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Sony VAIO GS series pops up in the FCC -- a cheap Sony ultraportable?


We don't have a lot to go on, but a machine called the VAIO GS just popped up in the FCC database, along with the usual nasty gub'ment photos. Doing some extremely rough back-of-the-napkin calculations, it looks like it's Sony's answer to the Dell Mini 12 -- 11 inches wide with a 12ish-inch 4:3 screen. We're also seeing an optional built-in optical drive, WiFi, Bluetooth, three USB ports, a PC Card slot (that's what it's marked -- let's hope it's really ExpressCard), a Memory Stick slot, Ethernet and modem ports, and VGA out. We're guessing the optical drive explains the netbook-ish hinge battery placement, but nothing explains how ugly this thing is -- let's hope the downgrade in style from the VAIO P comes with a corresponding downgrade in price. A few more shots after the break.

Update: As a few astute commenters have pointed out, this could be an updated US-bound version of the Japan-only VAIO G from 2006 -- if things haven't changed too much, you're looking at a two-pound machine with a 12.1-inch display. We'll see -- the exterior is definitely a little different, and we don't think the market is right for the VAIO G's original $2,000 pricetag.