VGN-P
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Overview
The Sony VAIO VGN-P (aka. Type P) is a line of “Lifestyle PC” ultraportable subnotebook/ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) laptops released by Sony in early 2009 and offered in stylish casing finishes such as Ebony Black, Ivory White, Volcano Red and Forest Green for international markets and additional exclusive designs for the Japanese market. Its tentpole feature is without doubt the extra-compact design that enabled superlative levels of mobility while still remaining a fully-featured ultraportable Windows device.
Backing up Sony’s touting of the VGN-P’s “Lifestyle PC” status is a whole host of features pertaining to connectivity and on-the-go home+office usage. From the built-in GPS module, wireless broadband 3G/WWAN adapter and right-hand-side MOTION EYE webcam found on the upper end of the model line all the way to the Corel InstantON XMB Linux environment installed on all models that apparently allows one to boot up, get online and access multimedia files in a matter of 30 seconds or less, the focus on providing a bespoke mobile computing experience is obvious from the get-go. Further bolstering those lofty claims are a pair of wired earbuds with active noise cancelling capability included with order-customized models from the “VAIO Owner” program, a port expander (VGP-DA10) allowing additional Ethernet and VGA connectivity, an optional VGP-BPL15 battery that held 4200mAh as opposed to the stock VGP-BPS15’s 2100mAh (making the P thicker and raising it at an angle in the process) plus an unusually high-res 8" X-BLACK UWXGA display providing a bright, crisp and colorful picture at the expense of compromised text readability on default DPI scale settings.
This being among several ultraportable machines from the late-2000s, the Intel Atom CPU was the premier choice of processor for netbook-type machines by several OEMs based on battery power efficiency for a few hours of usage and Sony made no exception to the rule with the P as said CPU was available in Z520, Z530 and Z540 models depending on spec, all mated to the Intel US15W “Poulsbo” chipset and Intel GMA 500 graphics solution. Also available based on configuration was anywhere from 1 to 2GB of onboard DDR2 RAM and even the choice between an HDD and the less common mSATA SSD for storage (the same SSDs that can be found on models such as the VGN-AW and the VGN-Z). Regardless, even back in the day performance across the board was found to be detrimental to the otherwise feature-packed micro-laptop’s viability in a space where netbooks with better price/performance ratios had an uphill battle of their own to earn their existence in the face of the impending smartphone revolution as we know it today. This effectively leaves the VGN-P squarely into “Novelty Item” territory.
Not that the pricing itself made it especially easy to join the “Lifestyle PC Club” as it were to begin with. Sticker prices for these tiny laptops were quite steep (base models hovering around 800 USD and top-end models going for about south of 1900 USD MSRP) and thus the P was hardly a sales hit by any stretch of the imagination, making them pretty rare and well sought-after today. Prices for used examples are typically around 250-350 USD, though it's possible to find some good deals with enough patience and sheer luck.
Detailed Specs
Processor: Intel Atom Z520/Z530/Z540 (1 core, 2 threads, 32-bit)
Graphics: Intel GMA 500 (based on PowerVR SGX535)
Chipset: Intel US15W
Memory: 1/2GB DDR2 Soldered
Display: 8" 1600x768 LED display
Storage: 60-80GB HDD, 64GB/128GB/256GB SSD options available
Weight: 1.3lbs (589g)
MSRP: Starting at $799.99
Daily Usage Today
The VGN-P is only usable for extremely basic web browsing and offline productivity tasks, due to the very weak CPU and graphics (which cannot even run Aero smoothly). Windows 10 is compatible with the VGN-P, but expect it to run very slowly, instead you are better off running Windows XP or Linux for the fastest experience. The device is incapable of any gaming except Minesweeper and Solitaire. The GMA 500 graphics also has little support for Linux, though it does work and runs better than Windows 7.
It does fit in some big pockets so it is a pretty good candidate for writing articles on the go in a very small package as the keyboard is at least not super tiny but still cramped and will not be a great typing experience.
Resources
Corel InstantON XrossMediaBar XMB Linux for Sony Vaio P series
VGN-P530H Drivers (Works on all models)