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Ultrabooks are extremely sexy devices that walk in the path that the MacBook Air pioneered, and it does not seem as though this path is going to end anytime soon, which is a good thing, really. We have word that Sony has just made available their desirable Vaio T Ultrabooks available via their online store as well as on Best Buy. Just to recap, the Vaio T series was flaunted in both 14” and 15” flavors at the recently concluded CES 2013, so it is nice to see them Sony’s store in the form of a pre-order.

The 15.5-inch Full HD touchscreen display on the Vaio T15 will be powered by 3rd generation Intel Core i3-3227U, i5-3337U and i7-3537U processors, and depending on the processor type of your choice, you will have to fork out $770, $950 and $1,150, respectively. Shared specifications include an Intel HD 4000 graphics chipset, HDMI out, USB 3.0 connectivity, 4GB RAM, a 24GB SSD and 500GB hard drive, as well as a DVD burner. Of course, higher end models will see additional RAM thrown into the mix with a 256GB SSD to boot.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Lenovo ThinkPad Helix Misses February Release Date, Super WiFi For Free Suggested By Government,

[CES 2013] Thanks to the introduction of Windows 8, we are starting to see more computers come as a hybrid of sorts, allowing users to input commands the traditional way (i.e. keyboard and mouse), but also via a touchscreen display. That being said the folks at Sony have announced that they have updated their line of VAIO T Ultrabooks and will now allow users to purchase the Ultrabook with the added option of having touchscreen functionality. The models that will be on the receiving end of the update includes the T Series 14 and the new T Series 15 with a Full HD 1080p display, both of which obviously coming with Windows 8 installed within a magnesium/aluminum design. Both laptops will be available come Spring 2013 via Sony retailers or authorized resellers and will be priced at $800 for the T Series 14, and $950 for the T Series 15.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Digital Storm Unveils Aventum II Gaming Rig With New Cooling System, Dell updates Inspiron R laptops for 2013,

Here’s the thing with Windows 8: staring at those live tiles feels kinda weird if you can’t reach out and touch them. That’s why Sony has upgraded its Vaio T13 Ultrabook with a touch panel (making it technically the T13-2), allowing you to reach out across the keyboard and swipe away to your heart’s content. We’ve just left some fingerprints on a high-spec model with a Core i7 processor, 1366 x 768 resolution, 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM, which will sell in the UK from October 26th priced somewhere north of £1,000 (or $1,600, though Sony doesn’t set exact prices). A more modestly equipped i7, with 4GB and a 500GB hybrid drive should be somewhere around £900 ($1,400), while an entry-level i3 will start at £700 ($1,100), give or take. Bear mind that the dollar prices will be much lower than these currency conversions suggest — for reference, the original T13 starts at just $770.

Our first impression was that enabling touch on this traditional form factor was slightly awkward, especially if the purpose of touching the screen was to achieve something that would have been more readily accomplished with a tap on the keyboard — such as adjusting brightness, scrolling or returning to the home screen. On the other hand, the UI was incredibly responsive on the Core i7 processor and over time the touchscreen may well come to feel more natural than the touchpad within Microsoft’s new OS. Just bear in mind that enabling touch comes with a couple of sacrifices, aside from any price premium: it adds 100 grams and 1mm in thickness to an Ultrabook that was already on the chunky side, due to the addition of tougher hinges as well as the extra layer in the display. Check out our hands-on video after the break and make up your own mind.

Continue reading Sony unveils touch-enabled Vaio T13 Ultrabook running Windows 8, we go hands-on (video)

Filed under: Laptops

Sony unveils touch-enabled Vaio T13 Ultrabook running Windows 8, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember how it seemed too good to be true that Sony’s back to school promo would let you buy a VAIO T and get a free PlayStation 3 or Vita worth a third of the value of the Ultrabook you just bought? Well, it was. Sony has quietly dropped the $750 laptop from the PCs that qualify for the deal, raising the real qualifying price to $970 for a 15.5-inch VAIO S. Some will cry foul at being denied such a killer bargain without warning, but it’s easy to see why Sony backed out: that’s a lot of gear to give away for little in return. Dreams of heading to class with an ultraportable in hand and a PS3 at the dorm will have to be postponed, then, even if it’s still an ample discount.

[Thanks, Gabriel]

Sony drops VAIO T from free PlayStation offer, hikes real cost of entry to $970 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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