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Sony revamps VAIOs for Windows 8, prices Duo 11 and Tap 20

Sony revamps VAIOs for Windows 8, prices Duo 11 and Tap 20

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Gallery Photo: Sony's revamped VAIO lineup for Windows 8 (pictures)
Gallery Photo: Sony's revamped VAIO lineup for Windows 8 (pictures)

Sony is once again giving its VAIO laptops and all-in-ones a refresh, but things are a bit different this time around thanks to the launch of Windows 8. Instead of the usual processor spec bumps, the big news this time around comes in the form of the sliding, convertible Duo 11, and the battery-equipped, reclining Tap 20 all-in-one. We've already spent some time with the two touchscreen-equipped flagships last month at IFA, but now Sony has let us know how much it will cost you to own one of these models.

Sony's revamped VAIO lineup for Windows 8 (pictures)

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The Duo 11, with its 11.6-inch, 1080p screen, digitizer pen, 4GB of RAM, Core i3 processor (available with up to an i7), and 128GB SSD will cost $1,099.99 when it launches sometime at the end of October. The Tap 20, meanwhile, is equipped with a 1600 x 900 20-inch display, Core i3, i5, or i7 processor, 4 to 8GB of RAM, and hard drive options. The distinguishing feature, of course, is its removable battery offering three to three and a half hours of battery life. At about 11 pounds, it's not exactly portable, but the idea is that you — and your kids — won't be tethered to the wall. It'll start at $879.99, and it's given the same vague "end of October" launch date. We think October 26th, Windows 8 launch day, is a good bet.

Regarding Sony's lineup of VAIO clamshells, alongside mild refreshes for the E, S, and L series, the company is introducing a touchscreen model of its budget ultrabook, the T series. The thirteen inch model looks essentially the same as the no-touch model, but it has a new black bezel that aids with gestures. It'll start at $100 more than the non-touch model, for a total of $769.99. There's a new 14-inch non-touch model, dubbed the T14, which will start at $669.99 as well. Lastly, Sony is introducing a touch model of its lower-end E series, the 14-inch E14P, which comes in at $689.99.

Correction: An earlier version of this article correctly stated that the touchscreen option on the T13 ultrabook cost $100 more, but the total should have been $769.99, not $669.99.