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Sun, 11 Jan 2009 CES: Sony Vaio VGN-P500 vs. MacBook Air

Sony introduces a new ultra mobile laptop with an interesting form factor. Can it take on the MacBook Air?

Mark Hattersley

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Sony unveiled a new laptop at the CES show in Las Vegas called the Sony Vaio VGN-P500. This new laptop has more in league with Apple’s MacBook Air than other netbooks at the show, but it’s interesting form factor, plus a few other features, set it apart from just about every other laptop on the market.

We spent a while on Sony’s stand today comparing the new VGN-P500 with our MacBook Air.

The first thing you notice about the VGN-P500 is its short but wide form. The screen is an 8in backlit LED Xbrite-eco running at 1600 x 800, but it’s an extremely wide display that is almost three times as wide as it is high.

This is contrast to the MacBook Air’s 13in full-screen display. However, the smaller form factor does give the VGN-P500 an edge in the portability stakes. The dimensions of the VGN-P500 are 243 x 120 x 20mm and it weighs a scant 635g. This compares favourably to the 325 x 227 x 4-19mm and 1.36kg of the MacBook Air.

The Sony Vaio VGN-P500 is an interesting take on the ultra portable laptop

This “wide but squat” form factor enables the Sony VGN-P500 to sport a full keyboard, which comes as something of a relief after we’d spent the day testing out countless netbooks with keyboards designed for children.

However, the form factor doesn’t leave any space for a trackpad. Unlike the large multi-touch trackpad of the MacBook Air, the VGN-P500 has an old-fashioned “control stick” sitting in middle of the keyboard. It’s been several years since we’ve encountered a laptop sporting one of these, and a quick test of the system reminded us why they quickly fell out of favour: controlling the cursor is nigh on impossible on the VGN-P500.

The Sony Vaio VGN-P500 has a full keyboard but no trackpad. Instead it has an old-fashioned control stick in the middle of the keyboard

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Comments received


s said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

for users who type more than pointing about, not having the trackpad for misplacing the pointer when the thumb accidently rests on it is great, i use an x60 thinkpad with pointer stick and just love the freedom of it, all sony has to do is make their laptop rugged and gnu/linux compatible by being free and open with their device interfaces and code, and they can have my money

NB said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

Hardly two items to compare!

Nickel said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

Looks like a very credible offer from Sony. I much prefer a joystick to a trackpad. If you use keyboard shortcuts a lot, the trackpad is just a distraction. Apple will have to up its game.

Cameron said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

The CES certainly is a lot more interesting than the dull Expo this year. RIP Expo.

Shaun said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

A 1.33Ghz Atom Z530 is more than just 'slightly slower' than the Core2Duo in the Air. It's only got one core for a start, not two and only 512KB of cache. Comparing the two is just silly.

The Air is a nice laptop but it's not something you can throw in a bag and not notice. Sony are right to say it's not a netbook...

1) it's much more portable than a netbook and orders of magnitude more portable than Apple's Air. Apple needs a 'Macbook Nano' to compete.

2) 'Netbook' is trademarked by Psion and Psion have been recently sending cease-and-desist orders out to anyone using their trademark.

Brian said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

Comparing the Vaio with the Air is not comparing like with like.
On the other hand if Sony can make a 'netbook' then maybe its time that Apple got on the bandwagon with a 10" Macbook, there's a lot of Macusers who'd love a truly portable Apple 'netbook'. Apologies to Palm for the use of their trademark word netbook. Hey, why are they so touch about it, are they about to announce one?

Chris said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

I will stick to my Macbook Air, despite the slower processor it does everything I ask of it without complaining. Perfect compliment to my larger Macbook Pro

Jane F said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

I bet the Vaio has a changeable battery and Sony wont rush you over £100 to change it.

Starting to really loose it with Apple.

Jake Barnes said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

It's 'lose,' Jane.

Peace.

Jane F said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

cheers

Shaun said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

Brian, It's Psion, not Palm that owns the trademark.

I'd imagine Psion are touchy about it as they still sell accessories for their Netbook, however, it'd be great to see them release a true successor to the original Netbook they launched in the 1990s - an idea somewhat before it's time perhaps.

Adam said on Sun, 11 Jan 2009

Not all games are 3D blistathons; the Sony Vaio will be able to run some games.

John said on Mon, 12 Jan 2009

Er...what's going on here - this is "Macworld"..remember?! I have been waiting for Mac news for days now and all you can do i show me a Vaio? you should take this article and the lame discussion over to your sister website for PCs.

VJ said on Mon, 12 Jan 2009

I think the CES has a lot more to offer than the Expo this year.

MacWorld likes to compare every piece of hardware released with an Apple product just to put a sentence at the end saying they would stick with the Apple iWhatever.

scritty said on Mon, 12 Jan 2009

yep, totally pointless article. here's some chalk and over there is a piece of shiny cheese my friends. what's more worrying is why macworld is bothering with this 'comparison'. maybe 'cos CES was more interesting that crapworld.

Dan said on Mon, 12 Jan 2009

John, look at all the news stories starting with Expo: they are Mac related stories.Apple may be at CES next year, we'll have to see.

Michael said on Tue, 13 Jan 2009

The Vaio does not have OSX. Therefore no comparison.

@Michael said on Tue, 13 Jan 2009

Could easily be installed. All clones now.

Adam said on Tue, 13 Jan 2009

Unless the photographs have been majorly squashed there's no way that the display is three times as wide as it is high. It's 2:1, as the 1600*800 resolution would imply.

Brian said on Tue, 13 Jan 2009

If Apple don't bring out a netbook darned soon I'll be thinking about installing MacOSX on an MSI Wind Netbook. (once all the wrinkles have been sorted out).

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