Today marks the launch of ViewSonic's first CULV notebook. The VNB131 ViewBook Pro carries a 13.3-inch 1280x800 LED-backlit display, a 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV SU7300 processor and GS45 chipset, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 320GB HDD and Windows 7 Home Premium.

While its aluminum alloy chassis measures only an inch thick, ViewSonic found room for a DVD burner. The system ships with a six-sell battery that offers up to eight hours of use. That time can be extended to 12 hours by removing the optical drive and installing an additional three-cell battery. It isn't clear whether the extra battery is included, but I would presume not.


Input and output features include Ethernet, 802.11g/b/n, Bluetooth v2.0+EDR, VGA and HDMI-out, two USB 2.0 ports, and a seven-in-one card reader. The system also has dual single-watt speakers, a multitouch trackpad, and weighs about 1.64kg (3.61lbs). ViewSonic is currently selling the VNB131 ViewBook Pro online for $949, and plans to launch more ULV laptops next quarter.