For years, Sony’s Vaio series of laptops were the most well designed notebooks out there. Apple’s stolen a bit of their thunder, and other competitors have caught up, but if you want an attractive laptop with an amazing design, the upper-tier Vaios are some of the best looking and most solid notebooks to this day.
That may be set to change though. According to Techspot, Sony is in the process of forming a new Vaio division, with the resulting laptops designed by third parties. According to Vaio Business Group deputy President Ryosuke Akahane, the company will split its laptop business into two groups: the first will continue to produce the Vaio systems we all know and love, while the second division will brand systems made by external companies.
You shouldn’t notice a lot of difference in external appearance: the second division’s laptops still need to be approved by Sony and will be branded accordingly. The way they will differ will be in specs: the first division’s laptops will use the latest processors and hardware, and they will only trickle down to second-tier notebooks over time and when they get cheap enough.
According to Akahane, the new strategy is meant to combat rivals like HP and Apple. Still, you might want to look closely at any VAIO you’re buying next year: if it’s priced too cheaply, it’s likely a less powerful second tier notebook.