Official Vaio Pro 13 Owners Lounge (SVP13 2013)

Hi, has anyone connected an external display with a resolution higher than 1080p? Keen to see if the laptop can output higher than this over its HDMI port. Cheers.

 

I just loved the black-on-silver treatment there. It almost looked like a mini black notebook was embedded within a silver notebook.

BJ

 

Ok, I've read the whole thread, so basically 2 main problems, fan noise and build quality, am I right? Is there anything else I need to know before purchase?

 

Perhaps one more thing: Try and read the whole thread again with other glasses on.

 

That's funny :thumbsup:

 

@wii: Just read this (best review of the Pro 13 I've seen so far): Sony Vaio Pro 13 Review - Ultrabook Reviews by MobileTechReview

Placed my own order immediately after watching their initial video review (which was posted a little earlier in this thread).

Love Lisa's review style. Very professional and detailed. Plus, that side-comment concerning the relevance (and possible uses) of 10-point multitouch? Boy, that really made me laugh!

 

There's no problem with either.

 

People who have purchased this laptop; have you gone for the touch screen version or the less glossy non-touch screen version?

I am not too fussed about the touch screen, and am considering sacrificing it to get a less glossy screen.

 

I went with the touchscreen version. Mainly because of the (in my opinion) nicer carbon black finish and the added strength the lid will (hopefully) gain with the additional glass panel fused with the LCD (for what it's worth, the lid is a little thicker on the touch-version).

Pressure marks on the LCD screen were about the only long-term problem I encountered with my earlier "super-slim-lid" Vaios. Hope the additional glass panel might help to prevent that.

Furthermore, glossy screens generally tend to appear a little more vivid - that's a rather moot point for me, though. I'm mainly writing and doing some photoshop work on my laptop, so a matte screen would normally be my first choice,

I'll report back on how big a problem the glossy screen is for that kind of usage once my Vaio Pro arrived. To be fair, most MacBooks actually use glossy screens without even having touch functionality as an excuse - and I know a lot of graphic designers and professional writers who use them as their mobile device ...

 

Hello everyone

I picked up the black base model (4gb RAM, 128gb SSD) this weekend from a Sony store.

It's pretty sweet so far! Very light and sleek. I immediately installed Steam and Civilization 5. Civ 5 is awesome with touch controls, so you should check it out if you like the civilization games. While playing the fan was going full blast the entire time and the machine got kind of hot. I really don't feel that the fan noise is too loud at all, but it's definitely noticeable.

I've also found that I can boot from the USB stick. I have a 32 gig SD card and my plan is to install some flavor of linux onto that card and run that as my alternate operating system. I'm at work but I'll probably try it later tonight. One neat thing is that if you want to boot from an external disk you can just press the 'assist' button above the keyboard while the laptop is off. This brings you to a menu with a few options including something like 'boot from external device'. Which is pretty nice. Usually you just boot up normally and you have to hit a button like 'F8' at the right time to pick what disk you want to boot from.

I tried booting fedora from the USB stick and I got some error on boot and then a blank screen. This is too bad, but the initial boot menu did show correctly. I might look into it more, but I think I'll try some other distros first.

Also, I normally use Google's Chrome browser, but Internet Explorer actually works much better with the touch controls. So if you want to pinch and zoom while browsing you might be more at home using that browser.

 

The same thing happened last year when I waited to order my S13A from sony canada, nothing was on the website even after a US debut but then a week or so later it appeared on the site with no mention anywhere on the press site if I recall correctly. So it seems the same deal here.

There will be no matte screen option for Canada, since that is a non touch model. They have the non touch version in poland but both devices the 11 and 13 are capped at 128 gb of space, which might be enough for some people but when the upgrade cost to 256gb on the canadian site is 80 bucks, I don't see why sony poland couldn't have just sold a 256gb version, unless this is an error on the site.

 

I will try opensuse 12.3 (but not soon mine hasn´t arrived yet) it is uefi ready and there shouldn´t be problems, uses .rpm like fedora, i would do a backup first, including the hidden partitions then a dual boot, i will see

 

Hi!
On my Vaio X, the Fn key is next to the cursor keys. I can easily hit PageDown with one hand, etc. I see they got rid of the Vaio X like layout, which was great for cursors. How do you get page down/ home etc on this keyboard?
Can anyone put a number on the disadvantage of the 11's slower ssd as compared to the 13's?
And what's that about raid 0 on the ssd? I am a layman at this, could anyone please elaborate about the ssd's speed(s)? I remember there were quad and duo ssd options on the Z2, with raid configurations.

Also, might anyone want point to reasons NOT to wait for the asus zenbook infinity and get the pro instead? I am not happy with pixel *density* on my vaio x's 1366*768's 11,1" screen, and I fear the pro 13's might not be high enough: according to the pixel calculator website: 141.1 (vaio x) versus (only!) 165.63 (pro 13 (13,3")), versus 189.9 (pro 11 (11.6")). (i.e. IF i get a 13 instead of a 11, at least I want more information displayed, in return. this does not seem the case - same resolution in 11 and 13.). the infinity has 221 ppi (2560x1440 @13.3). 220 ppi seems like a more optimal choice to me.
i am a sony fanboy, but the continued indifference of sony as to the fan noise issue (which is said to be worse in the 11" version), too low resolution, and 4 GB @11" are driving me away. I suppose battery time (higher voltage haswell) and weight will be the drawbacks of the asus, but other than that, esp. equivalent or better case dimensions, cpu power and resolution, will force me to wait for the infinity... what do you think? the pro 11, an least, unlike the pro 13, does not seem to have competition, to my knowledge. so there's the option to go with the pro 11 until the RAM limitation gets in the way and then migrate.

off-topic:
As a side note, I have been wondering if I should do a retail (separately bought system builder, instead of sony oem) install to make sure I can redeploy to different hardware without having to reinstall and configure everything. I was also wondering if I could redeploy my windows 7 pro 32 bit oem installation from the vaio x to the sony pro 11 (with macrium e.g.), and circumvent activation problems by buying a win 8 upgrade at that point? by the way, theres a tool that can enable >4gb RAM on 32 bit without a kernel hack. see e.g. windows 8 tipps und tricks homepage.
wil there be any other alternatives to the pro coming up? I read about a fanless HP tablet later (slider?can't remember) this year, but haven't found out about fanless ultrabooks. I'd trade in cpu power for total silence only.
cheers

((oh, and hello to hausach from zell a.h., that's around the corner in a rather rural area in Germany )

 

...and those are actually not problems at all.

My fan has only come on 3x since I've owned it and that was during intense Windows Update scenarios. The build quality is excellent, one just has to understand that it's paper-thin and has a very slight bit of flex.

Having just traveled 20 hours from New York to Hong Kong, let me tell you the biggest benefit to the Pro 13: You can put it in a backpack and not even know its there. It's that incredibly light.

BJ

 

Asus has really spotty quality control and isn't very reliable. Just check out some of the reviews of the current zenbooks on Newegg. Basically, it's a lottery. If you're lucky, you get a good ultrabook for a very reasonable price. If not, you're in for a lot of trouble (the latter is my personal experience).

My Vaio TZ is more than five years old and has never let me down. Can't say that of any ASUS laptop I ever owned or used (but again, that's just my personal experience. Look up some online customer reviews for the full picture. Chances are you won't want to wait for the next zenbook after that, though).

 

Would you be able to do a battery test from 100% on say 50% brightness whilst playing Civ and see how long you get? Would be much appreciated!

 

Hi All

Have got my SOny Vaio Pro 13" with 4GB, i5 and 128GB SSD.
I have disabled the auto screen brightness control, but somehow the screen will still go dim dim, bright bright itself...... Then i disable the color mode and the X-Reality option. Still have the same dim and bright screen issue.

Anyone know what is the problem?

Thank you.

 

Gotta be an error. It's $220 to upgrade on the US site. Considering that computer manufacturers tend to price gouge more outside of the US rather than less, an $80 upgrade from 128GB to 256GB has gotta be missing a digit.

 

Playing demanding games on battery will cripple performance on the most beastly of notebooks. Civ 5 might not be the world's most demanding title, but it's likely to run like garbage on battery on a machine like this. I hope I'm wrong and that the ULV processor can go full-speed on battery thanks to its low TDP, but it's not likely. Either way, Civ 5's probably pushing both CPU and GPU near the 15w TDPs, so if it can run full-speed on battery you'd get less than two hours.

 

I would like to find out. Both the i5 and i7 in this match a pretty good full voltage cpu from my previous Vaio S (i5 3210m). Civ could surely run nicely on battery even if turbo is limited while off mains power.

Hope someone can try this

 

FWIW, my i7 bottoms out at 3.9W idle/min brgt and 5.1W idle max brgt. Looks like a significant improvement. Anybody else managed to measure those?

Laurent

 

It is an error, the duo 13 has 200 dollars extra for 128, but there is no gouging in canada, prices on sony canada for CTO are almost identical to US prices here.

 

Sony is using DDR3L on the Vaio Pro models while Duo 13 has LPDDR3. The latter has 1/4-1/8th the power use in standby mode(~100mW difference), so some Haswell models may be even better in that regard. The active operating voltage is also lower at 1.2V vs 1.35V in DDR3L. You also need LPDDR3 to meet Connected Standby specifications for Windows 8.1. Of course, the disadvantage is cost.

 

Ok, so the fan is off during idle and light office use? If yes, then I'm not worried.
Some reviews says the flex is significant, others say it's very little, I will have to see it for myself, I guess....

 

Reading this I would like to tell that I am in a similar situation: Since 2006 I have used a TZ (VGN-TZ90S), that I bought from Conics.net, and it has never let me down either. And the fan noise (with light Word and browsing use) of the TZ is for me absolutely acceptable. (I would like a fanless machine, though...). So, if the new and delicate VAIO Pro also emits so little noise, then I will be very satisfied. I have now reached a decision, and have just ordered a carbon black Pro 11, which will arrive in a week or two. (I know this is the Pro 13-thread, but nothing is happening in the Pro 11-thread, so please be overbearing with me). I read somewhere that the "SSD" (or whatever medium) that Sony uses in the Pro 11 is of a lower quality and/or speed than the storage medium used for the Pro 13. Can anyone confirm this, or tell us that this it NOT the case? Anyway, I think that an i5-processor and 4 RAM is fast enough for my light work, as I primarily will use the PC for writing (and browsing, emails)?

I really look forward to unpack this Pro machine when it arrives, and after reading much on the internet about it, I an not concerned about it being bendable, that it flexes to some degree, and I also hope that the coat of black paint will have some (hopefully high) degree of scratch-resistance. But the primary thing for me is: I am very curious to know how silent it will be.

If someone knows what to do about the machine's set up and the Windows 8 configuration to reduce the fan activity as much as it can be reduced, I would really appreciate a list of instructions and advice about this.

 

The SSD in the Pro 11 supposedly doesn't use the faster PCIe interface, which would mean that transfer speeds are "capped" by the SATA3 bus (i.e. ~600MB/s max). The SSD in the Vaio Pro is confirmed to max out near to 1000MB/s (see the corresponding benchmark on mobiletechreview.com).

That being said, even SATA3 speeds are MORE than enough for this type of machine. The 1.8 inch Toshiba IDE HDD my beloved TZ originally shipped with didn't even reach 30MB/s sequential read ... and that already was more than enough for writing and browsing

So, yeah. I'd be surprised if the Pro 11 didn't fit your needs performance wise. As for the fan noise: The Pro 11 supposedly is a little louder than the Pro 13. But if you're used to the 11" screen and need a really small machine, I think you did the right thing in just checking it out and seeing (listening) for yourself.

 

I have had a what new laptop thread open for a while and the general consensus was down to the Zenbook, or whatever Dell replace/upgrade their XPS 13 to. But I think I have now decided on this one. Has everything I need in terms of screen, 8GB memory, i7 etc.

I guess the one thing to ask and I appreciate it can't be easy answering this is... can this handle my needs!
I am a developer so I do use the machine a lot. I currently have a Dell M4500 on 8GB with an i7 M620 (2.67)

So the question is, how would the i7-4500u compare to the one I have now? Does the U change things for me or can I happily develop, run virtual machines on external drives (SSD or 7200 rpm) and still have enough juice?
This one currently almost never runs out of juice and not once have I felt that it's sluggish or that I need a change. Only reason for the change is I can't carry something so big anymore. Despite the 3 year age, it still is much quicker than most laptops out there which is why I need to make the right decision.

If I want something that can run equally or quicker than the M620 processor but is lighter, thinner, smaller ... is this Sony the one to go for?

Thanks

 

With respect to CPU performance, your older Arrendale i7-M620 should roughly fall into the same category as the i7-4500U (max. turbo clocks are comparable, as is the cache size etc.). I'd actually think that the i7-4500U ends a up a tad faster due to architectural enhancement. Didn't find too many direct comparisons, though. Notebookcheck.net ranked the i7-4500U slightly above the M620.

So you should get similar or better performance in a lighter, thinner, smaller case. If I planned to use the Vaio Pro for heavy computing tasks, I'd personally be a little concerned about noise, though. Many reviews state that the Vaio Pro can actually get rather noisy when pushed.

 

I can't speak for the i5 variants, but the i7 you can get in the Pro 13 scores higher on Passmark's CPU benchmark than the 620m, by about 30%. That doesn't certify that the processor will run 30% faster than the 620m, but it suggests that it should be able to handle anything the 620m can handle.

If you need more processing power or suspect you might need more processing power in the future, you might consider getting something with a full-voltage processor, but if you expect your processing needs won't increase significantly over the lifespan of your new machine, you should be fine with the i7 variant of this machine.

*Note: before hitting post I did a bit more digging and found that the i5 variants don't score much less than the i7 on Passmark, so any of the available CPUs should cover your needs.

 

Brilliant thanks both for the reply. I did suspect as much but always difficult when comparing ancient tech with modern tech!
In terms of noise, I wish I could tell how much noise when pushed. It won't be always pushed and infact, most of the time, it will be more for coding work which does not require processor-power as such but it's more when VM's are running.

If I remember correctly, the Dell M4500 was not the best in sound-levels either but then generally, it rarely spins up to a level where it's loud.

Worst case scenario, I buy it and return if it is overly loud as I am going to assume I will be covered by the distance selling regulations (UK).

Thanks again!

 

Yup, two ways to solve your problem:

1. See the quote at the very top of this response, it's the Intel HD Display software that's the culprit.

2. Turns out that Sony has several updates for the Pro 13 firmware that aren't available thru the Vaio Updates function in the computer (go figure). Go here, put in your model number, and you'll see the fix for that and some other things as well. Sony eSupport - Drivers & Software Updates Model Select

BJ

 

First day in Hong Kong, running around from appointment to appointment.

Had a full 100% charge in the morning, computer was being used for 2 hours and then put into Sleep for 1 hour as I rushed to the next appointment, then back on for 2 hours and put into Sleep again. Did this from 9AM to 6PM, upon arriving back at my hotel room I ended the day with 60% still showing on the battery meter, another 6+ hours showing as available. The fan did not start once today, and that's with Bluetooth on (mouse), wi-fi on, Outlook running constantly, Excel running constantly, spreadsheet inputs and email read/write constantly from me throughout the day. I keep the backlight on 50% at all times, never allow the computer to dim it or do anything else to hurt performance while in use on battery. Never turned the notebook 'off' at any point; just closed the lid to induce Sleep.

The dream of experiencing a full workday on a single charge with no worry or having to drag cords and adapters everywhere has been realized.

BJ

 

This is mundane but important to my interests: I've seen some reviewers comment that the rear edge makes using the Pro 13 on your lap uncomfortable, especially when wearing shorts. In particular, reviewers have noted that the two feet that extend from the rear edge and prop up the keyboard when resting on a flat surface have a tendency to dig in.

I actually do use my notebooks on my lap a fair amount of the time, and because it's hot in TX, am often wearing shorts. Can anyone comment on this relative to other notebooks?

 

Hmm. I just read the Samsung ATIV Book Plus's specs, incredible resolution. I think this is tough competition... TBH, I am really hesitant to order the Pro. Sorry for being so negative, but I also don't really like its design, those stealthy "eighties futurist" edges (unless you are fond of that) that might actually hurt when on your lap and/or whilst typing (experiences?). I looked at many pictures and seems like I cannot use this computer in the bed or sofa, on my lap, unless I put a tablet (!) underneath... Infinity as rounded edges and Samsung doesnt stick out at all on the bottom. As to quality, my Vaio X died from bad RAM (half a year after end of warranty) and my x505's hinge broke, and also from the vaio x, there came green fluid from the adaptor plug and they refused to to cover it because it was "wear" or s.th., after previously promising me that it would be covered (sony repair service). So this just to put into perspective Sony vs. Asus, I guess the probability of being overall (un(satisfied with the Pro vs the Infinity seems not that clear to me. I also did some research as to Asus vs Sony reliability (reliability, not customer service), and the picture painted from reliability studies and forums etc. is not that clear at all. I am not scared by neither Asus nor Sony. Nor Samsung.
Edit funny s.b. else has just been worrying about edges too. Hmm. Sorry for being such a heretic.
Btw. I wished they built more frameless 12" devices.that would be the ideal size.

 

It's 11.6" but have a look at the Panasonic CF-AX3. Well built with nice features like split battery & WWAN. Just released in Japan and expected in Europe too.

 

@11.6" -> yeah, I meant

11,6
12,7<- sweet spot
13,3

thanks for the panasonic pointer! design not beautiful though, very technical. @fellow readers, fyi: it's 1.14kg, identical screen specs as vaio 11,6"/full hd, it seems to be transformable into a tablet (360° AFAICS), has a blue vga port (to make it look even more sexy), and, hold your breath, 8GB RAM. Available at Dynamism. 18mm thickness seems intersting too. Very expensive. It's so ugly I want even check for details on fan noise. What a pity.

I have just been doint some pressing tests with my vaio x upside down to test how that "cutting edge" will feel bad. With Jeans (Levis), it will be OK I guess. However don't underestimate pain after some time: you might have to rearrange the notebook once in a while. Just like headphones, you hardly notice them, but after half an hour they suddenly start to hurt and you have to rearrange.

 

To the person who posted earlier, I'll try playing civ 5 for a couple hours and see what the battery is at.

At the moment I'm more interested in getting my Dual boot on. I created a USB installer for Linux Mint and I mean to install it onto the SD card. Ideally I would be able to boot from the SD card on occasion for when I would like to work in Linux

If any of you would like to try this, do not forget to disable Secure Boot and UEFI in the Bios. You must set it back to UEFI before you can boot again in windows.

Anyway, I was able to install linux but when I try to boot from the SD card I got a "Operating system not found" error. Does anyone know if it's possible to boot directly from the SD card? or will I need to use a Thumb drive for this type of work?

Thanks,

 

I think I'm the person who called that out in this thread and, yes, there is no question you cannot have those two little feet resting against your skin. So as long as your shorts cover the spot right above your knees you'll be fine but if they are shorter than that you're going to have a problem. As relates to other notebooks, I can't think of another one that had such sharp points in a location that often contacts our bodies, but again I can't think of other notebooks that do as much as this one does in such a slim/light package.

BJ

 

The new AX3 is nice. They fixed the main problem with the AX2 - the screen. I played with the AX2 in Japan last December. If it wasn't for cost (I figured by the time I got the premium one from Japan shipped it'd be $3500 - $4000 all said and done), I may have gone for that vs. the Pro 13. No buyer's remorse though. I got a great deal and I'm seeing what Panasonic does with the SX/NX line in Japan ...

 

The two small guards that assist in raising the keyboard at an angle is not the same (material) rubber guards as on the SVZ. It looks and appears like transparent plexi-glass. I felt the edges and they're pretty sharp to place the Pro 13 on your lap.

 

The Core i5 3327U based on Ivy Bridge beats the 620M.

AnandTech | Bench - Mobile

That gap will rise additional 5-10% by Core i7, and 4500U is pretty much equal to the Core i7 Ivy Bridge.

 

Missed your earlier post on this subject--I was thinking of another review on a different site that called it out, which is yet another data point.

Thanks to you and Geeee for clarifying. This is disappointing; I desperately need a new machine, and the Pro was a real contender, but this sounds like a real ergonomic failure for my common use case. Guess I'm waiting on Acer, Sammy, or Lenovo to fill their production pipelines.

 

I live in Dallas and wear shorts. I haven't found the Pro 13 painful on the lap, though I have skinny legs that fit between the two rubber nubs on the back. Maybe that helps? LOL. And I do prefer using a light lap desk or magazine between me and the notebook for better heat dissipation and comfort.

 

I'm sitting with the Pro 13 with my legs stretched out and I don't have any issue with things being uncomfortable.

And as a follow up to some of my comments earlier, I was running VMware Workstation last night with three VMs (Windows Server 2012 R2 with clustered SQL Server 2014) and as expected, the Pro handled it fine.

I thought making the adjustment from the Duo would be harder, but it's not. The only thing I despise on the Pro is the trackpad (which I would probably hate anyway). I wish it had the optical trackpoint of the Duo.

 

I went for it and just ordered it.

It was a cracking deal - Got 4 years warranty for free and while yesterday 8GB upgrade from the 4 was £40 (I'm sure it was), today it was free. So in total, £1138.99 for
Product ID : SVP1321C5E
Description : Laptop SV-P1321C5E - Configurable
Price : 1.138,99
Touch Screen : Touch Screen
Memory : 8 GB 1600 MT/s DDR3L-SDRAM
Storage : 256 GB SATA Flash SSD
Graphics : Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Battery : Battery life up to 7 hours
Keyboard Style : Backlight keyboard
NFC technology : NFC technology included USB Port(s) : 2x USB 3.0 Wireless LAN : Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11abgn) Processor : Intel® CoreTM i7-4500U 1.8 GHz Display : 33.7 cm LED, 1920x1080 Finishes : Carbon Black Bluetooth® : Bluetooth® 4.0 Security features : No security features Warranty : 2 years warranty McAfee Security Software : No protection AC Adapter : 1 AC Adapter Adobe® Creation : No Adobe Creation
HDMI(TM) output : HDMI(TM) output
Ethernet Wi-Fi & VGA dongle : No Ethernet Wi-Fi & VGA dongle Adobe® Lightroom® : No Adobe® Lightroom 4 Microsoft® Office 2013 : Office 365 Home Premium Trial Operating system : Windows 8 Language and keyboard : English (QWERTY)

Quantity : 1
Product ID : VAIOEWY406
Description : 4 year warranty
Price : 0,00



Thanks for all the help/advice on here

 

Welcome to the club - and great deal indeed!

I received my shipping confirmation this morning. Hurry up, TNT!

 

When did you order it?
On the UK site it says delivery between 12 & 19 July

 

About 20 minutes ago

It did indeed say that but when you get to the final payment screen, it states:
Delivery: between 27/06 & 18/07

I guess it depends on the spec - some they may already have, others from the factory. Either way, it's a long wait if it arrives on the 18th !


For those who already have it, can someone post their charger/PSU model number please. I need to buy a couple of extra ones for work/home/bag but can't find it on the Sony site as of yet (or ebay)

 

Nevermind, it's right in front of me!
VGP-AC10V10

 

I'm pretty certain you cannot boot from an SD card - on this or any other machine. Never understood why and it's a real shame. Anybody know more?