Core Group, the company that distributes Apple products in South Africa, has revealed recommended retail prices for the latest generation of MacBook Air ultraportable notebooks.

At the same time, Sony has revealed prices for its latest Vaio models, which compete directly with the Air.

All the machines are powered by Intel’s new power-efficient Haswell processors, significantly extending the battery life of the machines over previous-generation models.

An entry-level, 11-inch, MacBook Air with 128GB of flash storage costs R12 799, while one specced with a 256GB flash drive costs R15 399.

Apple also offers two MacBook Airs with 13-inch displays. A model with 128GB of storage will set buyers back R13 999, while the top-end 256GB version has a R17 199 sticker.

Apple claims the new 11-inch models will last up to nine hours, while the 13-inch models are rated for up to 12 hours of use.

Each of the new models also supports the latest version of Wi-Fi technology, 802.11ac and includes a 1,3GHz dual-core i5 processor (boostable to 2,6GHz) and 4GB of RAM.
Meanwhile, Sony has introduced a new range of Vaio devices in South Africa, which will go on sale next month.

The Japanese company’s new Vaio Pro 13 machine with touch-screen monitor is the company’s lightest Ultrabook to date. It uses carbon fibre throughout. The machine has a recommended retail price of R11 999 for a consumer model and R17 999 for a professional version.

The company’s new flagship Duo 13, a “slider-hybrid” Ultrabook, costs R16 999 and R22 999 for consumer and professional versions respectively. The Duo 13 uses a design that allows users to move between slate and keyboard modes. Sliding the screen back while in slate mode reveals a keyboard and a touch pad, while returning it to its original position puts it back in slate mode, favouring manipulation with touch and stylus. — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media