Rather than fight toe-to-toe with the incredibly slim Fujitsu LifeBook Q2010, Sony is making its mark by launching what it claims to be the world's lightest notebook.
Though not the lightest laptop in Sony's lineup--the older 10.4-inch Sony VAIO X505 weighs a mere 785g--it breaks new ground in the 12.1-inch arena. Weighing a mere 898g for an ultraportable model without an integrated optical drive, the new 12.1-inch "type G" VAIO laptop is as light on its feet as Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs) such as the Samsung Q1 and ASUS R2H with their smaller screens. The version with a built-in DVD Super Multi writer is slightly heftier at 984g. Both models have a light but strong carbon-fiber body and a stated battery life of 6 hours with the standard battery pack. A larger power cell will extend the unplugged time to 12.5 hours but add 132g to the total weight.
Running on a Core Solo 1.06 processor and 512MB memory, it may be no powerhouse but it's nevertheless Windows Vista-ready. The basic model will retail for 220,000 yen (S$2,934.56) in Japan, which is also the only place you can get your hands on the system since Sony says it has no plans to bring the model worldwide.
Click here for a images of Sony "type G" VAIO PC
The ASUS S6F has gone from corporate brown to a pretty shade of pink. Under the hood, however, the only discernible difference is the larger 120GB harddisk (up from the previous 100GB offering).
According to ASUS, each piece of leather was handpicked and took over a year of research before the bond between the organic material and aluminum chassis was deemed fit for production. The good news is the pink S6F does not cost more than the brown version, though it's still priced at a high of S$3,888 (US$2,858.82). The bad news is only 50 units will be available in Singapore from ASUS distributors in December. Be prepared to camp outside the stores if your better half demands one this Christmas.