Key travel measures 1.2mm, and could be a bit longer (the Surface Type Cover’s 1.3mm is our preferred minimum). Spacing between the keys is ample, and the keys have decent snap. The backlit keyboard has 82 island-style keys, with the QWERTY measuring about. The VAIO S keyboard is decent, but the touchpad is too small. The bass is nonexistent and tones slightly shrill at the upper ends of the sound spectrum. They are fine for personal use, pumping out reasonably loud sound. This way, they bounce sound off the bezel and at the user. The speakers line the bottom far edge, above the keyboard and facing the bottom of display bezel. Even business users, the VAIO S target audience, will feel the frustrations of low resolution, particularly with large and unwieldy spreadsheets. But with its display limitations, imaging pros will want to turn to an external monitor. It could make for a decent imaging machine in a pinch. The VAIO S is powerful, with the base unit shipping with 8GB of RAM and a sixth-gen Core i5. Individual pixels are discernible from a medium viewing distance, and it mars the overall VAIO S experience.
#Sony vaio s series vpcsb36fg review full
The Full HD display is just not pixel dense enough for a 13.3-inch screen, or a product of this caliber. So while we can overlook the lack of a touchscreen, the 1920×1080 display resolution is tough to accept. This likely wouldn’t be the case with a glossy touchscreen, where glare would be the primary concern. Colors are vibrant and blacks deep, but white tones suffer from a discernible glitter effect. For VAIO, the matte finish affects overall imaging. We did just that, multiple times, and the VAIO S display ended up no worse for the wear no scratches, no dings, no dents.Ī touchscreen would add a rigid element, and while something like Gorilla Glass would also protect the display, VAIO’s approach makes the VAIO S display nearly shatterproof. To illustrate it, VAIO reps encouraged us to place a pen on the VAIO S keyboard and slam the display lid down. The display has a semi-flexible matte finish, which not only shrugs off overhead glare remarkably well, but also provides a degree of protection. It’s not a touchscreen, but there’s a tradeoff. The VAIO S laptop has a 13.3-inch display with a Full HD (1920×1080) resolution, resulting in a 16:9 aspect ratio and 166 pixels per inch. The additional USB charging input on the adapter is one of those small additions that proves so useful, you’ll wonder why all manufacturers don’t also include it. This is a great selection by laptop standards, and it tempers our complaint that the VAIO S has no USB Type-C (really, all high-end and mid-range devices should have it by now). The VAIO S also has VGA and full-sized HDMI. Power is handled by a 10.5v input, and the charging adapter includes an additional full-sized USB input for smartphone or tablet charging. The VAIO S laptop outdoes both with three full-sized USB 3.0 (one with charge), full-sized HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, full-sized SD card slot, and a 3.5mm audio in/out jack.
#Sony vaio s series vpcsb36fg review pro
Today’s thin-and-light tablets can’t offer much beyond a USB Type-C, and even the vaunted Surface Pro only has room for a Mini DisplayPort, USB 3.0, and microSD card reader. Want a decent port selection? Get a notebook. Too bad then it’s also a smudge magnet, particularly on the smooth areas around the keyboard. It’s not water or dust resistant, however. Overall, it’s pieced together nicely, with no gaps. In fact, VAIO extensively drop tests its S models, so there’s little doubt the VAIO S will survive the daily rigors of office and personal use. They’ll absorb the shock of an occasional drop. The display lid and base flex when stressed, but don’t creek. Inside, VAIO outfitted the chassis with what VAIO reps call “ribs” that aid in durability and drop protection. VAIO claims its “molded magnesium alloy and high-rigidity resin ensures long-lasting durability,” and we believe it. Still, users will have no issue lugging it between meetings or finding space for it in a carry-on travel bag. But compared against unreasonably-thin Core m devices like the 2016 Apple MacBook, Samsung Galaxy TabPro S, and Huawei MateBook, it’s large. By any reasonable standard, it’s thin and light, measuring 12.68 x. Otherwise, you’re looking at a good-ole notebook. The sloped keyboard of our VAIO S review unit