Sony Working on a Chrome OS-Based VAIO

Sony is supposedly working on a Chrome OS notebook and a hybrid notebook/PC, both under the Sony VAIO name.

Sony is reportedly jumping on the Chrome OS bandwagon by offering a VAIO notebook/netbook sporting Google's upcoming operating system this summer. It will be based on the Tegra 2 platform and sport a keyboard similar to the one provided by Google's Chrome Cr-48 netbook released back in December 2010.

According to the report, the Chrome OS-based VAIO will feature an 11.6-inch LCD display with a 1366 x 768 native resolution, 1 GB of memory, a 16 GB electronic multimedia card (eMMC), an ultra-low power GeForce GPU, an 8-hour battery and wireless WAN. The overall dimensions will be less than an inch thick, a width of 11.7-inches, a depth of 21.5-cm and a weight of around 2.2 pounds. Bluetooth and GPS won't be available until after the first batch has landed in stores.

In addition to the Chrome OS notebook, Sony is supposedly working on a VAIO hybrid PC. On one hand, the thin-and-light notebook will sport an Intel Wireless Display, an internal SSD, an Intel i7 processor, Intel's Thunderbolt technology, HDMI output with 3D support, and a battery lasting from 8 to 16.5 hours. However the device seems to plug into a dock which offers additional hardware including a discrete GPU (AMD Whistler-XT with 1 GB VRAM), a Blu-ray burner, HDMI and VGA outputs, Ethernet and USB ports.

"Overall the notebook looks pleasing to eyes, aesthetically designed in its VAIO fashion, however we are not quite sure about the purpose of the second component. It again reminds me of a desktop model Sony marketed back in 2007 – VAIO RM series that featured a twin-unit form factor," Sony Insider reports.

So far Sony hasn't confirmed or denied both laptops, so stay tuned, as more is expected to be revealed around the time Google makes Chrome OS official.