At maximum brightness you’re unlikely to have an issue, unless you’re using it outdoors. Some light is reflected but reflections are slightly blurred and not too distracting. While the panel is coated in gloss, it’s not as reflective as the finish used on many other laptops. That makes the Sony a good choice for productivity and helps create a sharp image when playing movies and games. Few others, like the ASUS ZenBook Prime, pack as many into the same space. Pixel paloozaĪ resolution of 1600×900 gives the Vaio S a lot of pixels for a laptop of this size. The only real issue is keyboard flex – yes, there’s metal along the interior, but it’s thin and bends slightly during normal use. There’s plenty of space between keys, yet individual key caps are large and the layout makes no sacrifices. Keyboard quality is another strong point. Multi-touch scrolling is smooth and the large surface makes it possible to move the cursor across the screen with a single swipe while keeping sensitivity relatively low. This may in fact be the widest touchpad on any laptop we’ve ever reviewed, and it makes for an enjoyable experience. We liked it, but it’s now been replaced with an even larger touchpad that uses integrated buttons. The previous model had a simple, small unit with two physical buttons. The world’s widest touchpad?īelow the keyboard is the most important change made to the new Sony Vaio S – the touchpad. Connected wires and peripherals will interfere with the use of a mouse. This is great if you are left-handed but not great for the right-handed majority. Unlike most laptops, the S-Series places all of its ports on the right side. There’s also an optical drive, which is unusual for a slim laptop. It isn’t the sort of problem that a premium laptop should have.Ĭonnectivity includes two USB 3.0 ports, a USB 2.0 port, VGA, HDMI an SD Card and Sony’s MagicGate. Moving the display up or down often causes it to warp noticeably and emit a groan of protest. Unfortunately the solid chassis is brought down a notch by the display lid. You’ll only find gaps at the laptop’s edges, where the metal meets the plastic chassis – and these are small and difficult to notice unless you’re specifically looking for them. The keyboard weaves through cut-outs in the metal, and the palmrest is the same piece of material. The interior of the Sony Vaio S is covered in a single piece of metal that helps enhance the feel of quality. Its dull blueish-black finish repels most fingerprints but also stands out from the pure matte black found on most laptops that lean towards functionality rather than aesthetics. The design has not changed since then, for better and for worse.Īs before, this laptop is handsome but also functional. We reviewed the previous Sony Vaio S last year. Can this $1,119 Sony hang with ultrabooks, MacBooks, and other expensive hardware? Deja-Vu According to Sony’s Website it provides “all-around excellence.” In other words, this is Sony’s mainstream laptop, albeit a high-end configuration. This Sony Vaio S is not an ultrabook or even a luxury ultraportable. With that said, there’s more to a laptop than its hardware. That is an impressive specification sheet for a laptop of this size. This small and thin ultraportable packs a 1600×900 display and is powered by a Core i5-3210M processor paired with Nvidia’s GT 640M LE. Fortunately, the high price buys some nice hardware. Such is the case with the Sony VAIO S Premium. Sony’s volume products usually cost at least $599 and can easily soar over $1,000. Sure, you can get an E or Y-Series for $499, but only if you go for the bare-bones basics.
#Sony vaio s series laptop Pc
Laptops are one of Sony’s last fortifications in the consumer PC market, but this hasn’t reduced the company’s focus on premium pricing.