- SONY VAIO S SERIES UPGRADE
- SONY VAIO S SERIES PORTABLE
- SONY VAIO S SERIES PRO
- SONY VAIO S SERIES SERIES
SONY VAIO S SERIES SERIES
Only the lack of dual-band Wi-Fi disappoints.įlip the VAIO S Series over and you’ll find a couple of additional panels hiding the docking and battery slice connectors, while a little flap conceals the SIM slot for the 3G modem. The sheer range of networking options is impressive, too: Sony’s packed in Bluetooth, a single-band 802.11bgn wireless radio, a 3G modem and Gigabit Ethernet. Ports for USB 3, D-SUB, HDMI and an SD card reader line up on the laptop’s right flank, while the DVD writer and a combined headphone/microphone socket are on the left. Sony has squeezed a huge amount of connectivity into the tiny chassis. With the optional £150 battery slice promising to double that figure, the VAIO S Series has the potential to last a working day on battery power alone. The previous generation of the VAIO S Series achieved just 3hrs 44mins in our light-use battery test, but the new model manages 6hrs 49mins.
When battery life is the priority, Intel’s HD Graphics step up.
SONY VAIO S SERIES UPGRADE
For serious gaming, Sony’s website offers an upgrade to the Radeon HD 6630M for a £60 premium. With AMD’s Radeon HD 6470M chipset activated, the Sony has enough power to run Crysis at modest settings: at the native 1,366 x 768 resolution and Medium detail, the Sony managed a playable 29fps.
SONY VAIO S SERIES PORTABLE
It’s a feature which allows the Sony to flit nimbly between the roles of long-lasting portable and high-powered workstation. Flip the switch above the keyboard from Stamina to Speed mode, or vice versa, and the screen flickers momentarily as the Intel and AMD chipsets switch over. Graphics switching also makes its VAIO S Series debut. For a sub-2kg laptop, that’s seriously fast. Our retail model came with a mid-range Intel 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M processor, but was still blazingly quick, surging through our benchmarks to an overall score of 0.74. Thanks to Sandy Bridge, the Sony can match most 13in laptops when it comes to performance: it’s possible to configure the VAIO S Series with a range of Core i3, i5 and i7 CPUs on Sony’s website. The touchpad is great too: the wide, smooth surface makes for accurate cursor control, and a fingerprint reader nestles between the two buttons, both of which respond with a lovely muffled click. The Scrabble-tile keys have a positive, responsive feel, and the spacious layout is almost as comfortable as a full-sized keyboard. Spend a little time using the Sony, though, and you’ll soon forget any qualms about its build.
SONY VAIO S SERIES PRO
Gorgeous though it is, the build quality is no match for Apple’s MacBook Pro 13. Pick up the VAIO S Series by a corner and there’s noticeable give in the chassis, while more heavy-handed grappling causes an audible creak. With a keyboard surround milled from a single sheet of aluminium, and a magnesium-reinforced 13in chassis, the new model evokes more than a hint of Sony’s money-no-object VAIO Z Series.Īt just 1.69kg, it’s easily light enough to carry around on a day-to-day basis, but it doesn’t feel as sturdy as its metal-framed construction might suggest. Now, after a ground-up redesign for Sandy Bridge, Sony has made it more appealing than ever.Īll vestiges of the previous model’s thick, curvy plastic casing have been left behind. The VAIO S Series always struck an attractive balance between business and pleasure.
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