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Sonys new Vaio VPYBB15AG shows why its too early to write off netbooks

Sonys new Vaio VPYBB15AG shows why its too early to write off netbooks

Many might have written off the netbook with the advent of the tablet. Not without reason,for the tablet has the same utility as a netbook primarily to consume and not to create content and costs about the same. Tablets also have the added advantage of being more handy and user friendly,thanks to the touchscreens.

But Sonys new Vaio VPYBB15AG seems to shout from the rooftops that the netbook is not done yet. It might come in a shocking green,but there is something about the Sony YB series netbooks that make them very passable,even respectable. The attempt to make heads turn is obvious and dare we say,very successful even in the other combinations of silver and pink. Here is a trendy netbook which has the specifications to make it a hit,unless the tablets decide to decimate the netbook segment with more launches as the year progresses.

But switching on the netbook for the first time will be a tough task,for it takes some time to locate the power button,which is tucked away by the hinge on the right. However,you will also notice that despite the small size,this netbook features a well laid out keypad with soft-touch keys which make typing a pleasure. The touchpad is multi-touch and there is also an assist key above the keypad for one touch trouble shooting and data recovery.

Once on,the first thing you will notice is the crystal clear 11.6 LED screen,which is much easier to deal with than a regular LCD. You can keep the desktop relatively clean thanks to the very fluid app dock that appears when you take the cursor to the top of the screen. The dock seems to put the AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics chip to good use and is a pleasure to work with. But despite the presence of the AMD-Dual Core E-3501.6 GHz processor,the unit I had seemed a bit lethargic at times,often needing some prodding.

But the 2GB RAM really came into its own when I tried processing some large images from my DSLR. The VPYBB15AG also features the Vaio Media Gallery which organises all your media files chronologically,which is very handy for someone like me who tends to accumulate a lot of pictures and videos. The software also has a great interface that puts the HD screen to good use. The software can also come in handy if you want to showcase your files on a larger screen using the HDMI port.

The speakers are good enough for you to abandon earphones,at least when you are indoors. Despite all the provisions that it contains,the battery can easily give about four hours of juice. The netbook comes with the Windows 7 Starter edition and 320GB SATA storage. It has three USB slots,an HDMI port and a memory card slot. So,if you are the sort who would rather stick to a netbook than take the tablet plunge,the VPYBB15AG is a good option at Rs 26,990.

Laptops for Me

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HCL Infosystems has unveiled its new range of laptops the 14 HCL ME 1014 and the 15.6 HCL ME 1015 which it claims are amongst the first dual-core computers in India powered by the latest second generation Intel Core family of processors. The products are also available with the quad-core platform. The laptops feature proprietary software like SplitMe,which automatically splits heavy files for easy mailing,LockMe to secure external ports from unauthorised usage,SecureMe to prevent other users from accessing particular software,Erase Me to prevent retrieval of erased sensitive files and EncryptMe to check tampering of data when in transit. The laptops feature Windows 7,multi-touch gesture touchpads,up to 8GB RAM,up to 640 GB storage and LED displays. The HCL ME 1014 starts from Rs 29,990 and the HCL ME 1015 starts from Rs 32,990.