Sony, with their reputation for high-end laptops, has unveiled a very powerful mini-notebook – one that is likely meant to compete with the new line of Macbook Air notebooks. The Sony Y Series VPCYA19FJ comes with specs one might expects from a full-size notebook such as an Intel Core i3 processor, widescreen display, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit – all packaged in the same dimensions as a 11.6” netbook.
The goodies don’t stop there. It comes in a slick and stylish casing: black matte plastic with metal accents. The onboard Intel HD graphics card, coupled with the 1.33Ghz dual core Intel Core i3 CPU should make for smooth 1080p video playback and allow for some limited gaming. Because of the 64-bit Windows 7 OS, owners can upgrade the standard 2GB RAM – in the form of two 1GB sticks – to a maximum of 8GB for an even snappier computing experience.
Connectivity-wise, this Sony comes with the necessities and more: Bluetooth, WLAN b/g/n, three USB ports (judging from other photos, most likely USB 2.0) will be enough to fulfill any wired or wireless needs.
Microsoft Office Home and Business is preinstalled, so you won’t have to worry about paying even more for a word processor. Being a Sony, this notebook will probably ship with some bloatware. It would probably be best to remove all the preinstalled bloatware, save for the Vaio Care (which is akin to HP Recovery) that helps with OS recovery should anything happen.
Sony claims that the notebook gets up to 6 hours of life. In practice, however, the notebook will most definitely get less battery life. Considering that this device is a mini-notebook rather than a netbook, 6 hours on paper is decent. Regardless, this notebook is meant to be portable – it would have been great if it could achieve a better battery life.
Sony Vaio Y Series VPCYA19FJ in action
Of course, all the power and luxuries of this notebook aren’t going to come cheap. As of now, the projected price for this mini-notebook is several hundred dollars over the $1000 price range. So if you are looking for the power of a full-sized notebook in a small package (and have the capital to spend), this may well be the device for you.
Image sources: slipperybrick.com , imageshack.us
