Sony Gambles on Unique Form Factors, Debuts Tablet/Ultrabook Hybrid and Tabletop PC
You have to give Sony credit for trying new things; the company announced a gaggle of new T series, E series, and S series computers, but more notable is a tablet/notebook hybrid called the VAIO Duo 11 Ultrabook and the VAIO Tap 20, a tabletop PC designed for families.
The Duo 11 is an interesting take on the promising tablet/ultrabook type of mobile device; the display flips up at an angle to reveal a full notebook keyboard, and it slides down into place to give users a tablet experience with an 11.6-inch, ten-point multi-touch screen. The unit weighs just 2.84 pounds and includes a pressure-sensitive digital pen (with interchangeable tips) for handy note-taking input. There are few details available in terms of specifications, but Sony’s announcement mentions the latest-gen Intel Core chips would be available in the Duo 11, as well as “full functional I/O port connectivity” which at the very least includes two USB 3.0 ports and HMDI.
Sony VAIO Duo 11
The VAIO Tap 20 is still more ambitious in the form factor department. An all-in-one computer with a 20-inch multi-touch screen, this machine can sit upright like any AIO, but it’s also designed to lay flat on a tabletop so the whole family can view or interact with it. It’s packing a removable battery, so it can be moved anywhere in the house. In some ways, it sounds a bit like a giant tablet. Unfortunately, there are even fewer details available for the Tap 20 other than it comes with several apps designed to showcase its capabilities, including a family organizer, ArtRage Studio, and a movie trivia game called My Daily Clip.
Sony VAIO Tap 20
Both of the computers will be available at the end of October. The Duo 11 hybrid will be in black at $1,099.99, while the Tap 20 all-in-one will cost $879.99 with a black or white finish.
The Duo 11 is an interesting take on the promising tablet/ultrabook type of mobile device; the display flips up at an angle to reveal a full notebook keyboard, and it slides down into place to give users a tablet experience with an 11.6-inch, ten-point multi-touch screen. The unit weighs just 2.84 pounds and includes a pressure-sensitive digital pen (with interchangeable tips) for handy note-taking input. There are few details available in terms of specifications, but Sony’s announcement mentions the latest-gen Intel Core chips would be available in the Duo 11, as well as “full functional I/O port connectivity” which at the very least includes two USB 3.0 ports and HMDI.
Sony VAIO Duo 11
The VAIO Tap 20 is still more ambitious in the form factor department. An all-in-one computer with a 20-inch multi-touch screen, this machine can sit upright like any AIO, but it’s also designed to lay flat on a tabletop so the whole family can view or interact with it. It’s packing a removable battery, so it can be moved anywhere in the house. In some ways, it sounds a bit like a giant tablet. Unfortunately, there are even fewer details available for the Tap 20 other than it comes with several apps designed to showcase its capabilities, including a family organizer, ArtRage Studio, and a movie trivia game called My Daily Clip.
Sony VAIO Tap 20
Both of the computers will be available at the end of October. The Duo 11 hybrid will be in black at $1,099.99, while the Tap 20 all-in-one will cost $879.99 with a black or white finish.
