Sony Reveals VAIO Z Ultraportable: Big Brains, Big Price Tag
And now, for Thunderbolt's next trick! So far, the new I/O port has remained pretty much Apple's darling, shipping on modern day iMac and MacBook Pro machines. But now, the PC users can get a taste as well. Sony just announced their new VAIO Z Series, a 13.1" notebook that includes a new Power Media Dock, a standard-voltage Core i7, SSD, high-res (1600x900) anti-reflective display and yes, a Thunderbolt port. But it's not your average Thunderbolt port.
But we'll get to that in a moment. The Power Media Dock is unlike anything we've seen to date, offering quad-video monitor support, AMD Radeon HD graphics, an optical disc drive and an HDMI output. At just below 1.2kg and 16.65mm slim, it's definitely one of the trimmer machines on the market. It also features a special 'sheet battery' that provides up to seven hours of computing, and there's an HD webcam (powered by Exmor) that tends to perform well in low-light.
What's wild is that Sony cannot use the Thunderbolt term. They have to call out a USB-esque port with Light Peak technology, but it's all the same. Furthermore, there's an external GPU option for those needing extra graphical power whenever you can afford to plug in. No wonder there's a $2200+ price tag!
But we'll get to that in a moment. The Power Media Dock is unlike anything we've seen to date, offering quad-video monitor support, AMD Radeon HD graphics, an optical disc drive and an HDMI output. At just below 1.2kg and 16.65mm slim, it's definitely one of the trimmer machines on the market. It also features a special 'sheet battery' that provides up to seven hours of computing, and there's an HD webcam (powered by Exmor) that tends to perform well in low-light.
What's wild is that Sony cannot use the Thunderbolt term. They have to call out a USB-esque port with Light Peak technology, but it's all the same. Furthermore, there's an external GPU option for those needing extra graphical power whenever you can afford to plug in. No wonder there's a $2200+ price tag!
