This stunning business laptop resurrects a 30-year-old port

Vaio remains loyal to legacy VGA port

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VAIOis fondly remembered as a cutting edge computing brand by many, and its new SX12 continues in the path of its predecessors.

A utilitarian design combines with a super light frame that sees an overall weight of just over 900g (2lbs) for the heavier unit. The 2020 version adds 10th generationIntelCPUs (including a six-core model), and shrinks its footprint to 287 x 203mm, meaning that although it’s not small, it is certainly still portable.

When it comes to connectors,Sonydidn’t hold back. The SX12 boasts a Gigabit Ethernet connector, four USB ports, an HDMI connector, an audio connector, a card reader and, most surprisingly, a VGA connector.

D-Sub ports are still popular with many businesses, especially in Japan, where legacy projectors and displays abound. Their maximum resolution is limited, but they are still very useful as a backup.

These ports have been phased out over the last 24 months, even in business laptops, so it is refreshing to see VAIO still includes this venerable (but near obsolete) piece of technology.

The remaining specs are average for a device of this calibre. It has a 12.5-inch anti-glare panel with a full-HD resolution, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and a battery that Sony says can last up to 13.5 hours.

The SX12 is available in Japan for as little as $1,800 (about £1,400, AU$2,700).

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Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled inwebsite buildersandweb hostingwhen DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.

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