I will be flying with this (and for the first time, without an additional tablet) soon and will update it after that experience.In this review:
(1) In the box
(2) PROs (+)
(3) CONs/Quirks (-)
(4) Windows Experience Index Ratings, Battery Life, and Performance Observations
(5) Extended sheet battery thoughts
(6) Thoughts on travel/portability/business use
(7) General Thoughts and Thoughts on tablet replacement
(1) In the box: power cord and adapter with neat USB port in transformer, brief setup pamphlet, VGA Adapter.
I thought I would include this section because there was some confusion as to whether the USB-powered Ethernet wireless router that attaches to the power adapter was included. Sadly, it is not. It is also not listed as available for sale (as of this date) in the US. If you need the part number (since it's hard to find), it's VGP-WAR100 and is available on Sony Asia's website (http://www.sony-asia.com/product/vgp-war100)
(2) PROs
Great battery life (later)
Super thin AND great battery life!
full-size spacing on keys
Tight integration between hardware and Windows 8 (even some 8.1 features done Sony-style on Windows 8.0)
Screen lifts for the most part with one hand (better than I could have expected)
brightness is decent
Carbon fiber build seems flimsy (because it bends) but actually feels and appears to be durable (if that makes sense)
Really light.
Did I mention that it's really thin and light?
(3) CONs/Quirks (not all are really terrible and I've overcome some as described)
Yes, there is a known WiFi issue. Supposedly, Sony is working on a fix though not all their stores and call centers are familiar with it. However, that being said, I did not experience any major issues. Just in case, I have a WiFi adapter I can use if needed.
For me: lack of Thunderbolt port is a disappointment but I understand that Sony had to sacrifice some things for such a thin laptop. I would have preferred Thunderbolt over HDMI but that is just me and the market supports the decision to stick with HDMI right now.
Lack of Gb Ethernet. Really wished it had this but a lot of ultrabooks are forgoing this option these days. To overcome this, I purchased a nifty Asus USB router (see below under travel)
The large amount of flex in the build makes using the touchscreen difficult to use or at least not as "seamless" as it could be. The screen vibrates back and forth a lot with each press making for a slightly uncomfortable but bearable experience. It certainly does not replace a tablet feel (nor is it meant to so no stars deducted). It's just that it feels like the touchscreen could have been left out altogether but I must admit I still use it extensively over the touchpad (but maybe not over a travel mouse).
The sheet battery is not flush to the device (more on that below under the "extended battery" section).
The keyboard is a little awkward for me, but to be fair, I'm accustomed to a 12.1" netbook keyboard. The keys for me are spaced too far apart but I can still type pretty fast and it doesn't seem like it will take a lot of getting used to.
The lights for the backlit keyboard are visible from underneath the keys when you are looking at the device. It's kind of annoying and I wish it were just the letters that were lit instead of an outline of the keys.
Silly dedicated "assist" button launches Sony's troubleshooting and repair/recovery apps. I'd rather be able to customize a dedicated hardware button (and maybe I can?)
(4) Windows Experience Index, battery life, and other performance measures
Overall: 6.3 (internal HD4000 graphics being the limiting factor)
CPU: 7.1 (NOTE: This is for a Core i7 model, the rest of this review is relevant to this model)
RAM: 7.6
Graphics: 6.3
Gaming Graphics: 6.3
HDD: 8.6
It isn't meant to be a super high-end gaming machine. The idea here is thin and light...but seriously, it does a pretty darn good job at everything else while it's at it. Data transfer rates are extremely good. If I get a chance, I'll post some samples.
Battery Life is really really good. I use Battery Bar and it varies it's estimate based on use but going from a full charge on just the main battery without the extended sheet battery, it varies between 7-8.5 hours, way over Sony's 6.5 hours estimate. To be fair, I have only been installing software and not anything otherwise intensive. With the extended battery which is almost double capacity, I would easily believe Sony's 13-14 hour claim and then some. Time will tell and I will update if this changes.
Performance is pretty snappy and I haven't noticed any major hiccups but to be fair, I haven't done a whole lot other than web browsing and software installation. I'll update as time goes on if it changes.
(5) Extended Sheet battery thoughts:
Honestly, I have mixed feelings. Since there are really no pictures for this model, I thought I would post this so you have a good idea of what it is like. I will post a picture soon as well. For starters, it does NOT sit flush with the laptop. In other words, it adds a significant amount of depth (almost double) but at least it is a smaller footprint and not the whole side of the laptop. It serves as a stand while it is attached. One thing I do wish: the cover for the connector for the extended battery can be difficult to remove form the laptop (it has a spot to reattach to the extended batteyr to hold it in place but even that is a pain to do in a hurry. If I have to switch batteries in a hurry or switch to the extended, it can be irritating. A sliding cover would have been more practical (but I'm not sure if it's feasible space-wise)
(6) Travel and portability thoughts:
For me, extended batteries are almost a necessity and I'm so used to just ordering them that I ordered it with the device. As I am using this, I am actually thinking I wouldn't need it if I were just replacing my netbook/laptop. Since the sheet battery adds such significant battery life, I might use it to replace what I normally defer to my Asus TF300T tablet for (notes, travel, work on airplanes/trains, etc.).
I will update this review soon--I have ordered two different MacBook Air cases and will see how they fare.
I also ordered the Asus WL-300NUL pocket WiFi router (ASUS Multi-Mode Pocket Router (WL-330NUL). This can be used in much the same way as the Sony part I mentioned above with the added benefit that it can also be used as a USB ethernet adapter and standard WiFi adapter as well.
For travel, I also ordered a USB combo mini outlet surge protector Satechi Compact USB Surge Protector for Charging MP3 Players, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and Windows Mobile Phones and an inline surge protector TRC 90510-10 Lap Top Surge Protector 3-Wire which should arrive soon.
(7) General Thoughts and Thoughts on Tablet replacement:
I was really hoping for a Haswell ultrabook convertible that would double as my desktop via a nice Thunderbolt dock for two monitors, GbE, USB 3.0 drives, etc. I was hoping for said ultrabook to also double as a tablet and take advantage of Window 8 handwriting recognition with a digitizer (this does not have a digitizer). In the end, while this may have been a purchase out of frustration in waiting or the "perfect" device to come along, I think I am happy with it. The near-instant on feature is nice so that certainly helps in pushing the case to replace my tablet. I can still think of a need for a decent tablet with digitizer (perhaps a future "mini" Windows 8 tablet with Bay Trail?). I thought about the Sony Duo 13 as well but the limited one angle kind of was a dealbreaker for me. In retrospect, it might be more of what I was looking for. The trackpad is becoming more and more of an after-thought for me as I use the touchscreen more so the fact that it is much smaller on the Duo may not be bad. At least it isn't behind the keyboard like on the recently announced Samsung device. The Asus Transformer Book Trio is probably the closest to what I wanted but it may not be released until much later this year. For now, I would say I'm very happy with the purchase and will continue to evaluate my needs as I go on in terms of living without a tablet.
I do hope that Thunderbolt becomes more common and is standard in the near future. Partly due to cost and partly due to ignorance, I think people are missing out on something great that might be too early for it's own good. It's almost like the "Apple Newton" was way ahead of its time and didn't succeed because of ignorance and cost until Palm released their version of the PDA when the market was "ready" for it. I'm hoping this is the time for TB.
Seven hours battery .
The body is a bit flexy-but I think that was the intention, to keep it flexible so it can stand the rigors of being handled around, and at 1 kilogram-it WILL be handled around.
Track pad misses some tapsbut it is by far one of the best non-apple trackpads.
I went to the Apple store to see if I let my heart rule over the mind (the supposed 12 hour battery life of the new Air), and I simply came back, clenching my Vaio closer to me. Drab heavy silver slabs. No innovationimagine my frustration when the chunky screen didn't respond to my gentle prods.
Believe me-this is the new Z.
Sony, welcome back.
Buy Sony VAIO Pro SVP13213CXS 13.3-Inch Core i5 Touchscreen Ultrabook (Carbon Silver) Now
**UPDATE**The temps on this laptop can get very hot if you don't watch them. I got to 73C today just watching Netflix. I even wiped the drive and reinstalled from the recovery partition and it still does it.
And to comment on other people saying the screen is glossy, I actually don't find it glossy at all. Its actually a weird middle between glossy and matte. I don't know what Sony did. Its nice though.
**OLD REVIEW**
Just as a intro, I didn't buy this laptop on Amazon, so it wont say verified purchase, but I did buy this laptop and still have it with me, so you can be assured that this is a real review. I absolutely love this laptop. Everything is amazingly fast and snappy, the trackpad is smooth and gestures handle very well, almost as well as a Mac.
The keyboard is also pretty great. It feels like I'm typing on a desktop keyboard because of how much travel the keys actually have. I think this is the most I've ever seen in an ultrabook. Now for the best thing about this laptop.
The weight. Its incredible. When I took the laptop home with me, I was actually worried that the box didn't have the laptop in it! (It did). This thing feels as light as my tablet.
Now for the screen, its a full 1080p screen, the clarity is good, and so are the viewing angles. Surprisingly, they're not as good as an IPS screen, but more than acceptable. The touch is also responsive. The one thing that I did have to do is when I got it, the screen was really sticky and I couldn't slide my finger on it. I cleaned it with some rubbing alcohol and now its as smooth as anything else.
But, there is one major (to me) issue. The fan noise is horrific. Even when I'm just browsing the internet, the fans are on at ~4000-5000 RPM according to Core Temp. And the weird thing, is that they SHOULD be on at the temps I'm getting. On idle, its around 50C. I've used many other ultrabooks and I know that's not normal. In fact, I unplugged the fan of a Lenovo Yoga (It was also loud) and it never exceeded 55C even when watching movies. This can't be fixed with an update because the laptop actually DOES run hot, so the fans are needed. I checked for any CPU hogging apps, but the CPU is never over 10% utilization in Task Manager. I know I don't have a defective unit, because I already took it back and replaced it once. Oh, and the SONY Vaio Control Center fan options don't do anything to control the fan.
I think other than that, this laptop is amazing. If you never use your laptop in a Library, Classroom, or another quiet place, It would be 5 stars for you. But Its just way too loud for me.
I feel that to deserve 5 stars, it need to be perfect, and this laptop comes close, but isn't. If anyone/Sony somehow releases an update to quiet those fans, I'll change my review. It would be 5 stars, but the fan and the flex on the body knock off one star for me.
To sum up:
PROS:
Amazing Screen
Roomy and comfortable keyboard
Smooth trackpad
VERY light
Looks great
No bloatware at all (since I bought it from the Microsoft Store)
CONS:
Fan noise is terrible
Some amount of flex in the body makes it feel weakThis touchscreen notebook is the lightest I've ever used among Windows computers. Keyboard backlight works fine, screen is bright and glares not that much. Touchpad is great, I read some reviews about it being too hard to operate or something and I think those reviewers were lying. Touchscreen works great too. I think this notebook is too cheap given its quality. Also some reviewers noticed too much flex in its body but I didn't notice any. Probably those reviewers prefer heavyweight Apple notebooks, but I don't like heavy machines, given that amount of flex is roughly equal between this machine and MacBook Air. In any case, I found all the drawbacks stated in reviews to be fake, those reviewers just needed to pick on something. There's only advantages and no drawbacks in this beautiful machine, given it's low price (it's low considering what you'd get for it). Also looks much better than any MacBook.
Want Sony VAIO Pro SVP13213CXS 13.3-Inch Core i5 Touchscreen Ultrabook (Carbon Silver) Discount?
I have only owned the Sony VAIO Pro for 24 hours but I have been glued to it! I love it! Have to get used to Windows 8 and that is probably my biggest adjustment but this laptop fits me like a well-sized glove! I am not a tablet person have the Ipad and it has never worked for me but I didn't like my clunky Dell laptop anymore so this lightweight "as a feather" , easy to use laptop so far has met my expectations and some. I read complaints about the fan noise but so far haven't picked any of that up. I am not a sophisticated user, just a regular user so it definitely meets my needs. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Oh and the touchscreen is to die for!!! I love it. (Btw I am still a Blackberry user and need a keyboard -this laptop (like my BB Q10) gives me the best of both worlds!) Love it!
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