Sony's 1.6lb. VAIO X Is World's Thinnest Notebook, Starts At $1300

Here goes Sony claiming another world's first. If you'll recall, the company made a pretty big fuss over its VAIO P when that launched back at CES. It refused to call it a netbook (probably due to the fact that Windows Vista was loaded on), but most everyone else assumed it really was the planet's most expensive (and oddly shaped) netbook.

Now, there's the VAIO X, which Sony is using to yet again push the boundaries of what's possible in the laptop sector. Called the world's "lightest notebook," the VAIO X series weighs just 1.6lbs. and is barely over 0.5" thick. For those bad with math, that's about as thick as your BlackBerry. Yeah, wild! It's built with a carbon-fiber chassis and boasts a 16:9 aspect ratio display, and integrated Verizon Wireless 3G is included to keep you connected on the go.

The screen itself is just 11.1" diagonally, but yet again Sony refuses to label this a netbook. The scratch-resistant LCD display is LED backlit, and it ships with a standard 3.5 hour battery and a super extended battery for up to 14 hours of usage. The keyboard is the chicklet style that many companies are going to (like Asus), and the multitouch trackpad ensures that you can use your fingers to zoom in/out and rotate images. Also, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS modules are included, not to mention a quick SSD, Windows 7 Home Premium and a starting price of $1300.


It's available to pre-order in black or gold starting today, and honestly, the price is pretty reasonable given just how unique the form factor is. Too bad the 2GHz Atom Z550 won't provide enough horsepower to really show off 1080p content or heavy-duty gaming, but no one really expects that from a machine this thin, anyway.