vincent nguyen

After a few days of speculation this week, Sony has confirmed the existence of a UMPC device in their Sony VAIO computer line. The VAIO Type U will go on sale by the end of the month, and will be available in two versions, the VAIO U VGN-UX50 and VAIO U VGN-UX90. There are some differences in the specifications we speculated on previously, which we’ll go over in a moment; the basic specifications, however, are still the same. With the first UMPC that breaks the design mold set by Samsung’s Q1 and TabletKiosk’s eo, will Sony have what it takes to bring these devices into the mainstream?

The two models of the VAIO Type U, the UX50 and UX90, have some differences between them (as one might expect), though it’s not entirely clear as to what all the differences are at this time. Both devices will feature Intel processors; the UX50 will feature a Core Solo U1300 @ 1.06 GHz while the UX90 will feature a Core Solo U1400 @ 1.2 GHz. A Celeron processor is optional as well. The new VAIOs also feature the built-in keyboard underneath the sliding screen, either a 20 or 30 GB hard drive, a 1.3 megapixel camera/webcam, Wi-Fi a/b/g capability, Bluetooth 2.0, and USB 2.0. Battery life for the devices should be around 3-3.5 hours.

Contrary to what we reported before, the devices will NOT feature an HDMI port; this makes sense, as most people wouldn’t have a use for one at this stage. The VAIO Type U will also support screen rotation to allow the device to be used sideways for reading documents. A GPS receiver is one of the confirmed accessories for the device, which will allow for users to track a destination on the go. No prices for either device have been announced as yet, but a price range close to what we quoted yesterday ($1,799.99) doesn’t seem to be too far away from what I’d expect. Keep your eyes open for the release at the end of the month; this might be worth waiting for.

If you want to take a closer look at the device, jkOnTheRun uncovered a Japanese Flash demo of the device. Check it out here.[Source: Akihabara News]