The new Sony VAIO BX series, which replaces the B series introduced just last year, includes a number of firsts for a Sony laptop. The business-focused models are the first Sony laptops to incorporate an SD card reader--a belated and inevitable concession for a company that until now has supported only its own proprietary Memory Stick flash format. The BX series also marks two new security features for Sony: biometrics and a Trusted Platform Module.
The 14.1-inch BX740 and 15.4-inch BX760 have similar specs and features. They are available with the latest Centrino Duo processors, including the speedy Core 2 Duo 7600 (2.4GHz, 800 MHz Bus, 4MB of L2 Cache), up to 4GB of memory and up to 200GB drives. One feature that doesn’t seem to be available is a dual-hard drive configuration like earlier BX models, which could be configured with dual 160GB drives. Graphics are powered by either Intel’s Graphic Media Accelerator X3100, or ATI’s new Mobility Radeon HD2300 GPU.
As with most business class notebooks, the BX740 and BB760 are built with security and connectivity in mind. The new BX series comes with bluetooth and draft-n WiFi cards, in addition to the optional Sprint WWAN card. A TPM module and a fingersprint scanner help keeps users’ files secure.
Sony’s added in a nice set of creature comforts usually reserved for consumer notebooks, including a webcam as well as SD and Memory card readers.
