CES 2011: Sony Vaio YB, S ultraportable laptops take on MacBook Air

Products are launching in a frenzy at CES 2011, and Sony just announced two VAIO ultraportable laptops that look like possible contenders to challenge the new Apple MacBook Air ultraslim laptop. The new Sony VAIO S and YB series offers a more affordable alternative to the MacBook Air, but they're slighty more thick and heavier than the Apple ultraportable. The Sony VAIO Y series laptop features AMD Fusion chips, while the VAIO S series has Intel processors.

Sony VAIO YB Series:
The Sony YB series laptop has a 11.6-inch form factor and sports the new AMD Fusion "Zacate" E-350 processor, with DirectX 11 compatible integrated graphics and full-HD 1080p support. The VAIO YB can support up to 4GB of RAM, according to Sony, and has an HDMI port. Sony claims the new VAIO YB ultraportable has long batterty life, but didn't speak about any concrete number. The VAIO YB series starts at US $550 right now, undercutting the 11-inch MacBook Air in the process.

Sony VAIO S Series:
The new Sony VAIO S is a 13.3-inch ultraportable laptop that weighs 1.9-kg and is about an inch thin. The VAIO S laptop comes with an Intel processor and features support for Intel's WiDi techology. It also has an HDMI port. The Sony VAIO S series laptop has a standard battery life of 5 hours and comes with G-sensor shock protection to guard the drive bay against bumps. The Sony VAIO S series ultraportable laptop starts at US $900, also cheaper than the MacBook Air ultraportable.

Both the Sony VAIO YB and S series of laptops will be available latest by next month, although select retailers have started accepting pre-orders in the U.S.

Also Read:
Sony VAIO Z ultraportable laptop review
MacBook Air 11-inch review