Sony unveils new very thin VAIO X netbook

Sony is taking the wraps off its new line up of VAIO laptops today, but it’s whipped one out early — the VAIO X.

Wafer-thin and light as a feather (well, a 655g feather), the VAIO X range comprises two models — the VPC-X11S1E/B and VPC-X11Z1E/X. Both have 11.1in screens with a 1366 x 768 resolution and are available in black, gold and ‘premium carbon’.

The difference between the two is storage capacity — 128Gb and 256Gb SSDs, respectively — and processor speed. Which is where it gets interesting...

Despite the $1300 price (Sony has to ‘fess up UK prices, but its rumoured to be around £1,500), both VAIO X models use Intel Atom processors — they’re netbooks, in other words. The VPC-X11S1E/B has a 1.86GHz Z540 chip, while the VPC-X11Z1E/X gets the 2GHz Z550.

So, neither are likely to offer much in terms of performance and the early word is that the Windows 7 Experience Rating reports just 2.5 for the 2GHz model. Still, 2Gb of RAM means that Windows 7 will run as well as it’s ever going to on a netbook.

Battery life is pegged at 8 hours, but an optional larger battery can push this to 16 hours. Onboard 3G is also an option. So, it looks like the X Series is shaping up to be a larger version of the P Series netbook that Sony launched earlier this year — very pretty, rather pricey and woefully puny.

[ Sony]