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Sony VAIO ZZ: the thinnest, lightest and most affordable laptop in the world

Company Sony today presented a new one laptop VAIO new line ZZ with display based on electronic paper. Combining the unparalleled portability, sleek design and traditional Sony VAIO performance, this laptop is currently the thinnest and lightest in the world, weighing starting at 279 grams. The thickness of the elegant case of this model does not exceed 6 mm at any point. In addition, the laptop, thanks to the innovative technologies used in it, has become the most economical solution on the market. The laptop is available in three finishes: graphite, gold and matte black.

The electronic paper used as a display in the laptop was created in collaboration with the company Qualcomm, and is the ideological heir of the Mirasol project. Let us remind you that this technology allows you to create ultra-thin color displays with a screen refresh rate of 30 frames per second.

The 12-inch widescreen Mirasol-ZZ-black LED-backlit screen (Edge Light) provides clear display with good image contrast and accurate colors close to real colors.

Featuring a new display and low-voltage processor, the VAIO ZZ Series delivers up to 28 hours of battery life on just one charge with the advanced 2-cell lithium polymer battery. And an additional LL battery (8 cells) will extend the laptop's performance up to 86 hours.

So far the only representative of the new line, a laptop VAIO ZZ VGZ-MZ120P equipped with OS Windows 7 and a drive created specifically for the new line. Additional accessories include a genuine leather case, an external USB DVD drive and a wireless mouse of an original design.

Sony VAIO VGZ-MZ120P will be available for sale in the Russian Federation from November 2009 at an estimated price of about 5 thousand rubles.

As the editors previously said THG, many computer enthusiasts have long dreamed of getting desktop-level performance in the palm of their hands the moment they need it. This dream began to turn into reality in last years in the form of compact computers. But manufacturers still do not always meet the needs of enthusiasts and experienced users who have to deal with modification. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the modification of the laptop computer Sony UX490, as a result of which it can be called the smallest full-fledged computer (or the most powerful netbook).

Sony stopped producing laptops back in 2014, but not everyone still knows about it. And there are still people who are looking for them on store shelves, and especially for those who want only a Sony laptop, we have made a list that includes only the best laptops from Sony that can still be found even new. Although it is quite difficult to call such a purchase a wise decision, as they say, there are no comrades according to taste and color!

Sony VAIO SVT1112S1R

Our top 10 will start with the cheapest laptop from this company, based on metal case, in which it fit good set hardware that can not only satisfy your work goals, but also give you the opportunity to have a fun evening after a hard day at work by playing your favorite game with very good settings. Despite the case material, the weight of this model is 1.42 kg, and the thickness when closed is 17.8 mm.

Main characteristics:

• Processor - 2-core Intel Core i3 3217U 1.8 GHz;
• Video card - built-in: Intel HD Graphics 4000 1 GB, discrete: NVIDIA GeForce 920M 2 GB;
• Storage - 352 GB 3600 rpm, HDD;
• Display - 11.6″ inch glossy display with HD resolution (1366×768), aspect ratio 16:9;

pros:

1. Very bright screen compared to previous models;
2. Long operating time without recharging;
3. Excellent price/quality ratio.

Minuses:

1. Inconvenient location of the touchpad.

Sony VAIO Fit A SVF15N2M2R

This convenient laptop is entirely made of lightweight and pleasant to the touch aluminum, which is very easily soiled; once you touch it, fingerprints remain perfectly on its surface. You can fix this problem with the help of one rag and a slight movement of your hand; if you do this after each use of the laptop, then this problem will automatically disappear. The advantage of the appearance is the thin frames that are located on all sides of the widescreen display.

Main characteristics:

• Processor - 2-core Intel Core i5 4200U 1.6 GHz;
• RAM - 4 GB DDR3L 1.6 GHz;
• Video card - built-in: Intel HD Graphics 4400 1 GB, discrete: NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M 2 GB;
• Storage - 508 GB 3600 rpm, HDD;
• Display - 15.5″ inch matte display with HD resolution (1920×1080), aspect ratio 16:9;

Advantages:

1. Good screen with oleophobic coating;
2. Attractive design;
3. Powerful battery for a budget laptop in 2017.

Flaws:

1. Sometimes the keyboard backlight goes out without the owner's knowledge.

Sony VAIO SVT1313K1R

The design of this option is very ordinary; this reliable laptop does not have any elegant forms. What the device can really boast of is its time battery life, the device is capable of withstanding as much as 6 hours at maximum load on a single Li-Pol battery charge, although the charging time to 100% of this type of battery is about 3.5 hours, which is also not short. The small widescreen screen, which is located at the top of the laptop, is protected by a special coating.

Main characteristics:

• Processor - 2-core Intel Core i3 3227U 1.9 GHz;
• RAM - 4 GB DDR3 1.6 GHz;
• Video card - built-in: Intel HD Graphics 4400 1 GB, discrete: NVIDIA GeForce 940MX 2 GB;
• Display - 13.3″ inch glossy display with HD resolution (1366×768), aspect ratio 16:9;

Pros:

1. Operating time on one charge;
2. Good hardware configuration;
3. Excellent price/quality ratio.

Minuses:

1. The keyboard backlight is not enough for late-night gatherings.

Sony VAIO VPC-F12GFX

This good laptop comes in calm, dark shades that are great for everyday use. The case material is not capricious, is easy to maintain and does not leave noticeable traces of touch. The case contains a good configuration of modern hardware, which can fulfill any requirements of its owner. The price of the device allows you to take it not only for games, but also for work, because in the price category it is not far from workhorses, which cannot be said about its internals.

Main characteristics:

• Processor - 4-core Intel Core i7 740QM 1.7 GHz;
• Video card - built-in: Intel HD Graphics 5500 1 GB, discrete: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M 2 GB;
• Storage - 500 GB 4200 rpm, HDD;
• Display - 16.4″ inch matte display with HD resolution (1920×1080), aspect ratio 16:9;

Pros:

1. Excellent material from which the case is made;
2. High performance.

Minuses:

1. The battery life is 3 hours.

Sony VAIO SVS1511X9R

This top-of-the-line laptop comes in a very attractive design, made even more extravagant by the laptop's overall thickness of just 23mm. Such a thin flagship contains a good processor that produces fairly high performance, along with a built-in graphics editor. The device also has a widescreen screen with a decent diagonal. On the sides of the flagship there are a large number of various connectors that will be useful to you in your work.

Main characteristics:

• Processor - 4-core Intel Core i7 3612QM 2.1 GHz;
• RAM - 8 GB DDR3L 1.6 GHz;
• Video card - built-in: Intel HD Graphics 4000 1 GB, discrete: NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M 2 GB;
• Display - 15.5″ inch glossy display with HD resolution (1920×1080), aspect ratio 16:9;

Pros:

1. Relatively light weight;
2. Stylish case design;
3. Reasonable price for the device.

Minuses:

1. Short-term problems with the SD slot.

Sony VAIO VPC-CB4S1R

This rather powerful laptop has already switched to the more modern Win 7 Home Premium operating system, which everyone who decided to try it on their devices liked. At the bottom of our gadget are installed the most basic components of all these machines, namely the processor, video card, RAM, hard drive and, of course, cooling. By the way, during active operation the device practically does not heat up, which indicates the effective operation of the cooling system, which does not bring all the iron to critical temperatures.

Main characteristics:

• Processor - 4-core Intel Core i5 2450M 2.5 GHz;
• Video card - built-in: Intel HD Graphics 3000 1 GB, discrete: NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M 2 GB;
• Storage - 500 GB 4200 rpm, HDD;
• Display - 15.5″ inch glossy display with Full HD resolution (1920×1080), aspect ratio 16:9;

Advantages:

1. FullHD screen with excellent characteristics (angles, contrast, color rendition);
2. Good sound;
3. Great build.

Flaws:

1. The screen glares when exposed to sunlight;
2. It is better to immediately buy a cooling system for it.

Sony VAIO VGN-AW235J

This expensive laptop has only one modification, which is very modest; the device is perfect for solving some work issues, for example, such as drawing up a quarterly report or working with any text editors. You can also work with games on this device, but it is unlikely to handle the highest settings. It has a large wide-format display, which contains a high-quality and reliable TFT IPS matrix with a maximum resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels per second.

Main characteristics:

• Processor - 2-core Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5 GHz;
• RAM - 4 GB DDR3 2.1 GHz;
• Video card - built-in: Intel HD Graphics 620 1 GB, discrete: AMD Radeon R7 M445 4 GB;
• Storage - 500 GB 4200 rpm, HDD;
• Display - 18.4″ inch glossy display with HD resolution (2690×1324), aspect ratio 16:9;

Pros:

1. Good design;
2. Quiet and doesn't get hot.

Minuses:

1. No longer top-end hardware.

Sony VAIO VGN-TT299PBB

This is the most compact version of this rating; Sony released this model for sale a long time ago and from the very beginning it was clear that the laptop would be extremely popular. The general appearance of the gadget is quite good, the black ribbed plastic has shown itself to be excellent over many years of active work, it has not worn out anywhere, and is quite durable and reliable. It has a good configuration of the main components on which the model functions day after day. The weight of the laptop is 1.3 kg.

Main characteristics:

• Processor - 2-core Intel Core i5 6200U 2.7 GHz;
• RAM - 8 GB DDR3 2.1 GHz;
• Video card - built-in: Intel HD Graphics 520 1 GB, discrete: NVIDIA GeForce 940MX 2 GB;
• Storage - 512 GB 4200 rpm, HDD;
• Display - 11.6″ inch matte display with HD resolution (1366×768), aspect ratio 16:9;

Advantages:

1. Soft keyboard keys;
2. Battery life 7.5 hours.

Flaws:

1. Lack of memory.

Sony VAIO VPC-Z12NGX

The top cover has a nice ribbed plastic on the front, which looks great and will not cause unnecessary trouble to its owner. The inner shell of the laptop contains excellent hardware, which is very popular today, their capabilities in 2017 practically know no limits, all games will run perfectly on this configuration, which is installed in this version, almost at the highest settings. The flagship also has good screen, small sizes.

Main characteristics:

• Processor - 2-core Intel Core i7 620M 2.7 GHz;
• RAM - 6 GB DDR3 1.6 GHz;
• Video card - built-in: Intel HD Graphics 1 GB, discrete: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M 2 GB;
• Storage - 256 GB 4200 rpm, SSD;
• Display - 13.1″ inch matte display with HD resolution (1600×900), aspect ratio 16:9;

Pros:

• Compact dimensions;
• Long-lasting battery.

Sony VAIO Duo 13 SVD1321K4R

This latest model from Sony, which classified this device as part of the VAIO line. It also belongs to the type of transformers, the widescreen screen of which can rotate 180 degrees. This best laptop initially comes with operating system Win 8 Pro 64, which perfectly matched the hardware installed in this device. The display also has touch control; it is based on a good TFT IPS matrix and also has LED backlighting.

Main characteristics:

• Processor - 2-core Intel Core i7 6500U 2.5 GHz;
• RAM - 16 GB DDR4 1.6 GHz;
• Video card - built-in: Intel HD Graphics 520 1 GB, discrete: NVIDIA GeForce 940M 2 GB;
• Drive - 512 GB 4200 rpm, HHD;
• Display - 13.3″ inch matte display with HD resolution (1920×1080), aspect ratio 16:9;

Advantages:

1. Impeccable design;
2. Good energy capacity.

Flaws:

1. No ExpressCard slot.

Conclusion

That's all, the top 10 best laptops from Sony ends. This company produced a lot of beautiful laptops, but unfortunately in 2014, it closed the production of laptops and fired more than 5,000 employees in this industry. Therefore, our rating is no longer relevant and you simply will not find many models on store shelves. However, you can still search hard and find something suitable, but I’ll tell you right away it will be difficult!

Apple is a trendsetter in the ultra-thin laptop segment, and all manufacturers are just trying to create a similar product. This is a generally accepted opinion, but it is not entirely true. Only in 2011 year MacBook Air has finally surpassed the thickness of the Sharp Actius MM10 laptop, which was presented to the public back in 2003!

Sony also set the tone in the segment of ultra-thin mobile computers - in 2004, the Japanese introduced the VAIO VGN-X505. It was a very thin and light (weight 840 grams) laptop, enclosed in a carbon fiber case. But it turned out to be far from cheap, so it was not widely used.

Subsequently, representatives of Apple, famous for its marketing policy and patent wars, managed, one might say, to slightly reshape history and consolidate in the minds of most buyers the image of the company as a pioneer and perhaps the only full-fledged player in the ultra-thin laptop segment.

Perhaps things would have continued this way if it weren’t for Intel, which launched and promoted a whole class of devices called—or rather, even under a registered trademark—“ultrabooks.” Intel quite strictly limits not only the technical characteristics of ultra-thin laptops, but also their cost, resorting to various methods of stimulating manufacturers. These efforts were not in vain, and now all first-tier manufacturers have ultrabooks in their lineup that can easily compete with the MacBook Air series. At least in terms of its basic properties.

Many ultrabooks have already been in our test laboratory, but a Sony device has only just reached us now. Sony - one might say, traditionally - was in no hurry to come to the conclusion of its decision. This time we received a model with the jaw-dropping number SVT1111Z9R for testing. This is the top modification of the 11.6-inch ultrabook, it is equipped with 4 GB random access memory, SSD with a capacity of 128 GB and an Intel Core i7-3517U processor. At the same time, the manufacturer promises 9 hours of battery life. Tempting?

⇡ Appearance and ease of use

The laptop body is made of magnesium alloy. Despite the not too thick thickness of the body parts, the torsional rigidity is extremely high. The build of the case is impeccable, but you wouldn't expect anything else from a Sony device.

Even after a quick inspection, it immediately strikes the eye that on the side surfaces, in addition to the usual pair of USB ports and one HDMI, there are also a lot of useful elements: an RJ-45 connector, a memory card reader, and even a D-Sub (VGA) port.

The abundance of standard connectors that do not require the use of adapters is perhaps one of the main advantages of the Sony VAIO T11. In the 11-inch form factor, this quality is especially valuable, because all classmates have the most limited set of ports.

But these are not all the features of the VAIO T11 case. The battery in this model is removable, which is usually not found in ultrabooks. It's removable, but it's not that easy to remove. To maintain structural rigidity and minimize backlash, three bolts are used to secure the battery. They are not easy to unscrew - even a very thick screwdriver keeps popping out.

Part of the battery hides access to the bolts securing the cover of the memory module installation compartment (in all modifications the slot is free) and the SSD drive. In general, basic upgrades to a Sony ultrabook are possible without contacting a service center.

The keyboard is so cleverly reduced that visually this change is extremely difficult to notice. If the standard width of an island-type key is about 15.5 mm, for the material hero it is 14 mm. It seems like a small difference, but it will still take a couple of hours to get used to with touch typing.

True, some keys have been further reduced: the long-suffering [е] button and arrow keys have been reduced to 10 mm in width. But the base of the keyboard is perfectly fixed, so there is no play and even strong pressure on one of the keys does not lead to sagging of the surrounding ones.

The touch panel is truly gigantic compared to the size of the device itself - 100x57 mm! You rarely see such a large touchpad even in medium-format laptops. The buttons are built-in - they are quite tight and uninformative, so for reliability you have to press them all the way. However, in general, the integrated manipulator is very convenient to use.

Above the keyboard there is a power key, as well as three standard buttons for Sony laptops: Assist, WEB and VAIO. There are also a pair of built-in speakers and three Lock key indicators. A webcam window and a built-in microphone are hidden at the top edge of the display.

The opening angle of the lid, as in almost all other ultrabooks, is significantly limited - slightly more than the usual 135 degrees.

⇡ Technical specifications

Some people like the ultra-thin laptop body, while others consider it a useless fashion trend that leads to deterioration technical characteristics. But be that as it may, for mobile computer manufacturers this is one of the key points to attract customers and increase sales, and they continue to fight to reduce the thickness of the case in every possible way. Following ultra-thin portable laptops with a diagonal of 12-13.3″, thin 15.6″ models are beginning to appear on the market. It is clear that in this case, reducing the thickness pursues purely aesthetic goals: a large laptop is not so often carried in a bag or backpack that its dimensions are significant for ease of use. It is also important that creating the thinnest laptop (it doesn’t matter in what class) is a matter of brand prestige.

Sony does not always follow general fashion and does not seek to imitate anyone - it simply does not need it. Nevertheless fashion trends it takes into account where it is really needed. Updated in 2011 the lineup laptops, the engineers of the Japanese company tried to make the S series model as thin as possible. The fact is that the S line is traditionally addressed to financially wealthy business users, and not only to them, but also to any other buyers with a good budget and high requirements for quality, functionality and performance. It's clear that these users want to be fashionable and modern, and they won't buy an old-fashioned, thick laptop, no matter how great it is in other respects. In addition, the Japanese manufacturer probably has a desire to squeeze out Apple in the market with its thin laptops, which are purchased by the category of users described above.

Initially, the updated S series included two models - and, both portable class, with a 13.3″ screen and a capacious battery. We have already tested the SB laptop, and, to be honest, it left conflicting impressions. However, Sony decided to expand the line and include a full-size model with a 15.5″ screen. The laptop was named VAIO SE. This is what will be discussed in the review.

Specifications

In concept, design, layout and characteristics, the VAIO SE is almost identical to other models in the S series. It is a full-fledged upper-mid-range laptop, built on the Intel platform and equipped with a high-quality matte screen, switchable graphics, an expanded set of ports, including a docking port and a connector for a second battery . A notable point is the thickness of the case, which does not exceed 25 mm. According to this indicator, the new Sony model almost as good as Apple MacBook Pro 15 and, surpassing another competitor -. At the same time, VAIO SE is smaller in size than Dell, but significantly larger than Apple and Samsung.

In terms of configuration and hardware components, the Sony laptop is similar to other models in the same series. The main processor is Core i5; there are also configurations with a Core i7 processor, but only its 2-core version. There is a classic high-capacity hard drive; configurations with SSD have not yet been seen on sale. The installed optical drive is a standard pull-out tray design, although many manufacturers, including the aforementioned Apple, Dell and Samsung, have opted for a slot-loading drive. The laptop's graphics are switchable: using a hardware button, you can choose between integrated graphics Intel processor and a discrete Radeon video card. Configurations with either the budget HD 6470M 3D accelerator or the mid-range HD 6630M video card are available for sale. Dynamic switching technology is not implemented in this model.

SE series laptops are equipped with high-quality screens (VAIO Display Plus) with Full HD resolution (1980×1080) and a special semi-matte coating. This is a significant improvement over the VAIO SB, which good quality the matrix is ​​no different.

The set of interfaces on a Sony laptop is typical for the consumer class. Two USB 2.0 ports are supplemented by a third USB 3.0, the monitor outputs are standard - HDMI and VGA, there is a wired RJ45 network and two card readers, separately for SD cards and Memory Stick Duo. Some configurations are equipped with a fingerprint sensor, but our sample did not have one. Due to the design features, all connectors are located in one row on the right side, which is quite inconvenient for working when connecting cables. For some reason, the only audio jack is placed in the far corner of the left side. There are no connectors on the front edge, and the end is inaccessible when the cover is folded down. On the other hand, a Sony laptop is equipped with a docking port located on the bottom, so when purchasing a docking station, all issues with the placement of connectors are removed by themselves.

The built-in battery of the VAIO SB model is formally non-removable, but the cover under which it is located can be removed within one minute (if you have a screwdriver at hand). In the same compartment there is a standard form factor hard drive and a single memory slot (instead of the second slot there is a built-in 4 GB memory). Thus, upgrading a Sony laptop does not present any difficulties, and this distinguishes it in a positive way from its ultra-thin competitors. True, it’s not so easy to get to the cooling system. But let's return to the battery. Its capacity is only basic - 48.8 Wh, for about 5 hours of operation, but it is possible to connect a second battery, made in the form of a stand (the connector for it is located at the bottom). How much this will be in demand among users is a big question, however, also by reducing the volume of the standard battery, the weight of the device was reduced to a record 1.9 kg - in fact, to the level of an average 13.3″ laptop.

Of course, the VAIO SE is not a business laptop in the traditional sense, since it does not have data protection or security features. However, the second battery and docking station options it has are not typical for consumer laptops. In addition, the design of the model also hints at its use primarily for professional activities.

A comparison with two competing models, similar in purpose and price class, makes it easy to note the pros and cons of the Sony VAIO SE laptop. It is quite large, but lightweight, has a similar price, but is equipped less poorly than its competitors. Its standard battery is really small, and the set of interfaces is common. Ergonomics and performance can only be assessed through testing, which we will do below.

Design

S series laptops have their own unique style, ascetic and angular. A flat, thin cover (only 6.5 mm) with beveled edges is attached via a hidden hinge to the end of the case. The flat, plain panel for the wrists is complemented by the same plain, flat recess for the keyboard. The lower edges of the side edges and the corners of the body are rounded, the bottom is completely flat. The large chrome plate covering the hinge on the reverse side looks somewhat alien against the background of the plain matte body.

The main color of the SE model is smoky gray, almost black, with a metallic sheen. Our test sample belongs to a rather rare silver version. There are basically no other colors in the design of the laptop; even the keys are painted silver.

The interior of the device is distinctly ascetic. The wrist rest and keyboard area have no texture, bezels or any other borders, and the touchpad is decorated with a nondescript dot pattern. All controls are concentrated in the area above the keyboard: short narrow slots for the speakers, a button to open the optical drive tray, a graphics switch, LEDs with symbols, three additional keys, a power button with a bright green backlight. All keys, switches, the touchpad and its buttons are painted the same color as the body; there are no glossy or embossed elements in the design of the laptop.

For many manufacturers, the question of the similarity of their products with the Apple MacBook Pro is painful. The Sony VAIO SE laptop is similar to the MacBook only in color, and even then only in some configurations. The design, the shape of the case, the arrangement of elements - everything is done differently by Sony, in its own style.

Housing design

The laptop body has a record low weight and reduced thickness. This was achieved, obviously, through the use of a frame and metal panels. When you pick up the VAIO SE, it feels hollow and fragile. The outer part of the lid and the two halves of the body are made of thin plates of aluminum-magnesium alloy; The screen frame and keys are plastic, the texture and color are no different from metal ones. The developers, of course, tried to make the case as rigid as possible, but they were unable to completely solve this problem. Thus, the wrist area is stable and solid, but the center of the keyboard is not: the keys bounce slightly when typing. The lid does not press down into the matrix even under strong pressure, but can be easily twisted. In this regard, the Sony laptop is significantly inferior to other thin 15.5″ premium models with more rigid bodies.

But our biggest complaint was the implementation of the lid hinge. It is made in the form of a central solid loop, which is a continuation of the lid and enters the lower part of the body. On the outside, the hinge is covered with the already mentioned large cover; on the inside there are narrow tubes made of black plastic, which are not visible when working on a laptop. It is not clear why the classic design was not suitable for the developers, but what happened does not stand up to criticism: the screen openly dangles and is weakly fixed when closed, since there are no mechanical latches or magnets. Of course, this does not directly affect the operation of the laptop, but it spoils the impression of the device.

The workmanship and assembly quality of the VAIO SE model is not at the highest level - this is at least. The joint between the upper and lower plates of the body was poorly chosen: the gap runs right along the visible edge along the entire perimeter, and it is clearly noticeable that it is uneven. In our copy rear end the bottom panel had small jagged edges, and this was clearly visible. The compartment cover on the bottom does not fit tightly enough, and large gaps form on the front edge. Perhaps not all examples are so sloppily made, but ours certainly didn't look like a perfectly crafted premium laptop.

Screen

Without a doubt, the screen is the most advantageous element of the new Sony laptop. A high-quality LCD matrix from an unknown manufacturer has excellent performance, not only in terms of formal characteristics, such as resolution (1920×1080), coating (anti-glare, semi-matte), brightness (almost 3000 lm), and the presence of automatic brightness (the sensor is located above the keyboard). Gamma and color temperature are adjusted almost perfectly, the screen displays correct colors throughout the entire brightness range, which is not typical for most modern laptops. The contrast ratio, excellent for mobile computer matrices (550:1), ensures excellent text clarity and very vibrant, natural photographs.

In terms of overall image quality, the VAIO SE's screen is one of the best among both business-class and premium consumer laptops. For example, if we take the screen of the Dell XPS 15z laptop that we tested earlier, then the Sony screen wins in terms of brightness, contrast, and accuracy of color temperature settings.

Of course, it was not without its drawbacks. Firstly, the Sony matrix does not have enough color gamut in the area of ​​red-violet colors: the red color in photographs has a noticeable red tint. Secondly, we didn’t really like the viewing angles: the picture is not distorted at all when viewed even at extreme angles (no inversion, yellowing, etc.), but fades noticeably if you just tilt the screen slightly. However, even in these parameters, the display is much better than typical budget LCD matrices installed in entry-level and mid-level laptops.

Sound

Two small speakers are located, as we already mentioned, above the keyboard. We didn't expect to hear anything extraordinary, since business (or related) laptops usually don't pay attention to sound quality. The installed Realtek audio codec lacked a control panel, not even a reference one. However, after some time we managed to find the Dolby tab in the Windows settings, where the user is offered a choice of three sound modes - Movie, Music and Game.

As expected, the sound of the laptop's speakers is inexpressive, flat, harsh on the ear, and has a limited frequency spectrum. Using Dolby Home Theater modes results in muting and reduced clarity, but the tonality is still slightly corrected and the sound loses its excessive harshness. However, in terms of sound quality, Sony is inferior to all of the ultra-thin competitors mentioned.

Keyboard, indicators

For business-class laptops on which the user plans to work productively, the quality of the keyboard is of paramount importance. In the case of Sony VAIO SE, for some reason this point was not fully taken into account. We have already mentioned the noticeable deflection of the canvas when typing - fortunately, it is not very pronounced, and you may not notice it right away. I didn’t really like the mechanism, with its soft short stroke (1.7 mm) and the lack of a clear response threshold (the keys need to be recessed more firmly), although this is a matter of habit. A significant inconvenience was caused by the enlarged area for the wrists and the touchpad often falling under the right palm.

In other aspects the keyboard is not bad. The full layout is very convenient, with neatly aligned keys, a full numeric field, separated by “cursors” of sufficient size. All symbols on the keys are monochromatic, but the icons for keyboard shortcuts are highlighted in a clearly visible frame. The keyboard is equipped with a convenient backlight, which, however, cannot be activated manually and has only one brightness level. In the settings of the proprietary VAIO Support Center utility, you can separately specify the backlight operating mode for battery power and mains power, but only automatic (based on the light sensor) or constant.

Above the keyboard on the right are the traditional three Sony buttons. One of them is customizable, the other two have standard functions (launching VAIO Assist and a web browser). The Stamina/Speed ​​switch (integrated/discrete graphics) is located on the left side. Next to it we will find a button for opening the optical drive tray (the tray itself does not have a button).

Sony's display is also traditional, but more laconic than that of other models. There are three LEDs on the front edge - the radio module (there is a button just below it), the battery, and the hard drive. When closing the lid, both the LEDs and their contrasting signatures are perfectly readable. Above the keyboard is a block of Lock indicators. There is a small LED above the power connector, and the power button is also illuminated. Everything is practical and reasonable.

Touchpad

The Sony laptop's touchpad was a bit disappointing. Its area is quite large (95x55 mm), even too large - it easily falls under the palm when typing, and the protection does not always work. The device, in theory, was made by Synaptics, although we can’t say for sure - there are drivers for Alps on the Sony website, and both are installed on the laptop. The cursor control is convenient, the response to clicks is clear.

There were two things I didn’t like: unsightly appearance and lack of support for scrolling with two fingers (you can only enable scrolling zones on the sides of the touchpad). The panel buttons are unusually large, completely flat, have a stiff action and a clear click, and are not very convenient to use.

Performance

Our test copy has a low-end configuration - with a Core i5 processor, a minimum amount of memory and hard drive. On the other hand, the more powerful video card of the two options offered by the manufacturer was used. According to the built-in Windows 7 test, the weak point in the Sony laptop is the amount of memory and hard drive performance, which is already obvious.

The processor test result was unexpectedly low, which may be due to the influence of the video card (this test, as far as we know, takes into account the speed of video compression and playback). At least the PCMark 7 test results were also much lower than those of competitors equipped with dynamically switchable graphics. Even in the document handling test, the VAIO SE lags behind, which may be due to the insufficient performance of its hard drive.

A more realistic result was shown by our test for browsing the web using Wi-Fi - only more than 3 hours of battery life. Of course, the VAIO SE is not a portable laptop, but competing models are equipped with larger batteries, and compared to them the Sony looks pale.

Noise and heat

Let's remember once again the layout of the Sony laptop: the left side edge is occupied by the optical drive, the right side is occupied by a chain of ports, and the ventilation holes are located at the end. There, at the end, the screen is attached, so the hot air blown out hits the hinge area. What this leads to is clear: whistling noise, insufficiently effective heat removal from the radiator.

We move from theory to practice. Housing design VAIO laptop SE is such that virtually no thermal energy is transferred to the external panels. When there is no load, the device remains cool; with intense load, the wrist area heats up to 30-34°. The hottest area in the interior is the numeric keypad (41°). The bottom temperature is higher, but also nothing extreme: the area on the right and closer to the end warms up to 42-44°. Under real load, the laptop is moderately noisy; for example, during a long run of 3D tests, we recorded a sound pressure of 45.9 dBA at a distance of 20 cm above the keyboard.

At the same time, the cooling system has no performance reserve. We easily managed to warm up the processor to 95° within 5 minutes, then throttling started and the temperature did not rise higher. The noise level was noticeable - about 52-53 dBA. In other words, under intense load, the laptop is not able to cool itself, and therefore, it is not recommended to use it for resource-intensive tasks such as video editing, video compression, 3D graphics processing, etc.

Conclusion

Of course, the concept of an ultra-thin and light device for business and entertainment purposes is quite good. But for Sony, not everything worked out as planned. Yes, the VAIO SE's screen is very good, but the comfort of the keyboard and touchpad is no more than average. The case is very light, practical, does not get dirty at all, but does not have good build quality or high mechanical strength. The lid hinge is poorly implemented, the cooling system is not efficient enough, but the body of the device, unlike its competitors, can be disassembled independently to replace components. In general, the laptop turned out to be very unique, not similar to other models either in appearance or in the number of functions. In our opinion, it should not be considered as a business model - the level of ergonomics and reliability is not the same. Rather, it is a universal, expensive fashion laptop.

Advantages:

Very light body;
high-quality screen;
practical, strict design;
backlit keyboard;
There are connectors for a docking station and an additional battery.

Flaws:

Defects in manufacturing and assembly (possibly not in all copies);
inefficient cooling system;
unsuccessful cover fastening;
The keyboard and touchpad are not very comfortable;
low battery capacity;
weak built-in sound;
high price.