Sony today announced its new S-series notebook that is a 13.3” (1366 x 768) thin and light machine with a "sheet battery" option.

The notebook can be pre-ordered right now on the Sony Style store starting at $969.99. The notebook can be customized with CPUs up to the second-generation Core i7 and it can be fitted with hybrid graphics with 1GB of dedicated memory (AMD Radeon HD 6630M). The new S-series notebook is just under an inch thick and weighs 3.8 pounds. 

The trackpad on the S notebook is larger than on other Vaio offerings and the machine can be optioned with Blu-ray. It has a USB 3.0 port for fast connectivity with external storage and other gear. The case of the notebook is made from magnesium for strength and lightness, and the machine is compatible with Intel Wireless Display.

One of the more interesting features of the notebook is that the machine is launching with an extended “sheet battery” accessory that will sell for about $150. The sheet battery connects to the bottom of the notebook and can provide more power to the user without them having to power down to switch batteries.

Sony claims that the sheet battery doubles the runtime of the computer (up to 15 hours). When attached the external sheet battery will be used before the computer starts to use its internal battery. The internal has a claimed battery life of 7.5 hours per charge.

The notebook can be purchased in black or white colors and has up to 750GB of storage.

“We continue to raise the bar when it comes to the mobile computing experience,” said Mike Lucas, senior vice president of Networked and Technologies and Services Division at Sony Electronics. “The VAIO S Series laptop makes no compromises by offering the ultimate, full-featured ultra-mobile PC.”