Not everyone wants to buy an Apple laptop, but serious Windows 8 competitors to the MacBook Air have been few and far between.
When Windows 8 systems started rolling out last year, it seemed like PC manufacturers spent all their efforts trying to make some sort of hybrid or convertible laptop. For their regular clamshell notebooks, the most they did was install Windows 8 and put in a touch screen.
But, based on the Sony Vaio Pro 13 Touch ultrabook (and its smaller linemate, the Vaio Pro 11), it looks like the wait for some interesting ultrabooks might be over thanks to the launch of Intel's fourth-gen Core i-series processors.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) The carbon-fiber-constructed Pro 13 weighs only 2.34 pounds; it's 2.9 pounds with its power supply, which is as much as the 13-inch MacBook Air weighs on its own. The body measures 12.7 inches wide by 8.5 inches deep, which is fractionally smaller than the Air, and matches its 0.68-inch thickness.
If you don't dive deeper than base specs, the 13-inch Air and Pro 13 Touch match each other fairly closely. It's once you look at the Sony's fine details, you'll uncover differences, and in a game of specsmanship, the Sony wins. Still, in the end, they're both excellent laptops and it comes down to what you like and what you want to have.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) Design and features
The Vaio Pro 13 Touch is just barely bigger than its 11.6-inch linemate. Both are remarkably slim, small, and lightweight and, basically, what you probably pictured something called an "ultrabook" should look like. The carbon fiber construction might not feel as solid as an aluminum chassis, but it still seems like it can stand up to the rigors of a daily commute.
Open up the lid and the back of the laptop lifts up, giving a more comfortable typing angle. The backlit keys are generously sized and spaced, so even sloppy typists like myself should have no problems typing reasonably fast. The deck is shallow, though, so there isn't a lot of key travel -- there's just nowhere for the keys to go. There is a tiny amount of flex when typing (it was more noticeable on the Pro 11), but unless you're really pressing on the keys you probably won't notice.
The clickpad is nice: responsive without being jumpy, and with good multitouch support. It's fairly large, too, so two- and three-finger gestures are easy. Besides, you can always use the screen to get around.
The glossy 10-point touch LCD uses Sony's Triluminos Display for Mobile technology, which is similar to what you'll find in Sony's high-end LCD TVs. Sony also says the computer has X-Reality for Mobile technology that improves video quality. Regardless of technologies, the screen is really nice for viewing movies and photos.
Its native resolution is 1,920x1,080 pixels and it does use IPS technology, giving it wide viewing angles on the sides, top, and bottom. Text is nice and sharp, and the 13.3-inch size is definitely more comfortable to work on than the Pro 11's 11.6-inch LCD. Touch does come in handy on a screen this size, though, allowing you to easily drag windows and files around on the desktop.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) Lastly, Sony includes some mode options for color: Vivid for viewing photos and movies, Natural for, um, natural colors, and Text to make it easier to view things like e-books.
Above the screen is a 1-megapixel Webcam that uses one of Sony's Exmor R backside-illuminated CMOS sensors, which should be better for low-light video. It isn't, so we still recommend having as much light as possible for the best results. Or even just good results. The camera can be used for gesture controls such as turning the volume up or down or going back to a previous Web page in a browser. For the most part, it's more trouble than its worth, but we did like being able to increase the volume on our music from a couple of feet away.
If you like to listen to movies or music without headphones, the Pro 13 doesn't give you anything to get too excited about. The tiny speakers can get reasonably loud without distortion; however, that's the best thing we can say about them. You're probably going to want to use headphones or external speakers for an enjoyable experience.
As thin as it is, there's not much room for ports, but you do get two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI, an SD card slot, and a mic/headphone jack -- all on the right side. Wireless options comprise Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11n Wi-Fi, NFC, and an updated version of Intel Wireless Display (WiDi). Also, Sony put a USB port in the side of the Pro 13's power supply, giving you a place to charge a mobile device without tying up one of the laptop's USB 3.0 ports.
Source: CNET
When Windows 8 systems started rolling out last year, it seemed like PC manufacturers spent all their efforts trying to make some sort of hybrid or convertible laptop. For their regular clamshell notebooks, the most they did was install Windows 8 and put in a touch screen.
But, based on the Sony Vaio Pro 13 Touch ultrabook (and its smaller linemate, the Vaio Pro 11), it looks like the wait for some interesting ultrabooks might be over thanks to the launch of Intel's fourth-gen Core i-series processors.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) If you don't dive deeper than base specs, the 13-inch Air and Pro 13 Touch match each other fairly closely. It's once you look at the Sony's fine details, you'll uncover differences, and in a game of specsmanship, the Sony wins. Still, in the end, they're both excellent laptops and it comes down to what you like and what you want to have.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) The Vaio Pro 13 Touch is just barely bigger than its 11.6-inch linemate. Both are remarkably slim, small, and lightweight and, basically, what you probably pictured something called an "ultrabook" should look like. The carbon fiber construction might not feel as solid as an aluminum chassis, but it still seems like it can stand up to the rigors of a daily commute.
The Vaio Pro 13 Touch next to the 13-inch MacBook Air.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) The clickpad is nice: responsive without being jumpy, and with good multitouch support. It's fairly large, too, so two- and three-finger gestures are easy. Besides, you can always use the screen to get around.
| Sony Vaio Pro 13 | MacBook Air 13-inch (June 2013) | |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | $1,249 | $1,099 |
| Display size/resolution | 13.3-inch, 1,920x1,080 touch screen | 13.3-inch, 1,440x900 screen |
| PC CPU | 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U | 1.3GHz Intel Core i5-4250U |
| PC memory | 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz | 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz |
| Graphics | 1,659MB Intel HD Graphics 4400 | 1,024MB Intel HD Graphics 5000 |
| Storage | 128GB PCIe SSD | 128GB PCIe SSD |
| Optical drive | None | None |
| Networking | 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC | 802.11a/c wireless, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Operating system | Windows 8 (64-bit) | OSX Mountain Lion 10.8.4 |
Its native resolution is 1,920x1,080 pixels and it does use IPS technology, giving it wide viewing angles on the sides, top, and bottom. Text is nice and sharp, and the 13.3-inch size is definitely more comfortable to work on than the Pro 11's 11.6-inch LCD. Touch does come in handy on a screen this size, though, allowing you to easily drag windows and files around on the desktop.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) Above the screen is a 1-megapixel Webcam that uses one of Sony's Exmor R backside-illuminated CMOS sensors, which should be better for low-light video. It isn't, so we still recommend having as much light as possible for the best results. Or even just good results. The camera can be used for gesture controls such as turning the volume up or down or going back to a previous Web page in a browser. For the most part, it's more trouble than its worth, but we did like being able to increase the volume on our music from a couple of feet away.
If you like to listen to movies or music without headphones, the Pro 13 doesn't give you anything to get too excited about. The tiny speakers can get reasonably loud without distortion; however, that's the best thing we can say about them. You're probably going to want to use headphones or external speakers for an enjoyable experience.
| Sony Vaio Pro 13 | Average for category [13-inch] | |
|---|---|---|
| Video | HDMI; Intel WiDi-ready | VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jack | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 2 USB 3.0, SD card reader | 2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, SD card reader |
| Networking | Bluetooth, 802.11n Wi-Fi, NFC | Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Optical drive | None | None |
Source: CNET