Sony Introduces New Vaio Notebooks

Sony's new FW, SR, Z, and BZ VAio notebooks offer Centrino 2 processors, Blu-ray drives, and the option to get the PCs without trailware.

Sony has officially announced its new FW, SR, Z, and BZ lines of Vaio notebook computers, all sharing common design elements, Centrino 2 processors and numerous configuration options, including Blu-ray disc drives and the option to receive the PCs without having them loaded down with trailware.

Of particular note is the Sony Vaio Z, offering a 13.1-inch display (with resolutions up to 1,600 by 900 pixels), optional Blu-ray disc drive, HDMI video output, Nvidia 9300M graphics, along with a plethora of ports, including USB 2.0, four-pin FireWire, Memory Stick/SD card reader, and with an optional 128 GB solid state drive. Expect to see the Vaio Z in August at prices starting around $1,800.

The new Vaio FW line aims at multimedia fiends, with a 16.4-inch LCD display, HDMI output, optional Blu-ray drive, Centrino 2 CPU, and Sony’s own VAIO media software that lets users share their media wirelessly through their home network to (say) PlayStation 3 consoles or home theater PCs. The Fw line should be available later this month at prices starting around $1,000, with the premium units starting around $1,750.

The Vaio SR’s aim at the fashion-conscious and will be available in two shades of pink (sunset and glossy!), two shades of silver (classic and glossy!) as well as black. The SRs sport a 13.3 inch display, Centrino 2 processors, the usual complement of ports, optional Webcam and microphone, and “Switch” technology that lets user quickly change wallpaper and other personalization aspects of the computer to “correspond to various scenarios.” Expect the SRs to land later this month at prices starting at $1,400.

Finally, the BZ series targets Sony’s business customers, offering 15.4-inch displays, Centrino 2 processors, full-sized spill-resistant keyboards, a stripped down software bundle to make it easier for IT professionals to integrate the systems into their organizations, along with a fingerprint sensor and a trusted platform module. Expect to see the BZs this month starting around $1,000.