.
Amazing how much you can get on that screen. Good eyes are a must.

Too big for use in airplanes, also too big to travel alot.

 

I work at Circuit City and we just got this computer in last week. It's pretty big but not quite as heavy as the 17 inch HP widescreens. About 10 pounds or so but the port replicator is HUGE. I don't see how anyone could possibly use this thing as a travel laptop. I must say that the screen is pretty sharp though (the included speakers, however, are pretty crappy).