Sony has launched the new VAIO Z series in India.Weighing in at 1.48 kg, the VAIO Z laptops come in a matte black finish and boasts of a carbon fibre body. The centre of the silver hinge, comprises part of the battery and houses the recessed power switch. A seamless sheet of brushed aluminum covers the keyboard panel framing its individual keys.

Available in two new models - VGN-Z13GN/B and VGN-Z12GN/B - the notebooks are priced at Rs. 1,24, 900 and Rs. 99,990 respectively.

Running on Intel Centrino2 Processor Technology, the VGN-13GN/B is equipped with a 4 GB DDR3 SRAM and a 320 GB hard disk drive while the VGN-12GN/B comes with 2 GB DDR3 SRAM and a 250 GB hard disk drive. Both models have Microsoft Windows Vista Business pre-installed and come with G-Sensor Shock Protection technology to counteract sudden movements helping to prevent damage and data loss.Comprised of two graphics processors - NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS GPU for full graphics acceleration and Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD for mobile situations - the system lets users manually choose either SPEED or STAMINA mode. The setting is changed via a conveniently located switch above the keyboard and does not require rebooting.

VAIO Z is equipped with a biometric fingerprint sensor for speedy logins and TPM (Trusted Platform Module) security chip and proprietary hard disk drive password protection software to help protect data from unauthorized access.

The laptops' display has a 16:9 aspect ratio at 1600 x 900 pixels, built-in 802.11n wireless LAN capabilities, an optional Blu-ray Disc optical drive, an HDMI port, three USB ports, Memory Stick media/SD card slot and microphone and headphone jack and a PC Card (type-II) slot.

The new VAIO Z series will be available at Sony owned stores, select national retail partners, as well as select Sony authorized dealers across the country.

Perhaps the death knell for Blu-ray among sub 17-inch notebooks isn't yet ringing, even if Asus and Acer are reluctant to keep forging ahead. Or maybe Sony is intent on not letting Blu-ray drives fade from the mobile scene anytime soon. But whatever the state of the high-definition format, expect to see it in Sony's new wicked thin VAIO TT series of notebooks.

As is becoming trend of late, the VAIO TT sports a sleek looking carbon-fiber shell, underneath which sits a modest 11.1-inch XBRITE-DuraView screen capable of a 1366x768 resolution. The small stature and ultra thin frame helps the new notebook boast a manageable 2.87 pounds and a thickness of just 1 inch.The new notebook will be based around Intel's Centrino 2 platform, with a Core 2 Duo SU9400 clocked at 1.4GHz and 4GB of DDR3-800 RAM providing the horsepower. For home theater buffs, the VAIO TT can be outfitted with an optional Blu-ray drive, and then beamed to an HDTV via an integrated HDMI port. Also erring on the higher end, Sony says users can stuff dual 128GB SSDs in RAID-0 array - oh my!

Pricing starts at $2,000, though the cost of entry jumps to $2,700 for the model touting a Blu-ray player.