Sony launches first Vaio ultrabooks

IDG News Service - Sony is joining Intel's ultrabook push with the new Vaio T family, which includes models with 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch screens, the company said Wednesday.

The Sony Vaio T ultrabook.

The Vaio T ultrabooks will start shipping in May, Sony said, without elaborating on what they will cost or where they will ship.

As with many other ultrabooks, Sony has taken some inspiration from Apple's MacBook Air when it comes to choice of materials. The Vaio ultrabooks are made of magnesium and aluminium, the company said.

The 13-inch model measures approximately 226 millimeters by 17.8mm by 323mm and weighs about 1.6 kilograms with a standard battery, heavier than the 13-inch MacBook Air's 1.35 kilograms.

A configuration of the 13-inch model detailed by Sony is powered by an Intel Core i3-2367M processor.

The company didn't announce any configurations powered by Intel's new Ivy Bridge processors. The first ultrabooks with Ivy Bridge processors are expected to arrive in June.

The detailed 13-inch model also has 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard disk.

There will also be configurations that use SSD flash drives and hybrid configurations that combine hard disks and SSD memory using Intel's Smart Response Technology, according to Sony.

Sony also promises battery power that will last a full working day -- up to 9 hours when using SSD storage -- and a deep sleep mode can be used for up 90 days without running out of power.

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