Vaio is back for those who remember the glory days of Sony laptops – and have money to burn

When Sony ducked out of the laptop market in 2014, it split with Vaio as a brand as Sony refocused away from the PC market.

While Vaio's visibility declined, the company continued as a more selective laptop maker, producing a few specialised models, but never really stepping up to compete with the likes of Dell or HP who dominated the Windows PC market in the 2010s.

But the latest Vaio model looks really interesting. The Vaio T has a screen that you can flip, making it a multi-model device, able to operate in three different modes.

While many will use it as a conventional laptop, it's possible to flip the screen by 180 degrees in presentation mode, or close the lid leaving the display on the outside like a tablet.

Unlike many convertible models, this then means the keyboard is covered, rather than having to put the keyboard face down on the table. That should keep it clean and protected, which other models don't.

The Vaio T puts into place a flip mechanism that was first investigated in 2013, according to Yanko Design, but now returns with Vaio's new owner, Nojima. The price at 374,000 yen, about $2400, is focused on the Japanese market with no indication that it will see wider release.

The Vaio T will be available with Intel Core hardware - up to Ultra 7 - so this is a high-end model to match the price. The chassis is well-equipped with connections, while there's a 13.3-inch LCD touchscreen with 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution with a 16:10 aspect. Storage runs up to 2TB and 64GB RAM.

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Ignoring the specs, it's the design that fascinates, with Fine Black and Fine Red colours. The red is especially fetching, leaning on Japanese culture to create a laptop that's as eye-catching as it is unique.

It's unlikely that you'll ever see one outside Japan, but it's an interesting resurgence from a once popular brand in its former years under Sony.