Official Vaio Pro 13 Owners Lounge (SVP13 2013)

Can you speak on the bulk it adds? Does it make the laptop look awkward or feel awkward? Pics would be great

 

The awful sound at high volume it is caused by the vaio sound cinema in my case, dissabling it i can hear youtube and films without it

 

There is a picture at the bottom of this page:
Easy to use : Sony VAIO Notebook, Laptop & ComputersSony Asia Pacific

I don't own it, but I read somewhere that it doesn't make working uncomfortable.

 

Seems to be a very strange design decision. Much prefer the flat sheet battery I have on my Z21. Can leave it attached permanently and take advantage of the extended battery life without having to keep removing and reattaching. Just not practical to keep permanently attached and move around with.

 

1. Does the Pro 13 have a SIM card slot like the Z Series so I can get Internet through 3G or better still 4G?

2. Does anyone make compatible SSDs that would be higher capacity / cheaper than having them fitted by Sony- £400 extra for a 512Gb in the UK!

3. Due to the size, I'm assuming that there's no way to convert the optical drive to a 2.5" hard drive using a caddy as was possible with the Z Series?



Thanks!

 

I agree. I guess it has something to do with heat dissipation, as the bottom side is reported to become quite warm even without the battery. With the battery attached, heat could not be dissipated to the underside any more.

1. No.
2. Afaik, there are no PCI-E-SSDs available yet to buy. If you order from Europe, which supposedly means that you will only get a SATA-SSD, you might be able to replace it.
3. There is not even an optical drive -> No.

 

1. No WWAN option
2. From what I understand it uses a mSATA in the UK market so in theory can be changed
3. There is no optical drive

 

So, does anyone has already installed it?

Where can I find w7 drivers ? (impossible to find them on Sony's website).

Thanks!

 

Make sure you install Windows 7 x64 and use the Windows 8 drivers. No guarantee it will work but it should.

Good luck

 

This seems to be a black one with a matte non-touch screen:

NFC Sony VAIO Pro, przesy

 

1. Can anyone please post a SSD benchmark for the European (SATA) version of the Pro 13? The 512Gb version ideally, but any size will give enough info.I want to make sure that it is at least SATA III. Some 2013 Vaio S Series buyers are aparently still stuck with SATA II.

2. What is this £60 'Ethernet Wi-Fi & VGA dongle' that Sony has as an optional extra? I can't get my head around what it does and how it works?!

"Create your own Wi-Fi with Ethernet and extend your desktop with VGA dongle.
Ethernet Wi-Fi enables you to get online simply by plugging the router into your AC adaptor. Connection for up to five devices such as a smartphone, tablet or iPod. Plug the dongle into the VGA port to use a bigger screen as your workspace or to make presentations. Connects in seconds and lets you display the samevisual on two screens which is very useful when presenting."

 

It's like a mini wireless router. Connect an Ethernet cable, & it will convert that to a wifi signal so you connect upto 5 devices to it.

 

So it's only any use if you happen to be in a room with a broadband ethernet socket, but no WIFI. ie. no public transport / hotel / cafe / place I've ever been to?

 

Some hotels have this, and corporates often dont have wireless but LAN connections (or the ones here do).

 

1. I thought this was PCIE SSD? So no SATA involved.

 

Not any hotels I've been to in UK. Guess it's different around the world. I just connect to the WIFI at work. I think I'll give that gadget a miss. Thanks for advice.

 

Europeans have been shafted with SATA apparently.

 

Any chance of an 802.11ac upgrade?

 

Yes - seems that way - although if you speak to Sony UK sales they will tell you we have the more 'reliable' SATA drive!!

They also indicated to me that a refresh for the UK market would occur around the September time frame where we would also be getting the PCIe SSD along with the option of a dock and matte screen protector applied at the factory.

 

Good to know, thanks for sharing this information!

The ones who wanted to see the sheet battery should take a look at this video at ~7:10:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rNLNXGcXkss#t=430s

 

There is no question that the sheet battery is odd-shaped and is not really a "sheet" battery. It is narrower than the Pro 13 body (likely the exact width of the Pro 11 body), and it has this significant gap toward the back. However, in actual use, it's very good. It makes a perfect wedge (i.e. add a few degrees of angle to the whole machine) with the front sitting at the same level and it's very stable. It also removes the murdering hard plastic feet from contact with the bottom surface, so it would work well for people wearing shorts and wanting to use the Pro 13 on their lap (and the air gap means that it won't get hot either).

The main drawback is that max thickness of the combined machine is significantly higher, so it won't fit as easily in a briefcase.

Laurent

 

I am struggling to find the right driver update for the wifi adapter. Getting annoyed with frequent dropouts. Can anyone point me towards the right update please? There are 4 options on Intel's website. Which one to pick for my Sony Vaio Pro 13?

 

Atleast the wireless adapter supports 802.11ac

ARK | Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260

 

Thanks but according to Sony's web page it doesn't currently support 802.11ac. Anyone find a way to make it actually communicate at 802.11ac speed? I've already rolled out 802.11ac for two offices and will probably do so at 5 more offices before the end of the year.

 

Ah, hadn't realised, missed that part. Thanks for the update. That's the final straw for me I think. Bootcamp Air.

 

This is Intel's page for the Dual Band Wireless-N 7260 used in the Sony: ARK | Intel® Dual Band Wireless-N 7260 . The Sony does not use the AC version of the 7260.

I suggest Wireless_16.0.5_e64.exe, but if you want drivers only instead of the package, you can download the De64 version. Exe or Zip? That's your choice. Exe is easier for most so you don't have to unzip to a directory before installing.

 

Dock as in a dock station? In this case i may wait till september/october.
I have a dozen of cables sticking out of my current dock station and the fact that Pro isn't offering one is a serious compromise for me.

Matt screen is also a massive plus.

Now if they pushed memory to 12-16gb with this refresh too...

 

I didn't do a full suite of benchmarks but I got a sequential read speed of about 450mb/s which was enough for me to deduce that it was SATA3. This is the 512gb, UK spec. Kicking myself a little now reading about the potential refresh, but at the same time, it's a lovely machine.

 

Regarding the sheet battery: I am waiting for the arrival of the silver Pro 11 with the sheet battery as an accessory, and after looking at the Newegg video I am rather optimistic about carrying the Pro with the additional battery constantly attached, I think also when the unit is in my sleeve or bag. First of all: The Pro is extremely thin at the outset, and the extended battery does not stick out so much, really, so I think it would be doable and also in fact not appear or look too geeky or strange to have the sheet battery attached all the time.

As i can see this attached battery to the Pro, I don't think the unit will be difficult to handle either, picking it out from the bag or putting it into it. Hopefully, and most probably, there won't be any problems for the caretaking of the unit either, when carrying the Pro 11 or 13 with the extra battery placed tight in place under the base of the unit.

I hope my optimism regarding this for me important point turns out to be confirmed and correct, by factual use and experience! It would really be a downer to have a sheet battery that one has to carry separately from the machine.

 

Hi! Are your wallpapers from the folder you uploaded with the same resolution, like 16:9 ratio?! These have the resolution 1920x1920, 1600x1600, 1366x1366, someone mentioned earlier... Thank you again for those posted! : thumbsup:

Sorry for double posting

 

Hi! Are your wallpapers from the folder you uploaded with the same resolution, like 16:9 ratio?! These have the resolution 1920x1920, 1600x1600, 1366x1366, someone mentioned earlier... Thank you again for those posted! :thumbsup:

 

Just an update for some of you wondering about accessories etc (someone had asked about the AC adaptor):

The AC adaptor weighs ~200g, is pretty small but not the smallest. It's actually a little heavier than I was expecting.

I should be receiving my 11 pro + sheet battery next week. I'll take a bunch of shots with and without the sheet. I have a 11 pro MATTE screen coming so I'll make sure to get many shots of the screen.

 

This $13 bit of insurance saved me a few times last week in China in some hotels and offices with spotty wifi. Highly recommend you throw in your briefcase should the need arise.

BJ

 

I'll admit I was very disappointed they didn't include a pop out RJ45 like the old PCMCIA adapters had. They could have had a pop out RJ45 without increasing the dimensions of the laptop. Or they could have had a drop down RJ45 spot like the old Sony atom laptops had. Either way would have been great as you wouldn't have to bring any additional adapters with you, Gigabit wired Ethernet is faster and more reliable and in most offices they have lan ports available but not wireless for security reasons.

 

Thanks for the info, that's actually a little lighter than i had expected.

To all you lucky Vaio Pro owners: How pleasant is the touchpad in daily use? Is it smooth enough that you can use it for some hours straight?

 

Here you go

http://www.yousendit.com/download/WFJVWGJORkVvQUs1aWNUQw

 

Yes, the wallpapers are 1920 X 1920, 1600 X 1600 & 1366 X 1366 resolutions on my Sony Vaio Pro 13, but that is irrelevant, as the remaining space is blacked out in any case. So when you set it as a wallpaper, it is uniform black with Vaio logo in the middle.

 

AC adapter: 272g (with US plug). Sounds heavy compared to the ridiculous lightness of everything else, but... it is still quite small (of course, my previous brick was the Dell 180W adapter, by itself the weight of the Pro13...).
Note that there is no "fast charging" as in many other commercial notebook. The AC adapter charges at ~15W, so that's about 2.5hrs for a mostly full charge and twice that with the sheet battery.

Laurent

 

Okay man, I'll try this as soon as I receive it and let everyone know if it works. I didn't know it was possible to use w8 drivers on w7, I was sure it was going to get me some "it's not for w7, but for w8" message...

 

Wow, that would be amazing if true. Can anyone else confirm this?

 

I can't. I just called Sony Germany and they had no idea whatsoever, unfortunately.

 

Doesn't surprise me. No guarantee what I was told by Sony UK was true either. I did get the information from the business manager I deal with there though - so maybe there is hope. Does seem a strange decision by Sony to make two different models and have different options available in different markets.

He also mentioned a lot of customers have been complaining that we are only getting the SATA drive and that there isn't an option to have the screen protector applied at the factory.

 

Great, now I don't know what to do. I ordered last week, it should arrive in a week or so. But the prospect of PCI-e SSD and a docking station makes it tempting to wait. Darn.

 

Can you give more information about the screen protector? I can't seem to find any information about it but thats most likely because I am not looking at the right place.

 

In the same boat myself. The docking station will be available as an accessory anyway so that's OK. Would much prefer the PCI-e SSD myself too, but then again would also like WWAN built in. I guess you have to make a decision based on what's available now as there's no guarantee anything new will come in September.

 

I agree, and I see what you mean about the PCI-e SSD. My question to the forum users with technological knowledge is: Will the speed difference between the SATA (?) SSD and the PCI-e SSD be noticeable for regular ("normal") rather light use of the Vaio Pro, or will the speed difference first "kick in" (be noticeable) when the Pro is used for more heavy tasks?

 

You think the docking station will be applicable through the battery sheet slot or how do you suppose it works?

 

It will be the same one available on the Japan model I guess. It's a matte screen protector that will reduce the glare from the glass touch screen.

 

I would presume so. He didn't go into any further details other than it should be out in the September time frame. I guess the other option is that it could be a USB 3 dock rather than custom for the Pro range.

 

thanks so much! looking forward to your pics, not many pics online of the sheet battery in use