Sony U-series
Encyclopedia
The Sony U-series of subnotebook
computers refers to two series of Sony
products the PCG-U and the VGN-U . The later VGN-U were, at their release, the smallest independent computers running Windows XP
and the most powerful high-end subnotebooks at the time. The VGN-U50 and VGN-U70P models are roughly the size of two DVD cases stacked on top of each other.
The first models of the series to come out were the VGN-U50 and the VGN-U70P in Japan
. The American
model is the VGN-U750P. A VGN-U8G model was introduced for some south Asia
n countries.
Additional Specification for VGN-U Series
Other:
Docking station
:
, which allows the processor to slow down when not under load, using less power and prolonging battery life. The 1.1 GHz is a Dothan generation processor, and has a 2 MB cache, whereas the 1.0 GHz is a Banias generation CPU with only 1 MB of cache. The 900 MHz Celeron-M does not support SpeedStep, and has only 512 KB cache. Despite the Celeron-M's performance shortcomings, benchmarks show the arithmetic performance difference is marginal. Much of the performance increase seems to result from having a total of 512 MB of memory. Battery life of the Pentium-M series is said to be anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes over the Celeron-M model as a result of having SpeedStep.
and Direct3D
hardware acceleration, with a performance approximating that of a Radeon
7000 or a GeForce
1. With updated drivers from Intel, the ability to rotate the screen in 90, 180 and 270 degree modes is enabled.
The brightness of the internal display is adjustable. The brightness control has nine levels, and also the ability to turn the backlight off in direct sunlight.
The display is very small, roughly 5 inches (127 mm) diagonal; it may cause some eyestrain if it used for prolonged periods. The high DPI
resolution offers excellent viewing of images and video.
The compact USB keyboard resembles a laptop keyboard. It folds in the middle, and has a TrackStik mouse pointer in the center. When folded, the unit is approximately the same width and height of the U-series unit, and about half the thickness. Original U50 and U70p units had a faulty Synaptics driver which sometimes caused USB HID input device conflicts. Recent driver updates have resolved this issue.
s have been crippled as so not to be fully compliant as a regular memory card, and may not work.
and Bluetooth
cards will not work as there are no Windows XP drivers for any such Memory Stick IO devices at this time.
batteries available, and now some aftermarket enhanced models. The stock one that comes with all units lasts approximately two to three hours, depending on usage. An extended battery is available as an option, is about twice the thickness of the stock battery, and lasts approximately twice as long as the stock battery.
models, including the Z505, and possibly some Fujitsu
models. Please check voltage, current and power ratings to ensure maximum compatibility.
1 GB modules have since become easily available and work well. 2 GB modules may also work but are untested.
(Note that the Sony DRX-510UL drive can be used to read/write discs once Windows has booted, but the red text halfway down the page says specifically, "The DRX-510UL cannot handle [i.e., be used for] system recovery (the reinstallation of the OS).")
As of approximately January 2005, Sony Japan had discontinued the U70p, and introduced a new model, VGN-U71p. The upgraded features include a 1.1 GHz CPU with 2 MB of cache, and a 30 GB hard drive.
In December 2004, Sony USA introduced an American model, the VGN-U750. It is identical to the U70, but has an upgraded CPU of 1.1 GHz with 2 MB of cache. It forgoes the Japanese Sony DoVaio media application for an English version of Sony VAIO
Media as its media player application. In mid-February 2005, Sony USA's website stopped selling the U750.
In Hong Kong
, Singapore
, and a few other south Asian countries, Sony had introduced a regional localized model, the VGN-U8G and VGN-U8C. The U8G is identical to the U50, except it came with an external DVD+/-RW i. Link drive.
.
For a limited time, models U50/U8G/U8C/U70p/U71p/u750p were available from the following vendors (listed alphabetically): As all U models preceding the UX have been discontinued as of 2006, availability of any of the aforementioned U series models on the following websites is either nil, scarce, or sporadic.
Due to their unique design and still-considerable computational power the U series remains in high demand, evidenced by the numerous internet fan communities and the consistent high prices they fetch on online auction sites.
Subnotebook
A subnotebook is a class of laptop computers that are smaller and lighter than a typical laptop....
computers refers to two series of Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
products the PCG-U and the VGN-U . The later VGN-U were, at their release, the smallest independent computers running Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
and the most powerful high-end subnotebooks at the time. The VGN-U50 and VGN-U70P models are roughly the size of two DVD cases stacked on top of each other.
The first models of the series to come out were the VGN-U50 and the VGN-U70P in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
model is the VGN-U750P. A VGN-U8G model was introduced for some south Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n countries.
Technical specifications
| Model | Year introduced | CPU | Display | GPU | RAM | Storage | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCG-U1 | Transmeta Crusoe TM5800 @ 867 MHz | 6.4" w/1024×768 resolution | ATI Mobility Radeon M6 w/8 MB VRAM | 128 MB | 20 GB 1.8" HD | 184 mm × 139 mm × 46 mm, 860 g | ||
| PCG-U3 | Transmeta Crusoe TM5800 @ 933 MHz | 6.4" w/1024×768 resolution | ATI Mobility Radeon M6 w/8 MB VRAM | 256 MB | 20 GB 1.8" HD | 184 mm x 139 mm x 46 mm, 860 g | ||
| PCG-U101 | Intel Celeron M @ 600 MHz | 7.1" w/1024×768 resolution | ATI Mobility Radeon w/16 MB VRAM | 256 MB | 30 GB HD | 178 mm × 139 mm × 34 mm, 880 g | ||
| VGN-U50 | Intel Celeron M @ 900 MHz | 5" w/800×600 resolution | Intel 855GM | 256 MB | 20 GB 1.8" HD | 167 mm x 108 mm x 26.4 mm, 550 g | ||
| VGN-U70P | 2004 | Intel Pentium M @ 1 GHz | 5" w/800×600 resolution | Intel 855GM | 512 MB | 20 GB HD | 167 mm x 108 mm x 26.4 mm, 550 g | |
| VGN-U8G | Rebranded VGN-U50 for the Singapore market | |||||||
| VGN-U8C | Rebranded VGN-U50 for the Chinese market | |||||||
| VGN-U750P | Intel Pentium M 733 @ 1.1 GHz | 5" w/800x600 resolution | Intel 855GM | 512 MB | 20 GB 1.8" HD | 167 mm x 108 mm x 26.4 mm, 550 g | ||
| VGN-U71P | Intel Pentium M 733 @ 1.1 GHz | 5 inch 800x600 | Intel 855GM | 512 MB | 30 GB HD | 167 mm x 108 mm x 26.4 mm, 550 g |
Additional Specification for VGN-U Series
- Display: 5 in (127 mm) SVGA, 800×600, 16 million colors, touchscreen
- Keyboard: 87 keys, English/Japanese layout (connects via USB, does not attach to unit)
- Expansion ports:
- Sony Memory StickMemory StickMemory Stick is a removable flash memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998, and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks...
- CompactFlashCompactFlashCompactFlash is a mass storage device format used in portable electronic devices. Most CompactFlash devices contain flash memory in a standardized enclosure. The format was first specified and produced by SanDisk in 1994...
Type-II (can be used as 16-bit PCMCIA with proper adapter)
- Sony Memory Stick
- Soundcard: PCM 16-bit audio, mono speaker, stereo headphone jack
- Mouse: TrackStik (trackpoint-like) with 2+1 buttons (left, right, middle)
- Handwriting recognitionHandwriting recognitionHandwriting recognition is the ability of a computer to receive and interpret intelligible handwritten input from sources such as paper documents, photographs, touch-screens and other devices. The image of the written text may be sensed "off line" from a piece of paper by optical scanning or...
software: RitePen; also compatible with third-party alternatives such as PenOffice
Other:
- LCD for headphone remote, time display
- 1 USB 2.0 Port
- Power supply: AC 100/240 V (50/60 Hz) – DC 16 V/2.2 A/? W
- Size: 167 × 108 × 26.4 mm
- Weight: 550 g (incl. battery)
- Hard disk drive
- 20 GB Ultra-ATA100 [U70p/U750/U50/U8g]
- Toshiba MK2004GAL (DC 3.3 V, 500 mA)
- 30 GB Ultra-ATA100 [U71p]
- 20 GB Ultra-ATA100 [U70p/U750/U50/U8g]
- Floppy disk drive: None (optional accessory)
- Optical storage
- None (optional accessory) [U70p/U50/U750/U71p]
- DVD+/-RW Drive (external slim) [U8G]
- PCGA-DDRW2 (Firewire – DC 10 V, 1.5 A)
Docking station
Docking station
A Docking station or port replicator or dock provides a simplified way of “plugging-in” an electronic device such as a laptop computer to common peripherals...
:
- 3 additional USB 2.0 ports
- i.Link 4-pin FireWire port
- 10/100 Intel ethernetEthernetEthernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
- VGA port
CPU
The Pentium-M series CPU (1.0 GHz, 1.1 GHz) supports SpeedStepSpeedStep
SpeedStep is a trademark for a series of dynamic frequency scaling technologies built into some Intel microprocessors that allow the clock speed of the processor to be dynamically changed by software...
, which allows the processor to slow down when not under load, using less power and prolonging battery life. The 1.1 GHz is a Dothan generation processor, and has a 2 MB cache, whereas the 1.0 GHz is a Banias generation CPU with only 1 MB of cache. The 900 MHz Celeron-M does not support SpeedStep, and has only 512 KB cache. Despite the Celeron-M's performance shortcomings, benchmarks show the arithmetic performance difference is marginal. Much of the performance increase seems to result from having a total of 512 MB of memory. Battery life of the Pentium-M series is said to be anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes over the Celeron-M model as a result of having SpeedStep.
Display
The internal display has a resolution of 800x600 pixels. The integrated i855gm graphics card can display a maximum of 16 million colors. Connecting an external monitor to the VGA port of the docking station enables a maximum resolution of 1600x1200x16m. The graphics supports display cloning or extended desktop when using an extended monitor, and also supports OpenGLOpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
and Direct3D
Direct3D
Direct3D is part of Microsoft's DirectX application programming interface . Direct3D is available for Microsoft Windows operating systems , and for other platforms through the open source software Wine. It is the base for the graphics API on the Xbox and Xbox 360 console systems...
hardware acceleration, with a performance approximating that of a Radeon
Radeon
Radeon is a brand of graphics processing units and random access memory produced by Advanced Micro Devices , first launched in 2000 by ATI Technologies, which was acquired by AMD in 2006. Radeon is the successor to the Rage line. There are four different groups, which can be differentiated by...
7000 or a GeForce
GeForce
GeForce is a brand of graphics processing units designed by Nvidia. , there have been eleven iterations of the design. The first GeForce products were discrete GPUs designed for use on add-on graphics boards, intended for the high-margin PC gaming market...
1. With updated drivers from Intel, the ability to rotate the screen in 90, 180 and 270 degree modes is enabled.
The brightness of the internal display is adjustable. The brightness control has nine levels, and also the ability to turn the backlight off in direct sunlight.
The display is very small, roughly 5 inches (127 mm) diagonal; it may cause some eyestrain if it used for prolonged periods. The high DPI
DPI
DPI may stand for* Dots per inch, a measure of printing resolution* Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, an educational institution of Bangladesh* Death Pact International, one of the first open source musical concept projects...
resolution offers excellent viewing of images and video.
Keyboard
Sony VGP-KBC1 Foldable Keyboard,The compact USB keyboard resembles a laptop keyboard. It folds in the middle, and has a TrackStik mouse pointer in the center. When folded, the unit is approximately the same width and height of the U-series unit, and about half the thickness. Original U50 and U70p units had a faulty Synaptics driver which sometimes caused USB HID input device conflicts. Recent driver updates have resolved this issue.
TrackStik and mouse buttons
The pointing-head is on the right side of the unit below the directional pad. The mouse buttons are on the left side of the unit, no matter what orientation it is used in. When rotated into portrait mode, the options key, brightness, and onscreen keyboard button are remapped to the mouse buttons, and the previous mouse buttons become the new modifier buttons.CompactFlash slot
This slot will accommodate a Type-II CompactFlash device, provided there are Windows XP drivers for such a device. It will accept all valid CompactFlash memory cards. Some memory cards pulled from sealed MP3 devices such as iPodIPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
s have been crippled as so not to be fully compliant as a regular memory card, and may not work.
Memory Stick slot
The Sony Memory Stick slot is underneath the CompactFlash slot. It will accept only Memory Stick memory storage cards; Wi-FiWi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
and Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
cards will not work as there are no Windows XP drivers for any such Memory Stick IO devices at this time.
Headset connectors
There is one headset connector on the left hand side of the unit, above the button-hold switch. It also has an extended port for a headphone remote control unit, which allows one to control audio playback and read current track information. There are a couple extensions available to allow Windows Media Player and Winamp to display output to the controller unit.Rechargeable battery
There are two OEMOriginal Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
batteries available, and now some aftermarket enhanced models. The stock one that comes with all units lasts approximately two to three hours, depending on usage. An extended battery is available as an option, is about twice the thickness of the stock battery, and lasts approximately twice as long as the stock battery.
Power supply
The iGo Juice and other third party adapter manufacturers make power supplies that are compatible with the U-series. The power tip is compatible with many other SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
models, including the Z505, and possibly some Fujitsu
Fujitsu
is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
models. Please check voltage, current and power ratings to ensure maximum compatibility.
RAM & upgrading
On all models, the memory is on a proprietary daughtercard manufactured by Sony. This card has a proprietary interface, and is incompatible with all currently known memory cards. The memory is DDR 266 MHz. On models with 512 MB, the memory is maxed out. On models with 256 MB, the memory card can be removed and replaced with a 512 MB card, currently only available in Japan, but occasionally rarely found in the United States, and usually at extremely high prices.1 GB modules have since become easily available and work well. 2 GB modules may also work but are untested.
i.Link Firewire port
i.Link is Sony's name for IEEE 1394; the port is compatible with 4 pin FireWire cables, and is unpowered. 6 pin firewire cables will need an adapter. The i.Link port on the docking station additionally has a power jack next to the 4 pin jack, used only for Sony compatible CD and DVD drives. Only drives compatible with this extended power jack are capable of booting CDs and DVDs on the U-series. Other drives may work once booted into the OS, but will not boot setup CDs or DVDs. There are at least four Sony drives that will work: PCGA-CRWD2, PCGA-DVRW1, PCVA-DRW3, and PCGA-DVD1/A.(Note that the Sony DRX-510UL drive can be used to read/write discs once Windows has booted, but the red text halfway down the page says specifically, "The DRX-510UL cannot handle [i.e., be used for] system recovery (the reinstallation of the OS).")
Models and prices
The VGN-U70p was produced in 2004 in Japan. It was not available outside of Japan, but it was available via import retailers. Only Sony Japan sold the VGN-U70p version directly, while both Sony and other Japanese vendors sold the lower model VGN-U50. A memory upgrade for the U50 is rumored to exist in Japan at an extremely high price.As of approximately January 2005, Sony Japan had discontinued the U70p, and introduced a new model, VGN-U71p. The upgraded features include a 1.1 GHz CPU with 2 MB of cache, and a 30 GB hard drive.
In December 2004, Sony USA introduced an American model, the VGN-U750. It is identical to the U70, but has an upgraded CPU of 1.1 GHz with 2 MB of cache. It forgoes the Japanese Sony DoVaio media application for an English version of Sony VAIO
VAIO
VAIO is a sub-brand used for many of Sony's computer products. Originally an acronym of Video Audio Integrated Operation, this was amended to Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer in 2008 to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary...
Media as its media player application. In mid-February 2005, Sony USA's website stopped selling the U750.
In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and a few other south Asian countries, Sony had introduced a regional localized model, the VGN-U8G and VGN-U8C. The U8G is identical to the U50, except it came with an external DVD+/-RW i. Link drive.
Availability
All models of the Sony Vaio U Series have been discontinued in lieu of the new UX SeriesSony Vaio UX Micro PC
The Sony Vaio UX Micro PC is an Ultra-Mobile Portable Computer that weighs around 490-544 g with a slide-out hardware QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen, Intel Core 2 Solo processor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and WWAN...
.
For a limited time, models U50/U8G/U8C/U70p/U71p/u750p were available from the following vendors (listed alphabetically): As all U models preceding the UX have been discontinued as of 2006, availability of any of the aforementioned U series models on the following websites is either nil, scarce, or sporadic.
Due to their unique design and still-considerable computational power the U series remains in high demand, evidenced by the numerous internet fan communities and the consistent high prices they fetch on online auction sites.