World’s first contoured carbon fibre laptop

Japanese laptop maker Vaio says it is the first company in the world to mass-produce a 3D moulded, carbon fibre laptop — the Vaio Z.

It is constructed using uni-direction carbon fibre which where the material is not woven and all fibres run in a single direction. Instead, Vaio claims, the carbon sheets are stacked in 3 dimensions. The Z is claimed to weigh less than 1.04Kg. The company states that using carbon fibre increases the Z’s durability and strength.

The laptop is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 H-series processor with the new integrated Xe graphics and up to 32GB of RAM.

The display has a size of 14″, with a 4K resolution, HDR-effect capable and a hinge that allows the screen to open up to 180°. The display is rated to cover 99.8% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. Additionally, there are Dolby audio speakers. The laptop includes a camera shutter and mic mute shortcuts for privacy.

Its hinge also raises the keyboard, in a similar manner to Asus’s Ergo-lift, to be angled to the user. Vaio claims the keyboard has been redesigned to provide increased comfort, more key travel and reduced key noise compared to previous Vaio models — the keyboard also has a backlight.

The Vaio Z has face authentication to login using Windows Hello and uses the sensors to keep the laptop unlocked while the user is seated in front of it. When the user steps away, it locks automatically.

“It is with great pleasure that we introduce VAIO Z to the world. With over a decade of relentless carbon fibre research, VAIO has succeeded in creating and mass-producing the world’s first 3-D moulded full carbon chassis for laptop PCs,” says Kaoru Hayashi, director, vice president and head of PC business at Vaio Corporation.

Pricing for the Vaio Z starts at $3,579 (approximately R55,000) and will be sold directly through Vaio’s website, beginning in March.

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