We were able to report a month ago that Sony had plans to out a new tablet hybrid, the Duo 11, and now, we're able to provide further details and Japanese pricing on both this and Sony's new AIO, the Tap 20.
Sony VAIO Duo 11
| CPU | Intel Core i7-3517U, i5-3317U or i5-3217U |
| Memory | 4GB or 8GB DDR3L 1600MHz |
| Storage | 128GB or 256GB SSD |
| Display | 11.6" 1080p OptiContrast with capacitive touch |
| Camera | Front and rear Full HD 2.07-megapixel Exmor for PC |
| Connectivity |
WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 + HS, USB 3.0 x 1, USB 3.0 with USB charge x1, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, VGA, NFC, Memory Stick Duo/ SD |
| Sensors | GPS, Accelerometer, Gyro, Digital Compass |
| Weight | 1.305KG |
| Dimensions | 320 x 17.85 x 199 mm |
| Other | Digitizer Pen |
Sony VAIO Tap 20
| CPU | Intel Core i7-3517U, i5-3317U or i5-3217U |
| Memory | 4GB or 8GB DDR3L 1600MHz |
| Storage | 750GB or 1TB 5400rpm |
| Display | 20" 1,600 x 900 VAIO Display Plus with 10-point capacitive touch |
| Camera | Front HD 1.31-megapixel Exmor for PC |
| Connectivity |
WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 + HS, USB 3.0 x 1, USB 3.0 with USB charge x1, Gigabit Ethernet, VGA, NFC, Memory Stick Duo/ SD |
| Sensors | GPS, Accelerometer, Gyro, Digital Compass |
| Weight | 5.2KG |
| Dimensions |
504 x 187 x 304 mm (minimum tilt angle) 504 x 312 x 45 mm (maximum tilt angle) |
| Other | Built-in battery for moving around the house |
Oddly enough, the VAIO Tap 20 doesn't feature a FullHD display or HDMI out, however we're quite impressed by the built-in battery as often there's a need to transport AIOs from room-to-room, requiring a painful shut-down and boot-up procedure. The 10-point multi-touch display and flat profile could allow for some collaborative working, though at 20" in size, the display is a little on the small side for this.
We remain in awe at the sleekness of the VAIO Duo 11 and its specifications, with specific note to the 1080p FullHD display, accurate digitizer pen and backlit keyboard. Likewise, Sony will be providing some handy software to make cutting and pasting with the pen, along with annotation of power-point presentations a breeze. Questionably, however, we wonder if the Duo 11 would have been better-off waiting for Intel's Haswell platform, which claims to offer superior, ARM tablet-like sleep and idle-active states, which could be the finishing touch the Duo 11 needs, especially once you've seen the price.
Sony's VAIO Tap 20 will be retailing from ¥140,000 (£1,115) and the Duo 11 from ¥150,000 (£1,200). Bearing in mind that these prices are for Core-i5 variants with the entry level options for hard disk capacity and memory, the line-up is shaping up to be a very expensive one indeed. The question we pose to our readers is, with all the premium features and what appears to be top-notch build quality, are Sony's latest VAIOs likely to be worth the attached price tag?
