Sony unveils VAIO Duo 13 tablet-laptop hybrid, touch-enabled ultrabooks

Sony has unveiled the VAIO Duo 13 and VAIO Pro 11/13 at Computex 2013. While the VAIO Duo is a hybrid 2-in-1 PC, VAIO Pro 11 and VAIO Pro 13 are ultrabooks.

All three portable devices are powered by the new fourth generation of Intel Core processors and will be available in options up to Core i7. One significant feature of the newly launched devices is the presence of Near Field Communication (NFC) that is not generally seen on devices of this segment.

The Sony VAIO Duo 13 is an upgrade to the Sony VAIO Duo and the change all in terms of features and design is certainly a significant one.

Carrying forward the slider design of its predecessor, the VAIO Duo is as a laptop that becomes a tablet when you slide the screen. One major drawback in the Duo 11 was the absence of a proper touch pad as it had a tiny optical trackpad cramped between the keyboard. That flaw is gone in the Duo 13, as the hybrid comes with a proper trackpad.

Sony claims that the device is sleeker than the Duos 11 and despite the bigger size, weighs the same at 1.32 kgs. The two-in-one is encased in carbon fiber and comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera. Sony is providing a CamScanner software with the PC, to let the camera double up as a document scanner. For professional purposes, such a feature might just come in handy.

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