Why did Sony skip the Irda port?

[hfhintzen]

I am currently using a PCG F403 notebook, much to my satisfaction. It talks to my phone and my brand new Sony Clie (NR70V/E, foldable type) over the IrDa port.
Now I want to upgrade to a new VAIO notebook and to my surprise I find Sony doesn't support Infra Red any more. This would be ok if they'd switched to bluetooth all the way. But neither the notebooks nor the Clie support that.
In fact, irda is the only way the Clie talks to the world wirelessly.
What is the idea behind this? Aren't Sony products supposed to work together? How do I connect to the Net using my phone?

Herman

[AntonHolzherr]

There does not appear to be a logical reason for not including
IRDA. The sales guy who sold me my vaio tried to convicne
me that Sony has FireWire to support all its peripherals, but
that is hardly a satisfactory answer.

Besides, I have an old mobiel phone which I would like to talk
to via my laptop. Who knows with what device, at what
time and place you might want to connect a vaio to.

Another application for which IRDA is esential is
remote control of a music or video jukebos that resides
on a pc.

[Chijiora]

I wonder if the absence of irda on newer sony notebooks is why they a a little bit lighter than thse of other maufactures... Still there is always a usb irda option

[iainjturner]

Something like this would probably work, although I've tried a USB IRDA adapter before and had problems with the drivers. All the best if anyone does try it.

[AlanF2003]

I see this an old debate but I want to resurrect it. I have just bought a new Sony Z1 laptop because I thought it would be the ideal machine to link to my SONY Ericsson T68i phone as they both have BLUETOOTH. You'd think it was going to be a doddle wouldn't you. New Bluetooth Laptop and new Bluetooth phone. Well how wrong can you be? What a waste of £1800.

The latest version of Bluespace and XTND connect seem unable to work together. AND there's no IR port !! So how the heck am I supposed to Sync my phone? And there's no serial port either - so how can I sync my Palm Pilot?

frustrated!

well SONY - do you have an answer?

[kee-lo_]

How annoying, I'd be annoyed if I found out this.
If your laptop is new (<28 days old) I would return it saying it can't connect to your phone.

[waleed_wc]

Hi,
you can buy a bluetooth card for a clie which you plug into the memory stick port.
Email me on waleed_wc@hotmail.com if you have anymore questions.
Cant promise anything