Sony’s PCG-51311L, PCG-51411L netbooks win FCC approval
A couple new netbooks from Sony appeared on the FCC today. Known as the PCG-51311L and the PCG-51411L, these netbooks feature CDMA/EVDO 850, 1900 connectivity, as well as Bluetooth and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi.
We’re not sure where these two netbooks fit into Sony’s Vaio lineup. However, test reports show that the devices use a VGP-AC19V39 AC adapter. This is the same adapter used by Vaio W Series netbooks, so we wouldn’t be surprised if these netbooks are part of the W Series as well.
Sony passes CDMA version of the Vaio P through the FCC
Sony passed the PCG-11111L notebook, pictured above through the FCC today. According to FCC test reports, the device features an 802.11 b/g/n WiFi module from Atheros, a Foxconn Bluetooth module, and CDMA/EVDO 850/1900 powered by a Qualcomm Gobi2000 module.
Sony doesn’t specify what Vaio series the PCG-11111L belongs to. However, FCC test reports show that the device uses Sony’s VGP-AC10V2 AC adapter, which is currently only used by Sony’s P Series notebooks. The PCG-11111L’s distinctive form factor, above, seems to confirm this.
We don’t have any other information about the device’s specs, but we’re confident at this point that Sony will be adding the PCG-11111L to their P Series lineup.
Teardown: Inside the Vaio X, Sony’s 1.6 pound masterpiece
Measuring only 0.55 inches thin, and weighing about a pound and a half, the Sony Vaio X is a spectacular device. It weights about half as much as the Macbook Air, and is about 0.2” thinner than the Air’s thickest point.
The Vaio X features an 11.1” LCD, SSD hard drive and Intel Atom Z550 2 GHz processor. Sony also squeezed WiFi, WWAN, GPS and Bluetooth into the X, giving users a ton of connectivity options. The device runs for 3.5 hours on the standard slim battery, or up to 14 hours with an extended battery that attaches to the bottom of the netbook.
How did Sony fit all these features into a 10.95” x 0.55” x 7.29” package? The core component of the Vaio X is the densely packed motherboard, above. To get an idea of how tiny this motherboard is, take a look at the two silver USB ports on the right side of the motherboard, each of which is only about a centimeter and a half wide.
Sony manages heat produced by the Intel Atom by covering the processor with a duct that vents air out of the back of the Vaio X. An SSD sits to the right of the processor duct. With no moving parts, the SSD also helps to decrease heat while improving battery life and durability.
WiFi is powered by the green Atheros card on the bottom left side of the device. A Bluetooth card from Broadcom sits to the left of the WiFi Card. Remarkably, this card is only about 2.5 cm long and less than a centimeter wide.
Finally, WWAN and GPS features are powered by a Qualcomm Gobi card that attaches to a separate module. The Gobi2000 is the large silver device in the picture below.
The Vaio X is really a piece of work. Sure, the Atom doesn’t give you much power, and the device’s $1,299 retail price is a bit steep for what is essentially a netbook. But as these internal pics show, the Vaio X is in many ways an engineering marvel, and certainly worth the price in my opinion.
Sony PCG-21212L is likely a new version of the Vaio W
In our last post, we noted that a seemingly new notebook from Sony called the PCG-21212L had surfaced on the FCC. While the FCC report didn’t disclose the marketing name of the device, the battery model on the PCG-21212L corresponded to the battery used for Sony Vaio W netbooks.
A closer inspection of the PCG-21212L (above left) and the Vaio W (above right, thanks to NetbookNews.com) show that these devices are nearly identical in size, shape, and label positioning.
At this point, it seems clear that the PCG-21212L is an addition to Sony’s Vaio W lineup. Unlike current Vaio W models however, the PCG-21212L does feature Gobi2000 WWAN – definitely a valuable upgrade. Let’s hope we see a processor bump as well when the PCG-21212L is released.
Sony PCG-21212L notebook/netbook passes through the FCC
This notebook from Sony passed through the FCC today, thanks to a filing by Atheros. According to label pics, this device is known as the PCG-21212L. The test report further shows that the base model for this device is PCG-2121, with the next two characters varying based on the device’s specs.
The test report of the PCG-21212L shows that the device will feature 3G WWAN powered by a Qualcomm Gobi2000. The device will also have 802.11 b/g/n WiFi from Atheros, as well as Bluetooth.
FCC documents don’t give us much more info about the PCG-21212L, and as far as we can tell this is a yet-to-be-released notebook from Sony. The test report does note that the device uses Sony VGP-BPL18 and VPG-BPS18 batteries, however. To this point, these batteries have been used exclusively for Sony Vaio W series netbooks, so this may actually be another netbook model from Sony.
