VAIO has introduced its new C15 laptop, and while it looks like it is only available in Japan right now, it's a model to keep an eye on. The C15 laptops feature an unusual color design, with multiple colors being paired together in bold, large stripes across the keyboards and lids. The company bids these as premium laptop offerings, and the price matches that notion: the model costs a little more than $900 USD.
Partly thanks to the rise of smartphones and tablets, the once lucrative PC market has been losing its luster for almost half a decade now. These are desperate times for many PC makers, which call for desperate measures. Three Japanese companies have been reported to be close to showing their desperation, by joining forces to tackle the common foe of declining PC sales. That VAIO, Fujitsu, Toshiba merger might actually even happen before the end of March. However, that drop might not even make any ripple in the global PC market.
When Sony sold off its VAIO PC brand, it was presumed that the new VAIO company would busy itself with only PCs. Last year, however, the Japanese company unveiled its first ever smartphone, unsurprisingly an Android mobile device. Now it's unveiling its second, and, as the rumors have suggested, it is indeed running Windows 10 Mobile. VAIO Phone Biz, as it is called, is clearly designed for the business man or woman, but with less than "serious business" specs but with a lot of business-class looks.
Vaio has made its intention to unveil a new Windows 10 powered smartphone in the next few days official. The announcement will come on February 4, only two days from now. The new smartphone will be unveiled at an event hosted by Vaio president Ota Yoshimi and Microsoft's Japanese president.
If you haven't heard of a VAIO computer for a while, that's because the new Japanese company temporarily closed its doors to the international market soon after Sony sold off its PC business. October last year saw the first ever VAIO computer from the new company, the VAIO Z Canvas, arrive in the US. Now, VAIO is bringing not one but two, actually three, new notebooks, the VAIO Z flagship model and the VAIO S standard model, to the US as well, addressing what VAIO says are the pain points of business professionals: lots of battery and lots of ports.
Three major computer makers have announced that they are considering merging their PC operations to create a single company with the largest market share in Japan. The three firms are Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Vaio. Combined the three firms would own 30% of the Japanese PC market.
The VAIO Z Canvas convertible laptop is now available in the United States. We’ve previously reported on this laptop a couple times; it features a tablet portion and a matching keyboard, and is aimed at the creative users out there — those with demanding needs who require a precise stylus and high quality display, among other things. VAIO Corporation first showcased a prototype of the convertible at the Adobe MAX conference in 2014.
The Vaio Z Canvas convertible laptop, not to be mistaken with the older Sony Vaio Z, has gone up for preorder in the United States following its unveiling earlier this year. This PC is designed for the creative individuals out there, those who dabble in the digital arts and such; it comes with a distinct high-end flavor. As with most other convertibles, the display can be detached from the keyboard.
It was over a year ago that Sony spun off its VAIO PC brand, selling it to Japan Industrial Partners, who chose to limit their products to the Japanese market. But now, the reborn VAIO computers are ready to go international, and the company says it will begin selling them in the US starting in October. The first model will be the VAIO Canvas Z, a "monster tablet" with a detachable keyboard, and it will be available on VAIO's US website and at Microsoft's retail stores starting October 5th.
Most manufacturers are eager to jump on the Windows 10 bandwagon but one former PC maker doesn't seem to be in a rush. Although it has already sold off its VAIO PC business to a Japanese company, Sony is still required to support its existing models in the market. As part of that, it will, of course, need to roll out Windows 10 eventually. "Eventually" here being sometime in Fall apparently. Sony is warning users to stay away from Windows 10 at least for the time being.
It has been little over a year since Sony sold off its VAIO PC business to Japan Industrial Partners in an attempt to gird up its loins and focus on its core products (though it may repeat that process again soon). VAIO has recently been doing what we expect it to do: put out and sell laptops and tablets. So imagine the tech world's surprise when word got out that VAIO will actually be announcing a smartphone next month, either in competition or in cooperation with Sony.
Sony may have given up the fight, but VAIO, now a company in its own right, is still fighting the good fight. In fact, the now Japanese-owned PC maker has just unveiled two new members of its family, one of which could take on the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. One reuses the VAIO Z name, but with a completely different design, while the other calls itself the VAIO Z Canvas. What both have in common, aside from some specs, is that they are both convertibles.
