Sony's VAIO... They Got Real Weird

[@simonro9168]

The Vaio logo combining an analog waveform and digital 1 and 0 is still such a cool and underappreciated logo IMO

[@J.Wick.]

YES! Always thought that was so cool.

[@iO-Sci]

Vaio was serene and cool logo in my viewpoint 내 관점에서는 V.A.I.O가 고요하고 독특한 로고였다.

[@igeekone]

VAIO is also an acronym. The meaning changed a couple times from the original. "Originally an acronym of Video Audio Input Output, later amended to Video Audio Integrated Operation,[6] and later to Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer in 2008 to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary." ~from Wikipedia.

[@J.Wick.]

@@igeekone Further proof of them killing the logo game.

[@Yeen125]

It was designed by the same designer responsible for the iconic PlayStation controller and symbols (Teiyu Goto).

[@lucasn0tch]

I loved Vaio when I was a young child. They made some very unique computers that no one dares to make today.

[@steveftoth]

I think Sony was making computers as test beds for other smaller manufacturers. And or to show up Apple.

[@gsxerwhite]

I thought it was Sonys chance to give apple a run for their money but apple had the student discount market crushed in 2006

[@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy]

@@gsxerwhite Most of their things were made for domestic Asian markets and Europe. Sony couldnt care less about competition with Apple because Apple didn't sold worldwide. Even today I rarely see Apple products popping up on used markets, usually they come from some oddball German businesses that went out of work decade ago and their storage been cleared only now. Most of those things are completely trashed and end up as ewaste anyway. Perhaps USA / NATO offices that have western staff on too stationed in Germany. Other then that there is zero f--ks given here for Apple since day one. Because we always had plenty of cheaper and better alternatives to choose from.

[@Jabjabs]

It is like that goofy design stage of the "We must out do iMacs!" never stopped. Almost like nobody on the design team knew the word "no"

[@MateoThePro]

HTC too

[@combusean]

I always assume with these weird all-in-ones is that they sold well in Japan where people don't have a lot of room in their apartments. It would have been no huge issue to adapt them to the export market where there's a niche of brand loyalists that don't mind paying the price, sort of like apple fanboys but less purpose driven.

[@scottcol23]

absolutely. Most of the stuff we though was weird in the US was intended for the Japanese market.

[@thehobnob]

Amazing that you got one with it's original software. Please get it archived somewhere, finding VAIO recovery disks is a nightmare!

[@obsoletebutneat]

Having that same problem...

[@tyleralley6177]

I have that same model ND need the original software as someone reset it and now it only has xp :( no TV functionality

[@RisingRevengeance]

It's crazy how many Vaio machines have software that is essentially lost media. I've never really heard of many having issues finding drivers and whatnot for other old systems. I guess it goes to show how little they sold. Perhaps its easier to find it all in japanese.

[@everythingpony]

Did he every archive it? I cant find it for my build

[@ATCRyderX]

@@RisingRevengeance I'm not sure they didn't sell very many. Perhaps this model specifically but still. Sony VAIOs were creme dela creme & VERY popular & well-marketed in the US. Anyways, Everyone in this comment thread should take a look at the Wayback Archive & Search under "Software" for whatever you're needing. From Adult Technology not dirty little cellphones but I shouldn't have to tell you lot.

[@infusion111]

The second DVD player that opened is Inter Actual - it used to be included on some DVDs back in the day and would autorun when you insert in a PC. So the Vaio not actually fully to blame for the messy software issues!

[@elphive42]

InterActual is widely regarded as malware these days, due to interfering with computers on a driver level.

[@ooTruffle]

This (i found it on a shrek dvd)

[@linalmeemow]

I remember seeing these on sale in Bic Camera when I lived in Tokyo. The mistake you're making is looking at these through the American lens - they're designed for tiny Japanese apartments, where they'd remove the need for a separate PC, TV, DVD, VCR and CD player and all the space that goes with having all those different devices. The average owner at the time would be using this as a PC for web browsing mainly, and some email; the multimedia parts were the big selling point. I had a play around with one in the shop and was impressed at the time with how the interface worked, but this was the Japanese version of the software and the version it was designed to work with. I'd hazard a guess that the software on the English version was an afterthought, hence the multiple DVD applications...

[@AaronOfMpls]

Somebody also mentioned, that first DVD-playing app was included on some DVDs of the era. It autoruns when you put the disk in a Windows PC (at least if you don't turn Windows' autorun off).

[@linalmeemow]

@@AaronOfMpls That's a new one on me but I can well believe it

[@meatbyproducts]

These were perfect for small living spaces, especially if you were single.

[@larrylaffer3246]

Back when Sony's higher price was somewhat justified because they usually included all kinds of fun stuff.

[@alexeitimashkov7625]

this computer does not show anything outstanding for that time. and it has a terrible keyboard.

[@40percentyt]

Recovery media for Vaio machines is notoriously difficult to find, *especially* the drivers. I would almost be thankful for them being included

[@majinshinsa]

I remember when Windows XP had the built in media center and you could record TV. That feature was really neat

[@mortenthorpe]

Yeah, but with digital tv today, that will never be available- breaks copyright

[@RisingRevengeance]

My family had this really dope hp media center prebuilt around this time. Came with a remote and could connect to anything. Even the monitor it came with was awesome for many years. I still keep that remote and its adapter around because its so good. Wish I still had the rest.

[@coyote_den]

@@mortenthorpeIt does not, just like VCRs and DVRs don't. And it is available today as long as you have an ATSC or CableCARD tuner like the various HDHomerun models. They're networked devices so anything on your LAN can view or record.

[@coyote_den]

@@WhiteG60 I've used Media Center ever since XP, first with analog and ATSC tuners, then Vista brought CableCARD support so I got a Ceton 4-tuner card. Lives in my desktop PC, with Xbox 360s on the TVs. That worked up through Windows 8.1. Still using the CableCARD on Windows 10 with NextPVR, just replaced the Xbox 360 extenders with the NextPVR app for Apple TV. It's a lot cheaper and more flexible than renting set-top boxes from Verizon.

[@Mortenthorpe-DK]

@@coyote_den vcrs have analog video tuner inputs, and fairly sure dvrs do too… I don’t know a single recorder tgat permits to record direct digital (mpeg2 or mpeg4 compressed) broadcasted tv… do you?

[@MaddTheSane]

11:31 You don't remember the InterActual DVD player? It was featured in a lot of DVDs released around that time. It usually allowed DVDs to directly access extra, PC-only features from the DVD menu.

[@AdmiralSym]

Loved all VAIO computers as a kid. I wanted anything they made, especially the Vaio P

[@DanaDoesStuff]

Ahhh, the Vaio line! I remember those days well. The entire PC market was changing from the standard old beige boxes, but it seemed like the only company setting any design trends at the time was Apple. Sony made a valiant effort at it, taking the “keep throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks” approach. Some of their designs were winners, others… Well, not so much. 😂

[@Da40kOrks]

It needs media center edition. That was great for tv. I had one as a bedroom tv/spare gaming pc that went through many iterations including an upgrade to vista and it's awesome media center. Even survived the digital transition because the Microsoft remote i used had an ir blaster that could control the digital converter. I have nearly a decade of tv on pc experience and loved it, being able to record shows for later watching (from any pc on the network) and only one device in a limited space.

[@bhilgefort]

I had a Dell that I customized and it was EPIC!! I had a Media Center Edition and I completely understand what you mean. My Media Center PC was actually my only TV and I had a 27” monitor. I recorded all of my shows and it was an AMAZING experience. I still keep my Windows remote and there was also a keyboard that went with it (which I still have) that allowed it to be wireless. I’m guessing that the cable companies who owned the digital rights are the ones who ruined this for us all. I got to watch this all get torn down because of DRM. Maybe I’m crazy but DRM might be our downfall. It’s the reason your favorite holiday movie is paywalled.

[@TonyCR1975]

Vaio was quality and innovation in its own, was so sad to see them leaving the market

[@protocetid]

They’re still making laptops, they look dull compared to their past designs but I didn’t look very close.

[@dueeek]

I remember reading about this in a magazine when I was a kid. That, and the Microsoft Surface coffee table from 2008 were the two things that got me most hyped for the tech that will be released in the future. Well, the future is here and saying I'm disappointed is an understatement.

[@Doc_Valparaiso]

Remember when tablets (iPad) first came out? I recall watching a late night monologue where the host basically called the iPad useless. There was this weird window in time where the tech was there, but devs were still trying to figure out how to make intuitive apps. I also recall a phone/tablet (remember "phablets"?) that featured a resistive screen with several rows of buttons underneath the screen. It was marketed to people who wanted a tablet but also wanted the tactile feeling of buttons. ...That 2008 Surface table also had me hyped. I remember watching the demo on a morning show. My unimpressed cousin was like "we already have touchscreens at atm's and the grocery store".🤦‍♂

[@G1NZOU]

@@Doc_Valparaiso I remember, to me I think the first iPad had a serious misstep with not including a front facing camera, it was just as video calling was getting popular and it was more convenient to make a video call on an iPad's larger screen than on the iPhone 4 that came out the same year, apart from early adopters I don't think the iPad truly took off until the second gen. I loved the Surface table though, people mocked it for what it was without realising that it was intended as a demonstration of the potential concepts for a wider range of touchscreen and device integrations. My favourite thing about it was the placing a phone or camera on it and having the ability to drag thumbnails from around it to view.

[@TheDemocrab]

I can see why this could be useful considering I did something similar with my custom-build PC as a teenager. Didn't have a lot of space in my bedroom, so I got a PCI TV tuner card with composite input for watching TV and playing PS2 on rather than the separate TV.

[@JeremyLevi]

Same, but as a post-secondary student living in a shared apartment. A repurposed secondary used PC with a TV tuner card was a lot more useful than a standalone TV and DVD player. Not only could I watch TV and movies and record shows in the background while I was gaming on my main PC but I could use it for other time consuming tasks like ripping new CDs that I bought down to mp3s, etc. It also meant I had a second PC available for some light LAN gaming if a friend stopped by for an evening of whatever the latest 4X strategy game was, at a time where laptops and online play weren't quite ubiquitous yet.

[@astererratum6546]

I had a vaio pc. I absolutely LOVED it. I kept it all the way up till graduation in 2015. I was so stupid not taking it with me when i moved out. I miss that computer every single day. Still have my collection of old programs.

[@mckay5933]

Dang man.. be gentle with this PC! There are still some of us that would love to have that computer. When I was young. I soooo wanted this computer but couldn't afford it. I had a picture of it on my wall. A dream picture. ha

[@draygosmith]

I did temp data entry back in the early 2000s. It was mostly boring, except when I showed up at one company who plopped me down in front of one of *these* bad boys. Eight hours a day typing on one of these things, for two weeks...

[@AdamIsUrqed]

I wanted a Vaio so bad in the mid 90s as a teen. Buggers were just rad looking to me. Shiny tech-nerd heaven compared to the boring beige I was used to with PCs.

[@superchief64]

I collect Sony VAIO computers and have many of them from the original PCV-90 to once that run i7's. I still have yet to get one of these all-in-one computers! Great video!

[@kbhasi]

(10:49) I think that was a result of the specific DVD you put in and may be done as part of some DRM stuff and/or Windows XP enchanced content, as the software that loaded and played the disc appeared to have been loaded from the disc itself. I remember putting in a VCD into an LG laptop running Windows XP and some Roxio software loaded instead of the disc loading in the preloaded version of PowerDVD. If i recall correctly, Windows XP was the last Windows release to support automatically launching software from external storage devices (like DVDs, CDs, and USB flash drives), because at the time, malware authors would program their Trojans to infect USB flash drives with copies of themselves that would then automatically launch when connected to another PC running Windows XP and infect that PC, like that LG laptop I mentioned after connecting the flash drive to a cousin's "DGT" custom-built PC that was infected with a Trojan that used exploits to flag itself as a Windows system file and throttle the Internet connection. That actually happened.

[@resneptacle]

Autorun was enabled all the way up to Windows 8.1 IIRC with a dialog that asked you what to do with the disc, however you could set it to autolaunch a program too

[@frozendude707]

@@resneptacle You could, but it was in Windows XP that Microsoft changed the default ability for the media itself to force the computer to execute software when inserted, it was i think around win 7-8ish where the option to let software run without prompting the user first was removed completely, made my life a bit harder since I used that on my own USB sticks.

[@AnonymousFreakYT]

Exactly this.

[@Yeen125]

Sony’s Music division was infamous for doing this in the mid-2000s with a few of their CDs that had DRM that installed a rootkit when you inserted it into a Windows XP PC.

[@tangelogee]

Yeah. InterActual DVD was on a lot of DVDs at the time, as they assumed people didn't have a DVD player software on their machines. Then it tried to take over as the default once installed.

[@apl175]

Space Shuttle Hi-Tech is a major cable manufacturer for OEMs. They been around since the mid 80s.

[@jaxcrum1707]

I could see a second generation of fhis workinf really well. Something like a 32 inch 1440p TV wirh a wireless keyboard and mouse and decently powerful pc slipped inside. Ship it with a tv remote that only does volume, input switching and a play/pause function. Input switching would swap between a built in chromecast/airplay device and an HDMI input. College kids would love this. Sit ar your desk and do your auto cad work and then push your chair and then play some counter strike and rhen flip up the keyboard hit a button on the remote and then your computer becomes a spotify speaker with cool artwork on it. Sneak a girl into your dorm and cast some netflix to your computer from your phone. Have the boys down the hall over for some smash bros and someone can just plug their switch dock into your computer and you're up and running.

[@KingKrouch]

On the topic of the different media player loading, InterActual player having custom themes depending on the DVD you loaded was such a cool and novel thing, and it's such a shame to see it not really functional nowadays.

[@mexicantrashfilms5445]

I have that! My grandfather bought it brand new in 2004. Still works, sits on my desk and plays DVD's. It's what it does all day.

[@shimageek]

This computer was the bomb back in the day. My mom had it and loved it.

[@joshjacobson9846]

This unlocked memories of CompUSA having SOOO many PC TV Tuners on display around 2007. It was so ubiquitous, I almost bought a TV Tuner card to put into my desktop at the time

[@ruijipikunitsuku]

Damn. I remember seeing one of these in a cheap electronics repair shop for sale for $400... in 2018. I think I tried to bargain for it but they were pretty set on that price for a Windows XP machine 15 years later. Maybe they knew something I didn't.

[@ashwinnair1987]

there are models with built in minidisc net md player in them.. PCV-W121 for example that looks similar.

[@chistinelane]

They did, that's a pretty fair price for a piece of computing history.

[@frozendude707]

3:47 Technically not Firewire, rather it is Sonys own i-Link interface that is based on the same IEEE1934 spec, but with some extra stuff on top to interface with their camcorders, cameras, music devices, etc.

[@Nukle0n]

"don't tell the MPAA" as if recording TV isn't perfectly legal, people did it on VHS for decades.

[@drgw1506]

The Keyboard does flip all the way up. when doing this the music software would kick in and show album art of whatever you were playing. To flip it up you need to tilt the screen all the way back first. I still have this machine from when we bought it new, we used it as "The kitchen computer" for years. I'm very tempted to figure out a way to put new hardware inside just cause.

[@AnonymousFreakYT]

My next door neighbor had one of these back when it was new. It was their primary family computer for a few years until their oldest kid went off to college and took it with them and the parents upgraded. At the time, I ran a small business doing computer repair. I had to fix problems for them *OFTEN*. (Almost always software problems from their teenagers getting malware on it.) The physical design was interesting, though. Especially the "idle mode" with the keyboard folded up. (Which you didn't even show!) You could fold the keyboard in half like you showed where it sat folded up entirely below the monitor; but you could also rotate the whole keyboard mechanism up so that it covered the bottom 1/2 of the display. It would detect this and enter an "idle mode" where it would show a clock and some other information that escapes me on the top half. (Weather maybe? Audio track information if you were playing a CD? I don't remember.)

[@1eyedwilli3]

I wanted this SO BAD when I was a kid. But my grandmother bought us a 17” iMac G4. Which I ended up over clocking to hell and back.

[@MendenLama]

In the mid 2000s I had another Vaio all-in-one with tv tuner card and media center software preinstalled. It used to have the same remote control like this one here. While the Sony branded media software tended to crash from time to time, the media streaming to the bigger screen tv over ethernet worked rather good.

[@dancingwiththedogsdj]

The issue with the player was obviously just due to Windows having Media Player the default player even when manufactures preferred other options for whatever reason and since people wouldn't switch the setting it would just become a hassle and then not used nearly as often or thought of as clunky, but a few minutes of customization would get it working much much more effectively... love those Sony products.. Great video!!

[@alextirrellRI]

It's giving 'Dorm Room' PC but apparently it kinda sucks at typing, one of the main things you need to do in college.

[@nmach699]

my first laptop was a vaio and it was awesome, that problem with 2 different programs running when you put the DVD in was a on disc DVD player software. If you didnt have a DVD player then bought a DVD ROM for your PC but then forgot that you need DVD player software...at least you can watch the movie you bought.

[@l0ud5p34k4]

10:49 I don't think that this is Sony's or CyberLink's fault, maybe Sony should have turned off automatic playback for video DVDs in the Windows control panel but DVDs from that era often came with a version of Interactual Player right on the disk, so you could watch them on a PC without buying a DVD playback software.

[@jufe112]

My first pc was a 233mhz pentium II Vaio desktop running windows 95, it was like this light purple/grey color that looked way different than any PC on the market, the stand of its crt monitor had a subwoofer built-in. I loved that pc

[@paulmorley1225]

VAIO's designs are standing the test of time that's for sure, they're all aesthetically pleasing to me.

[@Wobble2007]

Suprised to hear you call the amazing Sony UMPC's like the Vaio P "terrible", they are amazing little handhelds and pioneered the UMPC market to what it is today, we may not have the GPD Win Mini or Steam Deck if it wasn't for the Sony UMPC's paving the way for them.

[@LouisSubearth]

The Vaio UX was a far better handheld. The P was beautifully designed, but the compromises to make it work make it a tough sell.

[@michaelrichardson754]

You can change the default autoplay settings for the DVD app in the control panel

[@sstires]

I have one of the first Vaio PC's I bought new in 1997 PCV-70 166mhz Pentium 2gb hdd and 32mb edo ram . Still works with Vaio space .

[@benny21293]

the second dvd player could be a application included on the dvd itself and it automatically started because XP automatically ran whatever was specified in the autorun file

[@caviar_dreamz]

Some early DVD's have built in DVD media player software, some CD's have it too.

[@dowblab]

I loved my Vaio. Lucky enough to get an FW series as a kid. It was a beast of a laptop. Blu-ray read/write drive and Full HD screen. I always loved Vaio and being able to get one was such a dream. It actually still runs and has held up very well to this day

[@miasma82]

Really hope you reach 100k subs soon. You deserve it man. Have watched you for a long time. You always have interesting and funny content ☺️

[@hackhp]

My first laptop was a Vaio PCG-F270 and it was awesome to watch DVDs on when the format was still brand new. People were always amazed by it!

[@MajorOutage]

I'm pretty sure the second DVD player was an autoplay thing (loaded from the disc). Note that it was also Universal branded.

[@nottoofast]

I have yet to see a Sony Vaio I haven’t loved the look of.

[@XeonProductions]

That is one beautiful chungus of a computer.

[@phillipmacdonald]

I loved this machine it was a fast machine ,tv media centre looked great in my kitchen dinning room. I also loved the handheld mini vaio pc, imagine what they could make today with ultra high speed cpu,s ams memmory.

[@xcruell]

Apart from the awful 2000s design, i kinda like how it's made (when it works, that is). The VAIO OSD was ok too, not much but all the features it advertised, all working over the remote. Thanks for this video :)

[@ItsaB3AR]

My first ever laptop was a Vaio running XP, I loved that thing. Sadly the motherboard died.

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

Way cooler looking then my thrift store find VGC RB30 model (especially since someone nicked the OEM ATI card and the AV media card it should've had installed ) I turned into a Pentium 4 retro gaming XP machine.

[@westtell4]

it loaded interactual player something that used to come standard on a bunch of DVD's and would automatically install/run when u put the DVD In a PC it was MPAA malware... also disabled the ability for ur computer to rip DVD's

[@rfvtgbzhn]

So he should have disabled autorun before inserting the DVD.

[@Scott_G]

I've got a VAIO laptop sitting right here. If the onboard graphics hadn't have crapped out, making the fonts look weird, I'd probably still use it as a backup.

[@retrodude6215]

The Vaio VGN-AR series released a couple of years later had a massive 17 INCH screen and also managed to shoehorn all of your VAIO's features into that laptop in a sleek package. I should know as it's my main laptop!

[@LabCat]

I have an earlier one of these I'm restoring. It's a real pain because I'm 99% sure the power supply is defunct, but it uses a proprietary power supply that doesn't seem to fit any ATX spec. Sony said they don't have any information available for VAIOs anymore, and there are no specs in the public domain I can find. I'm glad yours works a treat - make sure you keep those fans blown out!

[@Nothingspeshalwaysfresh]

I owned this computer. It was great at the time.

[@jaydream9646]

That would have been a Great way to video Record ps3 2 & 1 game play back in the day

[@javierdavidferreiros8834]

I have a SONY VAIO VGC-LT35E AIO with a 24" screen. Unfortunately, it has an Nvidia Geforce 8400M GT graphics chip, making ten vertical stripes on the screen. A friend reflowed it (which would technically be wrong) and it lasted only one week. I'm waiting for someone to reball it. However, when it worked well, with a Linux Mint Mate, it worked great. Excellent video, greetings.

[@FT-pu1zn]

Hey! I have this one! I still use it for CDs and some light XP era games when im feeling nostalgic

[@CubeAtlantic]

i haven't seen those "Vaio" computers in yrs that kind of boosted-up relaxed & good nostalgia.

[@icanrunat3200mhz]

11:26 There are not. This is that dreadful era when DVD playback software was included on-disc and Windows would happily autorun anything you shoved into the PC. Had a lot fun back in the day with a script that changed the wallpaper (or other, more mischievous environment variables) and a USB drive. Remember kids, lock your workstations.

[@garrykanter5773]

Look at all those ports! A masterpiece. Really.

[@animeloveer97]

For the time that was not very many ports actually lol. Most PCs I had growing up with xp had like 6 USB ports w/Ethernet and modem 😂

[@Kyle-xv5kv]

Oh wow! That's a throwback, I've got a Vaio VGC M1 and its a beast, but its also super heavy, I love that 10G, it feels aged yet futuristic and It looks far nicer to work on too!

[@brulsmurf]

vaio was so futuristic. still love all their silly stuff

[@TheLionAndTheLamb777]

That IDE cable is a Shuttle brand. I had a Shuttle Athlon XP Motherboard. Shuttle makes a lot of industrial motherboards, computers, and also cables. I have a 1 meter long Shuttle SATA cable that is super handy for testing. They have made computer products since I think the 2nd half of the 1980's. Most of their stuff is not really intended for home users but you will find them sometimes in prebuilt and industrial devices.

[@mountainmanmcbeachfront5296]

Yo that interface when you were trying to start the DVD was awesome! The sounds, the giga, the vaio. It reminds me of how cool 2000s japanese tech was.

[@branhicks]

I think that 2nd DVD software might have been something included on the actual DVD itself

[@RocktCityTim]

I owned the Vaio VE505N and it was a fantastic little (and I do mean little) laptop. It was so small that it fit into a file folder pocket in my briefcase. But, the "dynamite stick" batteries got me pulled out of line at the airport more times than not. I eventually moved it from Windows 2000 to a TSX-11 Linux build (and discovered 1280x1024 video for the first time). The size finally became an issue and I moved up to an IBM Thinkpad with a larger display. Still 1280x1024, but much less squinting.

[@whitexeno]

I had 2 vaio desktops growing up. The first one was pretty standard, the second one was a semi normal tower design except the top where the disk drives were was separated from the main body.

[@yusef3132]

Find a modern motherboard for it. 3D print the bottom of keyboard. Keep keyboard closed. Get a mechanical one lol. SSD. Memory. Egpu. Install lineageos. Or just Kodi Hook it up to an hdhomerun... Youll have a weird little media center... And a nice convo piece.. lol

[@TrusteftTech]

I always wanted VAIO computers, but never managed to get one. They were usually style over substance, and I knew that. Which is partly why I never got one. Since I was never rich, I just avoided buying one when I had money for computers. I can't remember if I have ever seen this before or not. Reaching the point where I forget what I used to know. The system looks potentially very cool. Not sure if any of the media playing and game playing issues can be fixed easily with some tinkering or not. My guess is yes. The rubber dissolving is a known issue for many PCs of the time and earlier. Shame really. When I first noticed it on a laptop I bought new back in 2002, I actively avoid buying any equipment coated with the material. Cool video, thank you for sharing.

[@mikek1187]

Rarely, did a VAIO show up to one of our LAN parties back in the day as stock. Because these were sold as-is at Best-Buy or Fry's (unlike Dell, where you could customize), the guys had to add 3'rd party GPUs and extra RAM, etc., to make decent gaming rigs. More often than not, our same group of friends (and extended friends) would just build their own rigs - or pay one of us to build it for them for MUCH cheaper than a VAIO.

[@jeffhalebopp]

Congrats for the very soon to be 100,000 subs. So close.

[@PaulKeppler]

I got a viao out of a dumpster growing up. Not that one. But very unique all in one with a dedicated graphics card. After cooking the motherboard it came to life and was a great computer.

[@MichaelLasotaMusic]

When did you get the red star tattoo on your left arm?

[@Errcyco]

In like 97-2000 Sony did some really fun stuff. Even thier portable CD Players were pretty neat. Like 1% bigger than the disk itself AND had a little screen. Neat stuff.

[@jyoungpa]

I bought a Vaio in 2001 for my first apartment and it made my living room feel so chill

[@parkersmith2000]

My computer case is this awesome Vaio tower from the early 2000's. I bought it from my boss when i was working at a pizza joint a few years back. I love how Aperture-esq it looks

[@kkolakowski]

I think that one of the reason why Sony did such experiments with their VAIO computers were small constraints of Asian apartments. They are so small, so it might have sense to have a one device that works both as TV and "all in one" computer. Not a completely bad idea, but execution in this one is simply sub-par (except design, which is quite nice!)

[@Afsafs123]

I just wish the Vaio line was less expensive on the second hand market, because they're seriously cool.

[@merkeet]

I had a Vaio Multiflip laptop for like 10 years, I loved the thing.

[@stevethepocket]

Having TV recording software built in was a cool trick. My dad bought a computer with a tuner card in 2010, I think, and it relied on Windows Media Center and... _maybe_ had that ability? Trouble was, he never did get around to running the TV cable down to the computer room, so by the time there was any way to try it out, he had already upgraded to Windows 10 and Media Center was discontinued.

[@laurensnieuwland4657]

Awesome! I've got exactly the same machine, but the HDD has died... Could you maybe send me a HDD clone? Or do you happen to have the restore disc?

[@Hellmark]

Watching the plastic crumble brings back some nightmares. I remember I had bought a Vaio, and a week after I got it it overheated and the plastic began falling apart.

[@timotheatae]

Talk about an all-in-one, all it needed was Trackpoint! I absolutely love its design, for whatever that says of me.

[@links-awakening]

I bought one of these new…tried for a while to get one from Japan and then they launched the W in the UK. I managed to spill water on the keyboard which broke it 😂. At the time it was very futuristic. If you shut the keyboard it left half the screen exposed and featured a Vaio “time of day” screen saver which changed according to the time.

[@gaxiola1701]

I had a Sony VAIO all-in-one from around 2009. It was black, had a detached keyboard, and had similar features media such as TV input, remote control and a Blu-ray drive. The timing for getting a system like that was just a bit off as it came with a Core2Quad processor that always spun up the fan for any kind of workload. Like other all-in-ones, it had a mobile Nvidia GPU that was pretty terrible for playing any current games. It worked well enough but I never used it's video inputs and the software it came with to its fullest. I ended up keeping it for almost 6 years because I had spent a good amount on it but by then Sony was exiting the PC business.

[@95Comics]

This looks kewl. Would this be a usable everyday streaming device if you install puppy linux and max the memory out? Is there anyway to use some type of available port to add a video card?

[@JeremyLevi]

I think the best you'd be able to do about the very sad onboard video would be one of those weird external USB2.0 video cards (like the ones Startech, etc sell) to add a second video output to a laptop that doesn't have one. Of course then you'd only get the better performance on an external display though. Kinda defeats the purpose of the whole AIO form factor of the thing.

[@Sb129]

I adore the fact that the recorded video icon was a video tape 8:49 Also it is extra amusing to me that Sony was still making great quality TVs back then as well as the PS2. You know, the perfect DVD player since it could also play games? Lol~ Sony really didn't need to sell PCs back then and it shows since they could just experiment away.

[@RussianSevereWeatherVideos]

Purple mouse! Also, nifty that the PrintPal thingy is still around and looking as 03 as ever!

[@horacegentleman3296]

This reminds me a lot of my first NAVI running Copeland OS back in 99. Very neat.

[@Oberkaptain]

I had one of those. Played a lot of N64 on it when I was younger. I didn't have room for both a TV and a computer at the time.

[@cypherian2]

My Mom had a VAIO similar to this. We never could get the TV function to work reliably!

[@kingcrimson234]

I have a similar model, weird hardly begins to describe it... but I love it.

[@TechnoLadz]

Correction: Hamster Mouse is there - just not where I expected it lol. Expected it below the subscribe link - but is above lol.