, known simply as VAIO or Sony VAIO, is a Japanese personal computer manufacturer headquartered in Azumino, Nagano Prefecture.
Vaio began as a brand of Sony, introduced in 1996, until it was offloaded into an independent company in 2014, with Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) purchasing the VAIO business while Sony maintained a minority stake. Sony still holds the intellectual property rights for the VAIO brand and logo.
In 2025, JIP completed the sale of its 91.40% stake in VAIO to Nojima.
Etymology Originally an acronym of "Video Audio Input Output", the "VAIO" name was later amended to "Video Audio Integrated Operation", and later to "Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer" to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary. The logo, along with the first of the VAIO computers, were designed by Teiyu Goto, supervisor of product design from the Sony Creative Center in Tokyo. He incorporated many meanings into the logo and acronym: the pronunciation in both English (VAIO) and Japanese () sounds similar to "bio", which is symbolic of life and the product's future evolution. The name is also alphabetically close to "violet", which is why most early Vaio products were purple or included purple components. Additionally, the logo is stylized to make the "VA" look like a sine wave and the "IO" like binary digits 1 and 0, the combination representing the merging of analog and digital signals. The sound some Vaio models make during startup is derived from the melody created when pressing a telephone keypad to spell the letters V-A-I-O.VAIOホームページ（Internet Archiveのバックアップデータ）, The philosophy of VAIO「VAIO」の由来とフィロソフィー 2000年 (Japanese)
Global operations As of 2023, Vaio is operational in the following countries: Argentina Brazil Chile China India Japan Malaysia Mexico Singapore Taiwan United States Uruguay
History
As part of Sony Although Sony made computers in the 1980s, such as MSX-based HitBit computers mainly for the Japanese market, the company withdrew from the computer business around the beginning of the 1990s. Under the then-new VAIO brand, Sony's re-entry into the global computer market began in 1996. Sony's then-president Nobuyuki Idei thought "there was no point making an ordinary PC", so the VAIO lineup was to focus on audio-visual capabilities (as the VAIO name suggests), portability, and design.
The PCV-90 was the first series of desktops introduced in 1996, and designed with a 3D graphical interface as a novelty for new users. The first VAIO laptop computers followed in 1997 with the US$2,000 PCG-505 "SuperSlim" model, constructed out of a four-panel magnesium body. VisualFlow was a Sony program distributed in the late 1990s and early 2000s with Sony VAIO computers.
Over the years, many audio visual technologies and interfaces pioneered by Sony became a key focus for its VAIO computers, including Memory Stick, i.Link, and even MiniDisc.
In 2001, Steve Jobs presented a VAIO PC running Mac OS to Sony executives, suggesting the possibility of collaboration. Sony's VAIO team ultimately turned down the proposal they regarded as a "diversion of resources", as the popularity of the Windows-based premium PC brand was growing.
Sony VAIO released later designs (2011 and later) during a period of low PC sales. They included models with innovations such as magnetized stands. The VAIO Tap, which was designed with a completely separate keyboard. The latest models were complemented by the Windows 8 operating system.
Spin-off from Sony On 4 February 2014, Sony announced that it was selling its VAIO PC business due to poor sales. Sony created VAIO, a special purpose company with investment firm Japan Industrial Partners, as part of its restructuring effort to focus on mobile devices. In March 2014, it was announced that Japan Industrial Partners had purchased a 95% stake in the VAIO division.
The sale closed on 1 July 2014. On the same day, the company announced refreshed entries in the VAIO Fit and Pro lines. They initially distributed the relaunched products in Japan, then later in Brazil. In August 2015, VAIO announced plans to re-enter international markets, beginning with Brazil and the United States. VAIO CEO Yoshimi Ota stated that the company planned to focus more on high-end products in niche segments (such as the creative industries), as they felt Sony was somewhat too focused on attempting to garner a large market share in its PC business. The Z Canvas tablet was released in the United States on 5 October 2015, through Microsoft Store and the VAIO website. On 16 October 2015, VAIO agreed to introduce their products in Brazil through a partnership with a local manufacturer Positivo Informática.
On 2 February 2016, VAIO announced that it would unveil a Windows 10 smartphone. Also that month, it was also reported that VAIO was negotiating with Toshiba and Fujitsu Technology Solutions to consolidate their personal computer businesses together.
On 4 June 2018, Nexstgo Company announced that they would be licensed by VAIO to oversee the business in Asia. This license agreement between Hong Kongbased Nexstgo and the Japan-based VAIO would include manufacturing, sales and marketing as well as servicing of VAIO laptops under the VAIO trademark in the Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan markets.
Currently in the US, VAIO business products are sold by Canon USA.
On November 11, 2024, a major Japanese electronics retailer named Nojima announced it will acquire VAIO for ¥11.2 billion. It will purchase about 93% of the Japan Industrial Partners's stake while Sony will retain a 4.7% stake. The deal was completed on January 6, 2025 with VAIO becoming a subsidiary of Nojima.
Products
Sony VAIO (1996 to 2014)
Sony's VAIO brand included product lines across notebooks, subnotebooks, desktops, media centres, and even Network media solutions.
Computers
Sony's VAIO range of computers consisted of the following lineups:
Desktops Desktops PCV series (19962005) Multimedia Desktops PCV-M series (19981999) PCV-MX series (2000, built-in FM radio, MiniDisc player and amplifier) Tablet PC Desktops PCV-LX series (20002008) Media Center PCs VGX-XL series (2005, audio receiver form factor) VGX-TP series (2007, cylindrical disc form factor) VGC-R series (2006) All-In-One Computers PCV-W series (20022006) VGC-VA series (20052006, 20", integrated TV tuner) L series (20062013, 15.4" or 19" touchscreen display, integrated TV tuner, Sony's Living Room PC) Tap 20 (2013, 20" touchscreen display) Tap 21 (2014, 21.5" 1920 x 1080 touchscreen display)
Notebooks Ultraportable Premium 505 series (19972004, 10.4" or 12.1" display, external floppy and CD drives, originally called SuperSlim) 700 series (19971998, 12.1" display, external floppy and CD drives) 800 series (19981999, 13.3" display, external floppy and CD drives) TX series (20052007, 11.1" 1366 x 768 display, first laptop with 16:9 LED backlit display) TZ series (20072008, 11.1" 1366 x 768 display) TT series (20082010, 11.1" 1366 x 768 display) SZ series (20062008, 13.3" 1280 x 800 display, switchable graphics) Z series (20082014, 13.1" display, switchable graphics) Ultraportable Mainstream SR series (2000-2001, 10.4" SVGA display, circular trackpad) SRX series (2001-2002, 10.4" 1024 x 768 display, circular trackpad) TR series (2003, 10.6" 1280 x 768 display) VX series (2002, 10.4" or 12.1" display) SR series (20082010, 13.3" 1280 x 800 display) S series (20102013, 13.3" 1600 x 900 display) T series (20122014, 13.3" 1366 x 768 display) Y series (13.3" 1366 x 768 display, no optical drive) Ultraportable Netbooks G series (2007, 12.1" 1024 x 768 display, Intel Core processor) M series (2008, 10.1" 1024 x 600 display, Intel Atom processor) W series (2009, 10.1" 1366 x 768 display, Intel Atom processor) X series (11.1" 1366 x 768 display, Intel Atom processor) Consumer, Home & Work F series (19992000, 13.0" or 14.1" 1024 x 768 display, desktop replacement) FX/FXA series (20012003, 14.1" display, desktop replacement) XG/XE/XR series (19992001, 13.3" or 14.1" 1024 x 768 display, modular DVD/CD-RW/Floppy/2nd battery/2nd hard drive bay) QR series (2001, 13.3" 1024 x 768 display) FRV series (2003, 15" 1024 x 768 display, desktop replacement) GR series (2002, 15" 1400 x 1050 display, desktop replacement, swappable multi-bay) GRX series (2002, 15" 1024 x 768 or 16.1" 1600 x 1200 display, desktop replacement) GRZ series (2003, 15" 1024 x 768 display, desktop replacement) GRT series (2004, 15" 1024 x 768 or 16.1" 1600 x 1200 display, desktop replacement) NV/NVR series (2002-2005, 15" 1024 x 768 or 1440 x 1050 display, modular Floppy/MiniDisc/Numeric Keypad/Compact Subwoofer bay) B series (2004) BX series (2005, 14.1" display) FJ series (2005, 14.1" display) C series (13.3" 1280 x 800 display, choice of colors) CR series (2007, 14.1" 1280 x 800 display, choice of colors) NR series (2007, 15" 1280 x 800 display) E series (2010, 15.5" or 17.3" display, choice of colors) XE series (2011, 15.5" 1920 x 1080 display) Fit 14 & 15 (2013, 14" or 15" touchscreen laptop, SVF) Duo (2013, 13.3" hybrid touchscreen laptop, SVD) Tap 11 (2013, 11.6" touchscreen convertible, SVT) Multimedia A series (2004, 17" 1920 x 1200 display) AX series (2005, 17" 1440 x 900 display) AR series (2006, 17" 1440 x 900 or 1920 x 1200 display, first with BD-R drive) AW series (2008, 18.4" 1680 x 945 or 1920 x 1080 display) Portable Entertainment FS series (20052006, 15.4" 1280 x 800 display) FE series (20062007, 15.4" 1280 x 800 display) FZ series (20072008, 15.4" 1280 x 800 display) FW series (20082010, 16.4" 1920 x 1080 display) F series (2010, 16.4" 1920 x 1080 display) NW series (2009, 15.4" 1366 x 768 display) Lifestyle & UMPC Subnotebooks C1 series (19982003, 8.9" 1024 x 480 display, branded as PictureBook) GT series (2001, Japan only, 6.4" display, built-in digital camera) U series (20022004, 6.4" or 7.1" 1024 x 768 display, Sony's first UMPC) UX series (2006, 4.5" 1024 x 600 display) P series (20092010, 8" 1600 x 768 display)
Experience
Included as part of the out-of-box experience are prompts to register at Club VAIO, an online community for VAIO owners and enthusiasts, which also provides automatic driver updates and technical support via email, along with exclusive desktop wallpapers and promotional offers. From 1997 to 2001 in Japan, the SAPARi program was also pre-installed on VAIO machines. On later models, the customer is also prompted to register the installed trial versions of Microsoft Office 2010 and the antivirus software (Norton AntiVirus on older models, and McAfee VirusScan or TrendMicro on newer ones) upon initial boot.
Vaio computers come with components from companies such as Intel processors, Seagate Technology, Hitachi, Fujitsu or Toshiba hard drives, Infineon or Elpida RAM, Atheros and Intel wireless chipsets, Sony (usually made by Hitachi) or Matsushita optical drives, Intel, NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards and Sony speakers. Recent laptops have been shipped with Qimonda RAM, HP speakers with Realtek High Definition Audio Systems, and optional Dolby Sound Room technology.
A selection of media centres were added to the VAIO range in 2006. These monitorless units (identified by a product code prefixed by VGX rather than VGN) are designed to form part of a home entertainment system. They typically take input from a TV tuner card, and output video via HDMI or composite video connection to an ideally high-definition television. The range included the XL and TP lines. The VGX-TP line is visually unique, featuring a circular, 'biscuit-tin' style design with most features obscured behind panels, rather than the traditional set-top box design.