Official Vaio Pro 13 Owners Lounge (SVP13 2013)

All I know is what I told you above and it's true. The S series will be discontinued; I wanted to purchase one yesterday but couldn't. As far as products in the future, who knows, but as far as today is concerned Sony's line is all ULV.

 

This may be the case in europe, I know I can still buy various models of the S here in poland at retailers. Same situation in canada, the sonystyle site discounting the S heavily to move old stock for something new, which should be the pro and duo. Any new S successors could debut at IFA. Have hope, but don't expect anything with a higher end dedicated GPU, if you wish to have a gaming Sony, well Sony will direct you to the PS3 or PS4 soon.

 

it fits the entire Sd card, so there's nothing left sticking out. Can't check that part about the wireless chip right now, I had to return the Pro this morning

 

I know this has been covered on quite a few Z threads, but anyone know if these Pro models can handle the ultrawidescreen displays over HDMI? (2560x1080). Seems to be an issue getting 60hz on the older models...

 

Is there a way to put a touch screen on the Pro 13 in the European store?
I don't see the option and in the specs it says no touch screen.

 

I know you already sent your vaio pro back, but did you notice if it is possible to upgrade the ram yourself? Or the SSD? Cheers.

 

It's a PCI-E drive, not an SSD or m-SATA drive.

 

That is with standard black selected. If you opt for silver or carbon black it says touch. However I would double check with Sony sales team that this information is indeed correct.

 

It is an SSD from ADATA in the NGFF (M.2) format and uses the PCIe bus. This is supposed to be the new standard which allows smaller cards and higher bandwidth compared to SATA 3.0.
When thinking of upgrading keep in mind that cards come in different sizes.

 

My Pro 13 has shipped, got the FedEx tracking number, ETA is tomorrow at 7PM EST.

BJ

 

That's correct, the standard black does not include a touchscreen.

 

Thank you, that explains it. Too bad they don't say anything about it at the sony store.

 

Am I the only right handed person who uses external input devices and wondering what was Sony thinking to put the ports on the right side?

 

I would guess that Sony thought since the power cord needed to be on the opposite side that there would be cord intrusion in either orientation.

And since most people are right-handed, it's better to put the ports that they will be using most often on the side of their strong handedness.

And since most people wouldn't use those ports 24/7, the majority of users will never find an issue using a mouse with the right-hand.

BJ

 

I have to disagree with pretty much everything you said. I'm not even sure if you are serious.

The power plug doesn't stick out like cable bound USB devices, USB dongles, a thick HDMI cable or a VGA adapter. Plus the cable itself can be placed behind the screen so it doesn't disturb.

Do you swap your devices all day long to make such a statement?

I use a cable bound mouse the majority of time and quite frequently an external monitor with a very stiff HDMI cable. I'd rather have some warm air blowing on my hand than getting tangled up in cables.

 

And by "the new standard" you mean just another proprietary storage device that forces customers to make expensive CTO upgrades rather than upgrading at home.

 

I am serious, but from the perspective of trying to imagine what Sony was thinking, not what I am thinking. I'd prefer all the cables, including the power cable, on the left side of the keyboard too.

I am guessing that there isn't room along one edge of the notebook for both the power supply and several USB/HDMI/SDI ports and their innards.

Now this is where we disagree as I do not have any peripherals at all when using my situational lightweight travel notebook (what my Pro 13 will be). In my office, different story, docking station (my heavy Dell workhorse). But on a plane or in my Hong Kong office, I don't need external drives, monitors, USB transmitters, thumb drives, etc. I have a Bluetooth mouse, no cords or dongles there either.

BJ

 

NGFF is apparently ratified by the PCI SIG consortium. I understand the main reason for the switch is Mini PCIe's single lane bottleneck which limits SSD speeds, let alone SATA limitations.
A quick google search lists M.2 devices from ADATA, Plextor, Intel, Cucial, Micron and whatnot. A problem might be that those devices are not easy to come by.

But I can feel you. In my case I even have to think about a mod to get a WWAN module into the devices I'm interested in.

Back to the topic. Has anyone found out whether the WiFi card is in M.2 format too?

 

I know that the max memory you can buy VAIO Pro with is 8gb but is it possible to put there more? Ie can i remove 8gb stick(s) and put there higher capacity ones? Would BIOS allow it?

8gb is a massive downside for me...

Docking station is also quite high on my wishlist and judging by the battery connector in the bottom i hope one day they will add it...
Most likely not though as they always announce those at the same time as the laptops...

 

RAM's soldered onto the mainboard, as far as we can tell. As the discussion has gone in another Pro 13 thread, "pro" designation notwithstanding, this is an ultrabook, not a workstation; doubtless there are applications for a ULV CPU with more than 8GB of RAM, but there aren't many, and Sony decided they didn't mind alienating the small percentage of users who want to do those things with the 13 Pro.

Personally, I'm curious about the RAM as well - an earlier post said that the review unit was set up as dual-channel. If that's the case, and they can get an HD5000 CPU in there at a reasonable price, I would potentially overlook the flimsiness of the chassis and high cost of the SSD upgrade.

 

Does anyone know the % of sRGB these new screens can display?

 

Mike, did you take some shots of the BIOS options?

 

My Pro arrived at 11AM. On my way home now for the unboxing.

BJ

 

We need a video unboxing, walkthrough and review.

 

No video (sorry), but the black stickers sure do look pretty. A few early thoughts (less than 1 hour out of the box):

The thing is light. Crazy light. Just as advertised.

The keyboard is nice and accurate. There is an ever-so-slight bowing of the palmrest area but only when you press down on the touchpad (which I don't use, I use a mouse).

The keyboard backlighting is just excellent, really well done.

Windows 8 is a PITA.

The screen is beautiful, brilliant, likely the nicest notebook screen I've ever had. But the resolution is so damn high that Firefox makes all the print so tiny its ridiculous, and that's with Windows set to 150% size adjustment. Had to download an add-on to zoom it to be legible.

The only pretty major disappointment is this: The magic ethernet router attachment was not included in the box. I went back to the Sony website to check it, and it says "TBD" next to that features in the fine print of the $1,295 ready-to-ship model I purchased. Not good,

I'd prefer to answer any questions anyone has as opposed to writing a review, especially tonight when I'm in serious configuration-mode.

BJ

 

BJ,

How glossy is the screen? Big reflection problems?

What type of programs do you plan on using/installing on it? I'm curious about Photoshop, etc performance.

What were your initial thoughts when handling it. Does it feel cheap?

Would you recommend the 11 inch version more or less after getting the 13 inch?

How warm does it get?

 

Regarding the Firefox font being so tiny due to the high resolution despite Windows font being set at 150%, how do you permanently enlarge the text so that Firefox displays everything correctly?

 

An add-on called Zoom Page, so far, is doing the trick. Set Windows to go to 150%. Set Zoom Page to "auto zoom to screen width" and set that max to either 133% or 150% and it works.

BJ

 

No, there is a really good anti-reflective coating on the screen. I'm in my kitchen with a dozen bright lights on it and it's not bothering me one iota.

Nothing that's pushing the technology so far. You know how the first night goes, just tweaking everything, takes a long time. You Tube and other streaming sites are nice and fast, guess that's the most intensive thing I've done so far. I've installed Skype (the desktop version), Paint.net (will get PS soon), AVG (deleted all the pack-in crap), and will have my IT guy at work install the full Microsoft Office setup tomorrow.

It doesn't feel cheap, nice and solid, but the talk of the sharp corners is accurate, could slice cheese. Something odd that happens is that when the screen hinge folds back and becomes the rear 'stand' there's no rubber feet on it so it makes the notebook slide a bit. Opening and closing the lid you need to keep a finger on the base, that sort of thing. Because it's so light, the slightest meat-handed action sends the thing flying. Just will take some getting used to. But no, not cheap feeling at all. I really like the keyboard; the typing is really smooth and accurate.

No, not at all. The 13 is really the perfect size because you get the full sized keyboard. Tonight while Bluetooth mouse shopping at MicroCenter I played with an 11" ultrabook and its too damn small. I've got an iPad when I want to get tiny. The Pro 13 is really a perfect size.

Again, haven't put it through serious processor strain, but the thing is ice cold now after being plugged in and installing and downloading and rebooting and such for three hours. Very pleased so far.

BJ

 

Thx for the help. One last very important question - How is the battery life? About 8hrs as claimed?

 

how are the speakers? better or worse than the vaio z?

 

Decided to give the Pro 13 its first Windows Update (always good to do right out of the box) which put it under heavy strain for 30 minutes. Still stayed super-cool, no heat to speak of. The fans, however, are loud when at top speed. As far as I can tell, it's a three speed fan, only the serious downloading and installing of Windows Update put it into high gear.

Battery life will be tested tomorrow under office conditions. Will report back.

BJ

 

Hard to say. Not good quality, but gets very loud. Will be very good for conference calls, movies too, can't say I'm going to enjoy listening to music in a hotel room, too shrill.

BJ

 

Hey, I'm thinking about getting this laptop.

Can you tell me if it's possible to boot from the SD card? It should say in the BIOS somewhere.

Have you played any games on it?

How is the touch pad? I think i saw a few reviews mention that it was not always responsive to gestures.

 

Great, will mainly use it for youtube videos, skype and the occasional movie when in hotel rooms.
When can we expect more pics...pls

its a bummer they didn't include the Ethernet router attachment, I thought that was meant to be included in the box and strangely there is no mention of it on their website....hopefully it can be ordered separately. Have you spoken to Sony about it, if so what did they say?

 

Does VAIO Control Center have options for fan speed profiles, like silent, as on the VAIO Z?

 

1. Is the non-touch screen matte?
2. How is the fan noise?

 

Can somebody post a crystal disk mark score for this. They say the SSD is much faster and I would like to see by how much.

 

Yes.

Standard - Performance - Silent

BJ

 

I have a touch screen, can't answer.

Fan noise is loud, but fan doesn't come on that often honestly.

BJ

 

If you tell me how to do that, I'll be happy to.

BJ

 

I'll put up more pics tonight.

I spoke to Sony about the "missing" router attachment and they set up a case, someone's going to call me back, etc. Short term, I am going to pick up a USB to Ethernet dongle, make that work for my trip.

BJ

 

I called the Sony Store in NYC and asked if any of the new Pro 13's they just received came with the wireless ethernet router and they said no. No i5's, no i7's.

This accessory may be available in Japan only or might be sold here in the US at a later date, doesn't look like it was missing from my box after all.

BJ

 

Just went to the Sony Store today. Here is my test using the Vaio Pro 13 256gb Model. I set it to High performance (Power, Ventilation, Intel Graphics etc), This computer was so light and screen was a beauty. Super Fast SSD!


[img=http://s22.postimg.org/ta8y6mv1p/image.jpg]

 

Hey guys, I just got this laptop but I did not get the fresh start. Are there any programs that you guys recommend to uninstall apart from McAfee? Also has the fan been going on for you other owners here? The fan on my Pro has been on loudly since the second that I turned it on.

 

I believe the high end Duo 13 ships with the adapter only, I feel one has to buy it for the other models separately.

 

Small point: to be worse than the Z2 or Z3 they would have to be tin cans with string connecting them

 

@boltjames

Any chance you could please upload the new wallpapers from the pro?

 

Take some shots of the BIOS options please.

 

I uninstalled McAfee and anything resembling bloated anti-virus/malware.

My fan only came on when I did my virgin Windows Update, took 24 minutes, fan was pumping the whole time. Since then, very quiet, and that includes when I had Outlook running plus YouTube videos and such. The fan speed is adjustable in settings.

BJ