Sony Vaio T series ultrabooks, in pictures

The ultrabooks are based on the Sandy Bridge Intel Core i3- 2367M processor rather than the new Ivy Bridge chipset, 4GB of RAM and either a 13.3-inch 1366 by 768 pixel display or an 11-inch version paired with an integrated onboard Intel HD graphics 3000 chip.

Like its ultrabook rivals, such as the Asus Zenbook or Dell XPS 13, the T Series Vaio promises an up to nine-hour battery life on models configured to include an solid-state drive (SSD) for fast system boot and resume. Like its HP Folio and Apple Macbook Air rivals, the devices also come with a backlit keyboard.

However, to "provide the best of both worlds", the ultrabooks also offer a hybrid hard drive approach that includes a standard hard drive as well as an SSD. Unlike other manufacturers, Sony has restricted the use of the SSD drive to providing caching of data for quick boot-up and system resume; it cannot be used for data storage, according to Sony's marketing materials. (Nobody from Sony was available to clarify questions ZDNet UK had on this configuration.) The hybrid version includes a 320GB HDD alongside a 32GB SSD.

It also side-steps the port shortage of other ultrabooks by offering business and consumer users alike a selection of HDMI, VGA and ethernet ports, in addition to a multimedia card slot.

The 13-inch T series model measures up at 226mm by 17.8mm by 323 mm and weighs approximately 1.6kg with its standard battery. In contrast, the company's existing ultra-thin Z series laptops are actually a little lighter at around 1.2kg and a few millimetres thinner at 16.6mm.

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