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Sony takes on MacBook Air with 11.6-inch Vaio

Sony will offer a Vaio Y series model in Japan that uses a powerful Intel processor. Here's how its specs compare to those of Apple's latest offering.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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Brooke Crothers
2 min read
11.6-inch Sony Vaio Y
11.6-inch Sony Vaio Y Sony

Sony has announced a new 11.6-inch design in its Vaio Y series being sold in Japan that, by all appearances, is targeted directly at the latest MacBook Air.

The 11.6-inch design will be tacked on to its existing 13.3-inch model and will weigh in at just over 3 pounds, about a pound heavier than the new 11.6-inch Air. At its thinnest point, it is just under an inch; at its thickest point it is just over an inch.

But if a little more heft isn't a problem, the Vaio VPCYA19FJ/B model packs a relatively new ultra-low voltage 1.33GHz Core i3 processor--something lacking in the current Air--and an integrated Intel graphics chip. The 11.6-inch Air, by comparison, offers an older 1.4GHz or 1.6GHz ultra-low voltage Core 2 Duo processor and Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics.

In Japan, it will be about 110,000 yen or about $1,300 dollars.

Here's a quick comparison of the 11.6-inch Air and 11.6-inch Sony Vaio Y:

  • Weight: Air: 2.3 pounds; Vaio: 3.2 pounds
  • Thickness (at thickest point): Air: 0.68 inches; Vaio: 1.2 inches
  • Processor: Air: Intel Core 2 Duo; Vaio: Intel Core i3
  • Graphics chip: Air: Nvidia; Vaio: Intel
  • Battery life: Air: 5 hours; Vaio: 6 hours
  • Storage: Air: 128GB solid-state drive; Vaio: 320GB hard disk drive
  • Memory: Air: 2GB standard; Vaio: 2GB standard
  • Display resolution: Air: 1366 by 768; Vaio: 1366 by 768
  • Ethernet: Air: N/A; Vaio: standard
  • USB: Air: 2 connectors; Vaio: 3 connectors
  • Wireless: Wi-Fi; Vaio: Wi-Fi
  • Price: Air: $1,199 w/ 128GB SSD; Vaio: about $1,300 (in Japan)