Sony VAIO NW Reviewed: Is Blu-ray Worth It?

The Sony VAIO NW, which we just reviewed, is notable for the fact that it’s one of the least expensive notebooks to feature a Blu-ray player.  Our configuration lists for $879, but you can find it as low as $799 online. Is this the tipping point for Blu-ray to reach mass adoption, or has the time for high-definition optical media already passed? First, the argument for Blu-ray: Now that Blu-ray players can be had for less than $200–even from big-name brands such as Sony and Samsung–it could mean that this holiday season will see more consumers picking up standalone players for their homes. At that point, it no longer makes sense to purchase or rent regular DVDs. As users’ Blu-ray collections grow, it stands to reason that they may want to take a movie or two with them on the road without having to download anything. Enter the Blu-ray equipped notebook, which at less than $800, also enters the mass-acceptance area, and will probably show up on one of Microsoft’s “Laptop Hunter” ads, too. In the case of the VAIO NW, we saw smooth playback, and were impressed with the level of detail in our Heroes Blu-ray when we output the picture to a 32-inch monitor via HDMI. We could make out every wrinkle, and didn’t see any skipping or dropped frames. However, this past month, we’ve reviewed two notebooks, the Acer Aspire 3810t and the Dell Studio 14z, both of which cost roughly the same as the Sony Vaio W, and both of which lack optical drives. Judging by our reader poll, twice as many of you said they could live with a notebook that didn’t have an optical drive. And really, when was the last time you used the DVD drive on your laptop? Considering that most software is downloadable, as is high-def content, is the optical drive becoming some sort of vestigial organ, the appendix of notebooks? Or does it still serve a purpose? Tell us what you think by sounding off in the comments.