It's almost 2024 and Japan is the only place in the world where you can get a brand new 13th gen laptop with a DVD writer AND a VGA connector from 1987

 NEC VersaPro Type VD
(Image credit: NEC)

Japan has a reputation for its unique and unconventional approaches (KFC for Christmas dinner, anyone?) and is the only country where you can buy a modern business laptop with all the features you might need if you ever find yourself time-traveling to the past.

The recently unveiled NEC VersaPro Type VD <VD-K> is primarily designed for business use and features a 15.6-inch full HD screen (1920x1080). It's powered by a 13th generation Intel Core processor, compatible with Intel vPro Enterprise, and comes with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed.

The base model includes 4GB of RAM, expandable up to 32GB, and 256GB PCIe SSD storage, expandable up to 1TB. It offers Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. It also features a built-in 720p webcam with a privacy shutter, and a choice of biometric authentication methods - a facial recognition IR camera and an integrated fingerprint scanner.

Past-proof design

There are five USB ports – one Type-C USB4 Gen3x2 (Thunderbolt 4 compatible), four USB 3.2 Gen1 - and a Gigabit Ethernet port for those who prefer wired internet. There’s also an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack. 

As an added bonus, the laptop has a built-in mini D-Sub 15-pin (VGA) analog port. So, if you ever find yourself in the past needing to output your display on a VGA business monitor, the VersaPro Type VD has you covered.

This modern Japanese laptop also includes another nod to the past with its built-in DVD Super Multi drive, which will be useful if you need to watch DVDs or access content on an optical disc.

Unlike most modern laptops, this one comes with a removable battery too. You can expect around 8 hours of use between charges.

The VersaPro Type VD VKM47/DK (with Intel Core i5-1350P) starts at ¥313,000/$2,130.28, while the VersaPro Type VD VKH52/DK (with Intel Core i7-1370P) starts at ¥366,000/$2,491.

The optional time machine is extra.

NEC VersaPro VGA

(Image credit: NEC)

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Wayne Williams
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Wayne Williams is a freelancer writing news for TechRadar Pro. He has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for 30 years. In that time he wrote for most of the UK’s PC magazines, and launched, edited and published a number of them too.