Hasta La Gadget!

Sony has been manufacturing its Vaio line of laptops for several years now with a number of series within the brand such as its Vaio S, Vaio E and Vaio Z. Today, it looks as though Sony will finally be simplifying its Vaio brand with their newly announced Vaio Fit line.

The Vaio Fit laptops are being introduced for customers who want a budget-friendly laptop, but also want it to be a “step up” in terms of its design as a cheap laptop doesn’t have to have a cheap feeling to it. The designs of the Vaio Fit will feature aluminum casings, while the Vaio Fit E line will focus on being as thin and light as possible. Both the Vaio Fit and Vaio Fit E lines will feature two models: a 14-inch model with a 1600 x 900 resolution screen and a 15-inch Full HD display (1920 x 1080). (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Galaxy Note 8.0 In “Brown Black” Color Apparently Coming In June, New LG Tablet Reportedly Launching In Q3 2013,

Sony has unveiled its new 2013 Spring VAIO models. A featured new part of the line-up is an exciting model like nothing we’ve seen before – It is a hybrid PC / tablet. Literally, a PC that transforms from a PC to a tablet.
You don’t close this product the same way you do your regular laptop. Just slide the screen with Sony’s innovative “Surf Slider” and then it becomes a tablet. It slides smoothly and smartly and looks very sleek.
It’s a high-spec …

Today Sony outs in the US its latest Vaio line-up and introduces some already well known devices including the stunning Vaio Duo, and the Vaio Tap 20 alongside the new Vaio T Series, E Series and S Series
T Series
The top-selling stylish T Series Ultrabook made with an ultra-smooth brushed aluminum shell now comes with a touch display on the new T13 Ultrabook to allow consumers to experience Windows 8-based touch in a clamshell form factor with optional touchscreen.
Sony is also introducing …

At least in the beginning, most of the made-for-Windows-8 devices you’re going to see will have a very similar form factor — namely, a tablet that slots into a detachable keyboard dock. Sony, though, is taking a different tack: the outfit is ignoring the hybrid trend altogether and will instead sell the VAIO Duo 11, one of a select few slider PCs to hit the market. Though we already got hands-on, we’re just now learning about pricing and availability: the company just announced that the Duo is coming out October 26th (the same day as Windows 8) and will start at $1,100.

That’s a lofty price, to be sure, but with a spec sheet that includes Ultrabook guts, a backlit keyboard, NFC, GPS and a 1080p, IPS, Gorilla Glass display, we don’t see how it could’ve cost much less. Take a gander at the design, and you’ll see it’s mostly made of magnesium alloy and, having handled it ourselves, we can attest to the sturdiness of the hinge mechanism. Compared to other sliders, which often make do with cramped keyboards, this offers a reasonably spacious layout, though it comes at the expense of a trackpad. Indeed, there’s no touchpad here; just an optical pointing stick. (Thankfully, it seems pretty precise.) Additionally, the Duo 11 supports pen input, and comes with a dual digitizer pen that can recognize 256 levels of pressure sensitivity. As a tablet-like device, it has not one, but two cameras, both capturing at 2.4-megapixel resolution.

Continuing our tour of the device, the 2.84-pound system is home to a surprisingly robust collection of ports, including HDMI-out, two USB 3.0 sockets, an Ethernet jack (!), memory card slot, headphone jack and VGA. Yes, VGA. This might be a good time to clarify that Sony envisions this as a machine for road warriors, though it comes not with Windows 8 Professional, but Home Premium. That would also explain the battery situation: in addition to the built-in 4,960mAh cell, it will be offered with an optional slice battery that promises to double the runtime. Bonus: the spare has its own AC port, so you can plug it directly into the outlet. Again, the Duo 11 starts at $1,100 with a Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD (you can upgrade to a 256 drive and a Core i5 or 7 CPU if you wish). That’s all she wrote for now, but check out our hands-on for more photos and a quick video.

Continue reading Sony’s VAIO Duo 11 Windows 8 slider goes on sale this month, starts at $1,100

Filed under: Laptops, Sony

Sony’s VAIO Duo 11 Windows 8 slider goes on sale this month, starts at $1,100 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sure, you were expecting PC makers to announce loads of Windows 8 hybrids, but a battery-powered all-in-one? Probably not. Nonetheless, that’s exactly what Sony unveiled last month at IFA when it showed off the VAIO Tap 20. Designed with families in mind, it could stay plugged into an outlet, but it’s built so that you can carry it easily enough from the kitchen to the living room, if that’s where the kids are hanging out. (It’s 11.4 pounds, so we’re guessing you won’t want to schlep it much farther.) Though we’ve already gotten a sneak peek at the machine, Sony announced today that it will go on sale in the US on October 26th (the day Windows 8 launches), starting at $880.

At that entry-level price, you’ll get a laptop-grade Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, though you can also configure it with i5 and i7 CPUs and an SSD. As the photos suggest, that 20-inch, 1,600 x 900 display can lie flat, which should come in handy with drawing apps and certain games, like jigsaw puzzles. In keeping with that kitchen-friendly, kid-proof theme, Sony’s also billing the display as “drop-resistant” — there’s a rubber seal around the bezel that promises to keep water far, far away from the motherboard. Oh, and though this isn’t exactly a premium desktop, the display at least uses IPS technology, so it’s safe to say you can expect decent viewing angles if you’re crowding around to watch a movie or have the screen lying flat. Rounding out the spec list, the Tap 20 also has built-in NFC, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, dual speakers and a subwoofer.

Software-wise, the Tap 20 comes with Artrage Studio Pro, along with Fingertaps, a Sony-made app that combines drawing functions with to-do lists and reminders, all arranged in a cute clothes-pin-style interface. Head over to the Windows Store and you’ll also find some other Sony apps ready for download, including the Socialife aggregator, Music by Sony, VAIO Movie Creator and Album by Sony (the latter is a photo and video organizer). Again, this thing won’t go on sale for another two weeks, but if you’re curious we’ll point you toward our earlier hands-on post for photos and video.

Continue reading Sony VAIO Tap 20 battery-powered all-in-one arriving this month for $880 and up

Filed under: Desktops, Sony

Sony VAIO Tap 20 battery-powered all-in-one arriving this month for $880 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments