Sony VAIO E Series SVE14116FXB 14-Inch Laptop (Sharkskin Black)

I was kind of nervous about buying a laptop online, but I researched the model I was considering and went into Best Buy to check it out in person. I LOVE this laptop. It's very fast & smooth and fortunately I haven't had any issues with the keyboard as the previous reviewer mentioned. I love how the keys light up and you can set the backlighting to always on, only when plugged in or always off. It comes preloaded with some great Sony software that you can choose to keep or remove. I removed some of it, but kept most of the Imagination Suite, which includes Sony ACID & Vegas. It has very nice features, light weight and has really good battery life. After charging it in the morning I can go almost all day without needing to recharge it. This is doing regular tasks on it like browsing the internet, checking email, watching videos on YouTube, etc. Overall I am loving this laptop and very happy with my purchase. If you have any questions leave it in the comments below and I will try to answer your question. I hgihly recommend this laptop! If you were on the fence about getting it, I say GET IT!

With almost 750GB of space, there is plenty of room to store an entire music collection, photos, videos and documents.

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I found this laptop to be light, responsive to commands, fast, with a good display. Typing and launching applications is quick. Even while using processor-heavy applications like Handbrake doesn't seem to slow other functions down much. I had to play with the settings of the trackpad to make it work the way I am used to, but now it is responsive and easy to use.

The drawback is the keyboard, which feels a bit cheap and flimsy. I don't like its "bounce" and feedback, though after a week's use, I am getting used to it. The lighting of the keyboard also doesn't actually help in darker environments.

Sony includes some useful applications, like Vegas Movie Studio, but like many PCs, much of what is included can be removed.

Still, for the size, weight and specs I feel like I've made a good purchase.

Buy Sony VAIO E Series SVE14116FXB 14-Inch Laptop (Sharkskin Black) Now

I was worried after reading the other review's about this computer, but after seeing it a store I decided to order it anyways. I so far love everything about. I love the light up keyboard and it also seems to move very fast. I am very happy with my decision to get this computer.

Read Best Reviews of Sony VAIO E Series SVE14116FXB 14-Inch Laptop (Sharkskin Black) Here

First this laptop was purchased for my spouse not me, so I will skip the review on the color. She likes it and that's that. ;)

Now, on to business. Sony VAIO systems have had their ups and downs over the years. However, I can mostly say that Sony has come back with its new line of laptops. They seem to be built better and don't contain as much bloatware as they used it. Why computer companies still insist of packing every piece of horrible software onto their system is beyond me (yes, it could lower the price a bit, but then customers are bombarded with horrible software and blame you for installing it on their system). Anyway, I digress...

What Sony did install on this system that is fairly helpful for the average user, is a "smart" suite that basically checks the system for you and ensures you are running the latest and greatest software and have the right patches to keep your system safe. This suite isn't perfect, however it will at least keep the system cleaner than most suites I've seen from other companies that simply just try to sell you more of their products right from your own desktop (really, commercials on my computer...no, thanks). Additionally, this suite is a teaching tool. Sony takes the time to answer the hottest questions currently floating around the web pertaining to laptops. Need to learn how to hook up that new printer you just purchased to your network or laptop for use? Sony will tell you. Need to figure out if upgrading your laptop to Windows 8 is possible? Sony has you covered (it is btw). Want to know how to fix that annoying little issue that seems to be plaguing you (and likely other Sony customers)? Yep, you guessed it...Sony will post the answer in plain English right on your desktop software suite and even provide you steps to fix it. Not bad Sony, not bad at all.

Now on to the actual system. Let me first give the biggest con of them all. The trackpad is absolutely a nightmare on this system. Seriously I am not able to figure out if I'm clicking or scrolling or simply shaking my mouse pointer back and forth. They decided to incorporate the mouse buttons right into the trackpad, so you don't have separate things to touch but for these burly hands, I am unable to master it. My spouse...no complaints (I think she secretly hates it, but doesn't want to agree with me...*sigh*). If you like those "one surface does it all" type track/touchpads, then this will not bother you and you can ignore the previous portion of this review. The rest of the system is fairly nicely laid out. Keyboard is the newer "chiclet keyboard", which basically means each key is independent on the board instead of a single large mesh for food and other junk to fall into. I like that idea and believe it should become standard on all laptops. The keys, themselves, light up when used, so great for surfing in a dark room during movie night. Most of the function keys are nicely labeled, so you can figure out what two keys you have to hit to replicate the same feature that a normal 108+ keyboard has. Want to page up/down? FN+up-arrow/down-arrow takes care of you (I dislike not having dedicated page-up/down keys, but understand the use due to limited space). The ports (USB, HDMI, card reader, etc) are all nicely placed and easily accessible without looking cheap. There is a powered USB port on one side of the laptop to allow you to charge your USB device, even if you lose the laptop for storage (excellent feature and should be standard, as it is silly that I have to keep a laptop open to charge an iDevice while on the road). The built-in camera and mic work great (Skype tested and approved by family/friends). The powercord and brick are standard and seem solid enough to not cause concern that they'll break within a year (so many manufacturers seem to send crappy powerbricks, so you have to buy their replacement one for $80+ after the original breaks).

So, overall, this system is fairly well built, has a good amount of useful software pre-installed (yes a little bloatware, but nothing worth complaining about), and seems fairly sturdy. If this changes over the next year of use we'll be sure to update this review. As an HP laptop user for work (I know, stop laughing, it is what we have), I can honestly say I am impressed with how Sony turned around and revitalized their consumer line of laptops (their enterprise line was always well-respected and trusted).

Want Sony VAIO E Series SVE14116FXB 14-Inch Laptop (Sharkskin Black) Discount?

I foolishly ignored the reviews about this laptop, blinded by the light up keyboard and intel 5 processor. It IS a lot faster than my old netbook, and I really enjoy the light-up keyboard. However, as other people mentioned, the mouse pad is very annoying and hard to use. Luckily I already had a nice wireless mouse that is connected via a small USB chip. If you are going to buy this, I would suggest buying a mouse as well. I would also recommend getting a warranty, I have recently started having problems with my laptop just randomly shutting off and then not turning back on for awhile. It's very strange. I like it, but I think I probably could have gotten something better for what I paid.