VAIO returns without Sony but looks the same

VAIO is well known to most of us as Sony’s laptop brand. It meant quality and that you’d have to spend a little more than on your other brands. Sony then sold off the VAIO brand to concentrate on smartphones and tablets but now it’s back!

VAIO says it will be a “small” PC maker that will mean a change somewhere. Saying that though, the first two laptops shown off on its site appear identical to the Pro and Fit launched a year ago.

These first VAIO laptops have launched in Japan, sans the Sony branding. The company is now owned by an investment firm but everything else appears rather familiar.

The VAIO laptops were very good machines when they were Sony so hopefully that remains true for the VAIO versions.

The VAIO Pro is listed in 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch sizes on the site with up to 4GB RAM, an Intel Core i7, Windows 8.1 onboard, an 11.5 hour battery. The 15-inch VAIO Fit is slightly thicker but comes with similar specs. Both include Full HD Triluminous displays – previously a Sony only technology.

These two models are just the start for the company which plans to focus work on “choices”. Whether this means more than just laptops isn’t clear at this early stage.