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Sony VAIO Tap 11 review: meet Sony's answer to the Surface Pro
It wasn't until I was in a meeting with Sony, getting hands-on with its holiday lineup, that I realized something: the company didn't have a proper Windows 8 tablet. Yep, that's right: for all the experimentation PC makers have been doing around Win 8, one of the biggest names in consumer electronics had never attempted a simple Windows tablet. Even crazier: Sony instead placed its bets on the slider PC, of all things -- a design that presents more than a few ergonomic challenges. Finally, though, Sony is giving the ol' slate form factor a shot: the company recently announced the Tap 11, a tablet seemingly designed to blow the Surface Pro out of the water. Like Microsoft's tablet, it has a kickstand, USB port, pen-enabled display and a thin keyboard case that attaches to the device magnetically. Unlike Microsoft, however, Sony is throwing in the wireless keyboard at no extra charge -- kind of a big deal considering Ballmer and Co. are selling the Type Cover for an additional $130. Even better, the Tap 11 starts at $800, undercutting the new Surface Pro 2 by $99 (and that's not even counting the keyboard). So, what's the catch?
Sony takes on the Surface Pro with the VAIO Tap 11, its first Windows 8 tablet (hands-on)
It's sort of insane to think that Sony, a goliath of the consumer electronics industry, is only just getting around to releasing its first Windows 8 tablet. But you know what they say: better late than never, right? The company today unveiled the VAIO Tap 11, a standalone tablet that seems specifically designed to obliterate the Surface Pro. Similar to Microsoft's flagship tablet, this is an 11-inch device with a kickstand, Intel Core processor and 1,920 x 1,080 IPS display that supports pen input. Also similar: it works with a keyboard that latches onto the tablet via a magnetic connector. Here, though, the keyboard attaches on the front face, not on the bottom edge, and it's a proper wireless keyboard with surprisingly decent travel -- not at all like the flat Touch Cover that goes with the Surface. What's nice, too, is that even with the thicker keyboard attached, the Tap 11 is about as thick as the Surface Pro itself. In fact, Sony says this is the "world's thinnest tablet PC." Which it might be -- until the next-gen Surface comes along, anyway. Also worth noting: the keyboard conveniently charges through the connector on the tablet, so the odds of the battery dying on you mid-sentence are thankfully very low.
