By John Cox "Author & Troublemaker" (Mount Vernon, WA) -
This review is from: Sony VAIO T Series SVT13134CXS 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Silver) (Personal Computers)
I've really got used to having a touchscreen on my phone and Kindle Fire, but as an author I also really appreciate a proper keyboard. So with that in mind, when it came time to choose a new PC, I decided to plump for the new touchscreen Windows 8 ultrabook from Sony.
My experience started off in rather a bad way, with my first ultrabook lasting a mere two hours before it gave out, never to reboot again. However, the Amazon returns and replacement service was excellent and the very next day I had another ultrabook at my door. This one, it seems, is going to last longer than the first. I've now had it a full 5 days and I've run it through its paces and set everything up on it. I'm using it to write my latest book and also to do all those lovely touchy windows 8 things on the wonderfully clear 13.3" 1366 x 768 touchscreen. My first impressions are that this PC is a gem.
Things I like:
1. Speed of restart from sleep - no more waiting and waiting to start using it. You simply close the lid when you're done and then reopen it when you want to continue. It takes about 2 seconds to be ready to use.
2. The ability to switch between the touchscreen, touchpad and keyboard (all interchangeable) - once you learn all the gestures and shortcuts it's a really quick user experience.
3. The zippiness of it - my previous PC was a three year-old desktop. This ultrabook seems about 6 generations faster.
4. Windows 8 apps - Netflix, Angry Birds, Skype, CNN News and a plethora of other apps run just like they do on an iPad or Kindle fire.
5. It just works - I know, you expect it to work, but sometimes new things can be a little weird.
So far there is nothing I dislike about it (apart from a lack of some Windows 8 apps - but more and more are arriving each day).
I could go on about the battery life, the ports, the keyboard and everything else, but you can read all the technical specs above. the bottom line is would I recommend this PC? Wholeheartedly YES!
Update 8/14/13: I've now had this laptop for 6 months and it's still performing flawlessly. It does a whole lot more than I ever imagined, now that I have attached a second screen to it for when I use it at my desk, as opposed to traveling. Everything I've thrown at it has worked flawlessly. I must admit I'm not a huge fan of Windows 8, but, hey, it is what it is. I love the touchscreen aspect. I love the speed. I love the reliability. Oh, and the battery life!
By Evan -
This review is from: Sony VAIO T Series SVT13134CXS 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Silver) (Personal Computers)
I got this from work about 4 months ago. I think four months is ample time to be able to give an accurate review of this ultrabook. I really wanted to love this laptop, but I don't. It's very sharp and stylish with its black and silver design but almost laughably clumsy.
Allow me to explain. First and foremost you have to hold the bottom whenever you open it because the hinge mechanism is tight and the bottom isn't weighty enough. Secondly, once you have the laptop open the first thing you'll notice is not the lack of an HD screen but rather the strong glare back into your eyes if there is a light nearby. The screen reflects way too much light and I find myself moving the display back and forth throughout the day just so I can read. Thirdly, the keyboard (although I have to admit that I am getting more used to it) feels carpal tunnel inducing. There is simply very little give to the keys so you feel as if you're tapping away on a flat surface (although touch screen tablets are not uncomfortable). I prefer the feedback you get from other keyboards (such as Dell's XPS line). Additionally, the keys are not smooth but feature a slight rough texture that feels rather cheap.
The touch screen is a cool feature but I must admit that I never use it. It's just not comfortable to hang your arm in front of your screen for an extended period of time. I use a wireless Logitech mouse because the trackpad is annoying as well. It doesn't recognize when you lift one of your fingers off of it unless you take both of them off. This becomes very annoying when you're scrolling (with two fingers) and you take one off so that you can move to cursor to click on something and it continues scrolling down!
I should also mention that about two months after I had it, the touch screen input stopped working. I tried all kinds of troubleshooting, even formatting the hard drive and reinstalling Windows and all drivers but in the end it was a hardware issue. I must give credit where credit is due and after talking to Sony they instructed me to bring the laptop to any UPS store (I didn't have to wrap it) and they would overnight it to their service center in Texas. I received several calls from Sony informing me of the current repair status while it was gone (very unexpected). Within two weeks I had the laptop back in working condition.
My final gripe is that even though I have Windows set to sleep when I close the lid, about once, sometimes twice a week, I get home after leaving work and find the laptop burning hot because it never went to sleep.
We ordered about 15 of these for the office and the feelings are mutual among all of us.
All in all, for the price it is not a terrible laptop but I do think you can find better. It's doing the job as a work laptop but I would never buy it on my own nor could I recommend it to anyone.
By Tojo (Chicago) -
This review is from: Sony VAIO T Series SVT13134CXS 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Silver) (Personal Computers)
For me it came down to this Sony T Series and Asus Vivobook. Price point is very similar; I give Sony the slight nod with hardware specifications, the quality of keyboard and the ability to swap out the battery. Upgrading RAM on both laptops is possible, but I am unsure of the added value. If you are running something that needs 8GB RAM, you shouldn’t be buying an ultrabook.
For the keyboard, both feel shallow but the Sony’s keyboard is a bit more comfortable (at least to me). Since this laptop is fairly new, check out the reviews on the old non-touchscreen T Series. It is exactly the same except for the screen and upgraded hinges. The screen still bounces when touched, but stays in place and feels solid (so far).
The laptop has a quality feel. If you press around the casing you can flex the topcase around the “Tab” and “Caps Lock” keys, everywhere else it feels solid. Also, the screen has a slight flex but does not seem to be a negative, I believe the touch screen design beefed up the sturdiness from the prior years model.
The design has a business type feel, square edges, I think it might keep its style longer than the Vivobook. The Sony is simple and understated.
One concern I had was the placement of the touchpad. I prefer this to be centered below the space bar to avoid activating the mouse cursor with your palm while typing (on this model it is centered on the topcase), but that does not seem to be an issue on this laptop. Even with contact, the touchpad seems to ignore the touch of the palm. Fan noise, yes the fan is audible on start-up and when resources are heavy, but it hasn’t bothered me too much. With any ultrabook relying on a fan for cooling you are going to have this issue.
If you are coming from a Windows 7 environment expect a learning curve. I have read reviews of people who hate Windows 8 and at times the multiple gestures can prove frustrating. Give yourself some time; understand the four points of control on the touchscreen to navigate your system. The windows button is your friend if you get lost. The less you use your keyboard, the better the Windows 8 environment becomes.
I see these ultrabooks as the best of both worlds. A computer that can function as a tablet, but still gives you the tools needed for business use. For the cost (under 700) you are not taking that big a gamble, avoid spending too much on higher grade laptops, use this for a year or two and upgrade again. Spending over $700 on an ultrabook seems like a waste of money to me.
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