Sony VAIO S Series: All Day Consumer Computing
by Dustin Sklavos on September 9, 2011 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
- AMD
- Intel
- Sony
- Sandy Bridge
- 6000M
- VAIO S
- Switchable Graphics
The Mediocre Matte
The Sony VAIO S' default screen quality is, to put things generously, problematic. While it isn't the worst notebook screen we've ever reviewed, it's not one of the best, and for some reason this one struck me as having particularly poor viewing angles. Sweet spots are notoriously hard to find on these small screens, and the VAIO S is no different.
There are some bright spots, though. The 1366x768 resolution is at least reasonable on a 13.3" screen, and thankfully the VAIO S uses a matte instead of a glossy panel. Those of you that demand more from your notebook will be pleased to note that Sony also offers a matte 1600x900 panel for the VAIO S series in custom orders, though we can't say whether it's of higher quality other than increasing the resolution.
As you can see, the VAIO S' numbers are pretty stunningly mediocre all around, with a terrible Delta E and a contrast rating below 200:1. Even in regular use, shades that were normally easy to discern on other monitors required me to tilt the screen just so.
Our viewing angle photos really just reinforce it: the VAIO S' screen is bad. Hopefully an upgrade to the 1600x900 panel will alleviate most of these problems (higher resolution screens have historically trended towards being higher quality in our experience), though that resolution will completely overpower the meager AMD Radeon HD 6470M.
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Rookierookie - Friday, September 9, 2011 - link
$200 is 10 times $20, and yes I do need more than 120GB of space.On desktops I'll gladly do a boot SSD + storage HDD. On laptops I'm not quite ready to do that.
JNo - Friday, September 9, 2011 - link
You might well be able to do boot SSD + storage HDD on this (and other) laptops too, so long as you don't mind losing the ODD.One solution I'm becoming aware of is to google/ebay "optical hard drive bay" for your laptop model and you can usually then get a bay to slot in to the lappy's optical bay which can hold a mechanical HDD instead...
Then bingo - fast SSD + spacey HDD in a laptop
tmensonides - Friday, September 9, 2011 - link
I was thinking of ordering a Sony because there one of the only manufacturers that offers what they call a "fresh start" option when cto... it is supposed to be vaio/sony, demo, game free....Looks like it is still in the cto options....
Do you know anything more about that option?
hp79 - Friday, September 9, 2011 - link
You have to upgrade your Windows to a Professional version and pay more in order to be able to select "fresh start" which really sucks. Other manufacturers business lines such as Dell's Latitude or Lenovo's Thinkpad lines doesn't come with demos and stuff.tmensonides - Friday, September 9, 2011 - link
Yeah but you still get that thinkvantage stuff (dells got their own suite of junk..i have both a thinkpad and latitude at work)...at least the option is there....Zoomer - Saturday, September 17, 2011 - link
Yeah, they have had that option for some time. I guess they need to make money somewhere.Think of it as a "can't fix my own computer" tax. ;)
docp - Friday, September 9, 2011 - link
Dustin,Thanks for awesome review as always clear and very well detailed.
brought back my old memories of sony crapware.
I have been vaio FZ user right when vista came out and this new series got announced,
I have been formatting the any new laptop that comes in family,Install clean windows 7 and then update essential programs to make all extra utilities working and security software that all and performance is amazing after this ritual.
Regarding HDD also,I got 200 gb Toshiba 4200 rpm HDD(that times biggest HDD) to 7200 rpm hitachi 500 GB and its running as it is supposed to.fast and quiet.
I dont know why sony installs so much of crap and why bog down pretty good hardware with stupid software.
Its hurting their own business .
Just plain stupid of sony .
docp - Friday, September 9, 2011 - link
their is this little program which does backup and restore your windows 7 activation .it came out for vista and it works beautifully for windows 7 as well.this is completely legal and no shady grey tricks for activation.
Saidas - Friday, September 9, 2011 - link
ABR?docp - Friday, September 9, 2011 - link
yes ABR,awesome software.on side note,sony does allow you to debloate your laptop for additional 50 $ in form of windows 7 business upgrade.
so only home premium version targeted at home users is bloated most.
wrong strategy.