Fourth-gen Intel processors couldn’t come sooner, and Sony has let us know that two machines sporting the new chips will be here in the next month or so, and they look pretty freakin’ awesome.
Another of the neato announcements being made at Computex in Taipei, Sony is letting loose with several laptops that should be landing on Australian store shelves sooner than you might expect.
Included in the news are two machines that really grab our attention, with a new design of Sony’s VAIO Duo 11 now upped to 13 inches, and a new “Pro” machine that should pick up the desires of those who fancy themselves, well, all professional.
First is the Duo, and aside for increasing the size of the screen by two whole inches – sorry locals, but computer screens are measured in imperial, and we all know it – Sony has also refines the design, throwing a touchpad back into the mix, missing in the Duo 11 and replaced with the tiny optical trackpad.
From a first look, sleek is the name of the game, and the slider design has apparently been “enhanced” for “quick and seamless transition between tablet and keyboard modes,” while a pen holder is also included in the device, useful for storing the included pen-shaped stylus when not in use, a feature missing last time.
Also updated is the battery life, which Sony is saying should deliver up to 11 hours, which is better than four-ish we had in the Duo 11.
Then there’s the Pro (above), and this machine will arrive in either an 11 or 13 inch design, but sporting similar features.
First glance on this computer and it looks as if Sony is blending the best of its technologies, similar to what it did when it created the Sony Xperia Z smartphone.
One the display front, you’ll find Triluminos technology which apparently helps to offer a greater colour gamut in Bravia TVs, so should work a treat here, as well as an IPS display and some X-Reality to enhance the images for the resolution.
The webcam uses Sony’s Exmor R technology, potentially making it better in low-light, and Sony is even shifting away from both plastic and magnesium in this model, moving to the excellence of carbon fibre.
“Carbon fibre has an unparalleled strength-to-weight ratio when it comes to laptops.,” said Jun Yoon, Marketing Manager for Network Entertainment at Sony Australia. “This is what makes the VAIO Pro not only the world’s lightest but also extremely robust.”
The material is also used in race cars and aircraft, and with a body made from the stuff, won’t just manage to be strong, but also very light, with the 13 inch VAIO Pro coming in at 1.06kg with battery, and the VAIO Pro 11 barely making a dent at 0.87 kilograms.
Both the VAIO Duo and Pro will also feature Intel fourth-generation Core processors, and with a release date in Australia of early June for the Pro and early July for the Duo, also make these among the first – we think they might even “be” the first – machines with Intel’s Haswell technology to make landfall.
Pricing starting from $1299 for the Pro 11, while the 13 inch starts from $1399, with the Duo 13 coming in at $1699.
