Sony VAIO Z & VAIO Y Notebooks Now Shipping With MiFi-like Functionality

Tweet

Sharing your 3G mobile connection is becoming more and more common these days. After all, the MiFi has been around for a while now and we have also begun to see several mobile phones offering similar functionality. Take for example the Palm Pre Plus, Pixi Plus as well as Android handsets running 2.2 Froyo. Well, that same feature can now be found in select Sony VAIO notebooks.

Yup, Sony has officially announced that the VAIO Z and Y series notebooks will have a new feature called “Share My Connection” which turns your notebook into a portable hotspot. They are also noted as being the world’s first to offer this out-of-the box.

The details are similar to what we have seen with the MiFi routers and when using a VAIO equipped with Share My Connection (SMC) you will be able to share that connectivity with up to five other devices. Also, similar to the MiFi router these five other devices can be anything from mobile phones to other notebooks to MP3 players and even portable game systems. Basically if your device has Wi-Fi you should be good to go.

The catch comes in regards to the service plan that will be attached, which means a wireless contract with Verizon Wireless.

Otherwise, in terms of the notebooks — they include the VAIO Y and VAIO Z series, which are priced from $770 and $1950 respectively.

As for the features of those notebooks, the VAIO Z comes with a 13.1 inch high resolution display, optical DVD drive, a battery life of up to 7 hours and a carbon fiber and aluminum casing. Also, the VAIO Z weighs in at about 3 pounds. The VAIO Z series are currently listed on the Sony Style website and available as a pre-orer item.

In terms of the VAIO Y, this one is not quite as fortunate and has not yet been listed. That said, it does feature a 13.3 inch display with a 1.2 inch profile. Otherwise, the VAIO Y is said to have a “lower power consumption for improved battery life” as well as a variety of exterior colors to include purple violet, fuchsia pink, pear green, teal blue and black.

Finally, according to the Sony Style website these models will be up for regular availability beginning on June 20th.