Sony Vaio laptop Ivy Bridge upgrades spotted
Just as with the Vaio T ultrabook, Sony's European arm is first with these system updates.
- Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
Add Sony to the list of PC makers embracing Intel's third-generation Core i-series CPUs. According to CNET UK, the Vaio S series is getting updated CPUs, with the E moving into new screen sizes. The Vaio S currently only lists updated quad-core Ivy Bridge processors, as the dual-core versions have not been released by Intel yet.
The previous iteration of the S Series was designed to be slim and portable while still packing in enough power to tackle any task you could throw at it. The same principles are kept in this new refresh, but they've been upgraded in some key areas for 2012. Crucially, they've been given a processor upgrade to bring you the latest Intel Ivy Bridge processors, for some models at least...Sony hasn't been specific on the other models but it's likely that Intel's lower-end Ivy Bridge Core i3 and i5 processors will be on offer, although they haven't been officially unveiled yet.
The lower-cost Vaio E series is adding 15.5- and 17.3-inch display models to the current 13-inch version. CNET UK reports:
The new 'wrap-around' design certainly looks pretty smart, although at over 2kg for the 13-inch model (and considerably more for the 17-inch) you're probably not going to want to carry them round with you for too long. The bigger models boast full HD screens so you'll be better off leaving them on your desk, playing your high-definition videos.
More details on the S Series and E series updates are available from Sony's U.K. Web site, which states that both models will be available in the U.K. in early June.
The Vaio Z series is getting updated as well, according to akihabaranews.com, although that system's entry on the Sony U.K. site is currently broken.
It's reasonable to expect a similar slate of Vaio announcements for the U.S. sometime in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for updates.