VaioDuo13
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Sony's special edition red laptops coming to the US, prices start at $2,000
Earlier this summer, Sony took its new laptops and put out special-edition versions with a glossy Ferrari-red finish. At the time, those machines were only available in Japan and Europe, but now Sony's US division is getting in on the action too, with a limited quantity going on sale today here in the states. All told, the line includes the Fit 15, the Pro 13 and the Duo 13 slider (read: about half of Sony's total notebook lineup). What's interesting is that although the color is the same from one model to another, Sony had to change up the painting process and pigment combinations depending on whether the machine was made of carbon fiber, aluminum or some other material. Either way, they each have a UV coating on top (sort of the equivalent of a manicure topcoat), so presumably that fancy paint job won't chip as soon as you take your PC out of the box. Spec-wise, your mileage will vary depending on whether you get a Fit mainstream laptop or a Pro-series Ultrabook. In brief, though, they all come with Core i7 processors and 1080p touchscreens, except the Fit 15 has 12GB of RAM, a 2GB GPU, Blu-ray drive and 256GB SSD, whereas the two smaller models have eight gigs of memory and 512GB SSDs. At any rate, we hope you really, really like red: the Fit 15 goes for $2,000, the Pro 13 for $2,600 and the Duo 13 for $3,000. Congrats on that disposable income, folks!%Gallery-194881%
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Sony gives the slider another shot with the VAIO Duo 13: coming June 9th for $1,400
Thanks to the magic of leaked YouTube videos, we already knew Sony was working on another slider Ultrabook to replace the failed Duo 11. Now it's official: the company just formally announced the Duo 13, and if Sony's to be believed, it addresses many of the original's shortcomings. For starters, the new "Surf Slider" hinge is supposedly easier to open -- Sony even says it's possible to maneuver with one hand. If you look at those product shots below, you'll see it's also prettier to look at from behind (guess Sony heard us complaining about the exposed cabling on the Duo 11). What's interesting is that the Duo 13 has similar dimensions as its predecessor, and it only weighs a fraction more (2.93 pounds vs. 2.87). The trick was to shrink the bezels, and also to switch to a carbon fiber design, similar to what you'll find on the old Z series and the new Pro line. Oddly, though, while the dimensions haven't changed dramatically, Sony still made room for a less cramped-seeming keyboard, one that even includes a proper trackpad. That's right, folks, the optical tracking stick is gone. We have a feeling you won't miss it. Some other design notes: the Duo 13 adds a place for stowing the digitizer pen, which the Duo 11 lacked. What's more, while the Duo always had a scratch-resistant 1080p IPS display, this one also makes use of Sony's Triluminos technology, originally used on the company's Bravia TVs. Additionally, it has the same X-Reality processing engine you'll already find on some Xperia smartphones. Rounding out the spec list, there's NFC, Haswell processors and optional AT&T LTE. The main camera, meanwhile, has been upgraded to an 8-megapixel shooter with an Exmor RS sensor; the front webcam now does 1080p video. As for battery life, it should last about 10 hours, thanks to Sony's Active Sleep technology. Look for it to arrive June 9th, in both black and white, with a starting price of $1,400. We've already given the Duo 13 the full review treatment; check that out here.
