Tech Shout!

Sony has launched its latest VAIO G series, which comprises of a variety of features, thus bringing the ultra-portable notebook to a whole new level.

The carbon fiber-shelled Sony VAIO G Notebook weighs in at just 1.98 pounds (without optical drive) and bucks the trend of widescreen displays that have pretty much taken over the notebook industry. Instead, the notebook uses a 12.1″ XGA screen. The VAIO G features the Intel 945GMS Express can accept mobile Celeron processors or your choice of a Core Solo U1300 or U1400. Sony’s VAIO G notebook incorporates the regular features such as 802.11g, Bluetooth, PCMCIA, multi-card reader and fingerprint reader support.

Sony is also launching a version of the Vaio G Notebook with an integrated multi-DVD burner. This version also comes backed with a 6-cell battery which bumps battery life from an already amazing 6 hours to an almost unbelievable 12.5 hours. Thus increasing the weight of the notebook to 2.52 pounds.

The VAIO G notebooks will launch in Japan on December 2 with the base model priced at a little above ¥215,000 (about $1,836) while the upgraded model with optical drive and 6-cell battery costs ¥245,000 (about $2,093). There is no word on the U.S. availability.

Complete specs of the Sony VAIO G ultra-portable notebook:

Weight: 898-grams / 1.98-pounds

Screen: 12.1-inch, 1024×768 display

Choice Celeron or Core Solo 1.06GHz U1300 or 1.2GHz U1400 processors

Integrated Intel 945GMS Express graphics

Up to 80GB of disk space

Up to 1.5GB memory

Quoted 6-hour battery life (highly doubtful) with 4-cell battery, 6-cell available

Fingerprint reader

802.11a/b/g WiFi and Bluetooth

2 USB 2.0, a multi-format memory card and PCMCIA slot

Dimensions: 10.9 × 8.5 × 0.9~1.0-inches