Official Y series 11.6 Owners' Thread

The Vaio YA 11.6" is now available in Germany. But actually it has the same specs as a Lenovo Edge or U160.

But the screen was much better compared to the Lenovo U160, having them side by side.

 

Neat, the Vaio Y forum is now split by screen size!

I've seen the YA 11.6" in store and it looks neat -- I wonder how well it feels like to type on, day in and day out. My secondary laptop is currently a Vaio W, which is a delight -- when you're not trying to run Java apps or run compile tasks on it.

 

I’m wondering about the performance of the default 6-cell battery. Sony claims it will run 6h which may be 4h in real usage. But the stats for the battery say it has just 37,8Whr (10,8 V/3500 mAh).

How shall this work? I mean the Lenovo Edge 11 with a i3 380UM has got a 57Whr 6-cell battery which lasts ~4h.

 

I wonder how good the screen is, compared to a TT.

 

Just noticed they have bumped up the clock speed too -- the Y I bought last month still has 1.20 GHz (though if you get the i5 it overclocks to 1.73)

Battery-wise, I'm not sure. Either the Lenovo has a less efficient screen, or its battery benchmark is more grueling / realistic ... does the Lenovo use Intel graphics, or a dedicated nVidia or ATi chip?

 

The edge has a Intel GMA HD.

But I guess we need some reviews.

 

Hm, looks like a really nice little machine... BUT I am not really sure I would spend over 700 bucks on a 11" notebook which has limited resources anyway, instead of 250 for a 10.1" netbook ... I mean it is something in-between... but the price isn't! You get a powerful 13-14" notebook for that money.

 

The screen on the YA is nothing like the TT. But I think it looks a bit better than the 13" Y, probably because it's smaller. With the same resolution on a smaller screen, it looks sharper. It MAY have a little less light bleed than the 13" Y, but it's hard to tell because I've only played with it in bright lighting conditions.

 

Well, you pay for the compact form factor. The YA has the same specs (sans smaller screen) as the larger Y though; compared to the S the only downside is the slower ULV CPUs and no built-in optical drive. And no backlit keyboard.

Given that external optical drives are really cheap anyway, the lack of built-in optical drive is not such a big deal, in any case.

 

Let's correct the above, shall we (comparing the V9E submodels of both)

But yeah... other than that - pretty much the same

P.s. I also pay for the compact form factor by buying a 10.1" Netbook for 30% the price of YA. And yes - it has slower CPU and lower res. screen.... but wait, what was it... oh yes - one third of the price

It is a sweet little thing... I just find the price way too high for something in-between a netbook and a normal, powerful laptop. A reasonable price IMO would be 350-450 euros.

 

Why not buy 5 netbooks (or whatever) instead of getting the S?

 

*aha* -- I finally figured what's in the Y22 that's not in the Y21 -- the WWAN card. That's why it only ever seem to ship in Europe, and not in Japan nor the US (where the only 13" Intel-powered Y is the Y21).

But let's compare the rest of the features -- Vaio YA specs

Less maximum RAM -- not true, you can put 8 GB on the YA. Whether you think you should get 4 GB for over 700 euro is a different question -- whenever manufacturers overcharge for RAM I just upgrade them myself.

CPU & GPU -- a combined issue. The major complaint at the main Y forum is that with a dedicated GPU, the fan keeps going on and off, which some people find distracting.

I guess it depends on the intended user -- in my case I never plan to get a dedicated GPU anyway (not a gamer, not a graphics designer, but a software developer -- for me Linux compatibility matters more (Intel wins hands-on here) and the better battery life and quiet operation is bonus). YMMV.

As for the CPU, well, compared to an Atom... and plus, the YA in question is the Core i5 ULV model, which overclocks (TurboBoost) to 1.73 GHz.

Completely agree here that Sony's small-device pricing could be better (and is getting better. Remember when their smallest Vaios cost more than the thin-and-light S? At least now they charge the same as the Y). Alas, when Sony used to sell the W netbook last year, they seem to think *that* is worth > 400 € ...

 

They ship dual-core Atoms now, but I've yet to see one in the wild -- the netbook fad seems to be over. The 2GB RAM limitation is just crazy -- I don't care about Windows Starter, I install Linux on mine, but having 2 GB is really limiting -- plus the Atom core is painfully slow -- lack of modern features such as out-of-order execution mean it feels slower than, oh, a Pentium 3 running at half the clock speed.

 

I actually meant the amount of RAM you have included in the "proud" price of the YA

This CAN be a side-effect, but doesn't have to be (example: S). Still one thing that it lacks for 750 euros...

Absolutely! But still VERY far away performance-wise from a "normal" i5 ... whereas the price isn't at all

You would be surprised to know how much work I get done on a Netbook with Atom N450! I even had only 1 GB RAM until recently which was indeed a pain in the a*s, but now with 2 - different world.
I have done some pretty serious work on it... I was quite pessimistic at first too but as it turns out it is capable of far more than just browsing and email checking... and thus I ask why pay 3 times the price for a laptop pretty much the same size, which is without a doubt more powerful, but by far not 3 times more powerful, especially if you are not going to use it for CPU intensive work, as 99% of the average users won't and those who do need a powerful CPU would just get a normal i5/i7 based laptop for pretty much the same price and not ULV )

I don't care about Windows Starter either - I upgraded mine to Pro first thing after boot. Come on - since when is the included software a factor to consider - legally or illegally - there is always a solution...

But don't get me wrong - I like the YA, really do. And I do think it has it's slot on the market - somewhere between Netbooks and Notebooks... but NOT for 750 euros! The price is way too high for what it is.

 

Hmm the price difference is rather 1:2 and not 3 times more.

Also costs the Vaio S ~300€ more then the Y. Ofc. you get more power for your money (i3, 4gb Ram, Intel HD, backlit Keyboard ~1.000€) but it is bigger, heavier and has a lower battery time.

The YA is a nice little machine and actually costs the same as all competitors e.g. the Lenovo U160 with I3 ~700 €, the Edge 11 ~ 750€ ...

 

I am curious when the new YA will arrive in Poland, I was at saturn today and I saw no new YAs maybe the Sony store will have it, but it is not up on the sony.pl website, so I doubt it.

 

I’ve found a review of the VPCYA15FGB.

Sony VAIO Y Series (VPCYA15FGB) - reviews - Notebooks - Ultraportable - Good Gear Guide

They say about the battery:

"The notebook's 38 Watt-hour battery lasted 3hr 14min in our rundown test, in which we disable power management, maximise the screen brightness, enable Wi-Fi and loop an Xvid-encoded video file."

Sounds good, so 4-5hrs of light surfing will be realistic.

 

Should be more! at least 5-6h surfing should be possible, otherwise what's the point...
Over 3 hours under heavy load is a good start!

 

I think the Sony specifications on the battery life is a bit on the optimistic side, so 4-5 hours is probably where it is going to be. I don't think the AMD processors are going to be much better. I don't know what TDP the 380UM has but it seems like the newer processors are getting less battery life rather than more (like the SU7300 vs U5400 for example).

 

Interesting review. I am assuming that one can upgrade the ram from 2 to 4 gigs and that an SSD wouldn't be an issue right?

 

Yes, it is possible to upgrade ram (8 gb max) and I doubt an SSD would be any problem to install, either.

 

That's good to know, hopefully prices of SSDs will drop by the summer or fall. If the M series will not be upgraded from sony, I will probably pick this up for my second laptop.

 

Both absolutely possible.

 

hmm according to sonystyle and the review, the HDD has a SATA connection, are there SSDs that will fit into the Y series with no adapters?

 

Ha?? The HDD is for sure a normal 2,5" SATA harddrive.... like in 99% of all notebooks nowadays. You need no adapters - just a 2,5" SSD.

 

ah that's nice, now if only prices would drop

 

RAM is upgradable to 8 GB; an SSD should actually improve performance and battery life

 

The YB is up on the SonyStyle US site now and they claim 6 hours battery life. Previous generations of AMD's ULV have fallen well short of their promised battery life, getting at best 2/3 the battery life of their Intel counterparts. So I'll be amazed if the YB matches the YA in this regard.

 

odd that that's the only Y they stock.

 

If you look at other AMD Fusion powered devices they have very respectable battery life(6.5 hours reported on the dm1z). I'd be amazed if Intel LV could get 8-9 hours off the same size battery (51whr).

 

Just a caveat on the YA vs YB - according to Sony specs, the YB has a 4 gb max limit while the YA has 8 gb maximum. A bit strange as the HP Dm1z (Zacate-based as is the YB) has 8 gb as maximum.

EDIT: noticed the Lenovo X120e also states 4 gb max in the spec sheet.

 

Just saw the Engadget review of the dm1z where they claimed close to 6:15 for regular use with a 55 WHr battery. That's better than I expected and in the same ballpark as machines with the Intel i3 ULV and similar size batteries. I may have to reconsider my prejudice against AMD.

 

You may. But there is still a very large performance and price gap between the AMD Fusion parts and the Intel i3 ULV. The only ULV within 100$ of the dm1z is the Asus UL20FT-XA1 which is pretty minimalist in included components.

 

Can anyone confirm it can do 1920x1200 on the HDMI with no problem?

 

Acer 1830T with an i3.

 

According to laptopmag review of the YB, they got 4:58h of battery life. That's about 1:30h less than the dm1z, but the dm1z has a 'bigger' battery.

On other reviews of the fusion platform, they stated that it ran 1080p xvid flawless.

I'm considering buying this machine, as it is the only option with AMD Fusion available in Brazil right now. It is a bit pricey (USD 950), but all the notebook are expensive here (the macbook air 2GB, 64ssd goes for USD 1.700).

Has anyone installed a SSD on the YB? How did it impact battery life? And what about performance?

 

When I installed an SSD in my Y, it had very little effect on the battery life (maybe 15 minutes or so). But the performance & responsiveness was improved greatly, especially boot time.

 

hello, could someone post a video of how the audio/speakers are and viewing angles? that would be much appreciated, as i'm really debating on wether to get this or the hp dm1z.. the hp is known to have the better speakers, but from the videos i've seen.. viewing angles seem poor and there are backlight bleeds. i hope this sony has a good display panel. thanks!

 

ok.. got to play around with the yb at work, and it's a pretty good quality notebook. the build is about the same as the 13" y series. i did notice a bit of flex on the lid and the back of where the battery compartment is, but nothing that would bother the user (i'm pretty ocd when it comes to the small details, and this wasn't a deal breaker).

the screen is nice with pretty good viewing angles. i didn't notice any backlight bleeding. HD youtube videos played smoothly. the one disappointment like others have mentioned before are the speakers. they are loud enough for personal viewing in a fairly quiet room, but i was hoping they could get louder. bass is lacking as well. i looked at the audio settings and there's not much you could really do to amplify the speakers more. i didn't get to try itunes or other media players, but playing a couple of songs w WMP, and setting the EQ around helped a bit.

as for the fan.. this notebook is quiet. when i was playing the HD trailer of Dark Knight, while browsing the web and playing around with the setting, the fan was barely noticeable. this thing stayed cool.

the keyboard was pretty nice. the keys don't have much travel, but i liked them. although, the F keys had a bit of an audible click to them, as if they were a tiny bit loose. the battery had a bit of play as well, but i had to apply a bit of force to make it move, so nothing to worry about. i got about 5hrs and about 15 minutes on balanced power setting, 7 tabbed windows open on the browser, a couple of HD youtube vids for about 45 minutes i would guess, and playing around with various settings.

pros: nice design and build quality, display panel, viewing angles, runs cool and quiet
cons: speakers, FN keys on keyboard, less than 6hrs battery life

now to find an HP dm1z to compare!

 

Why dont they make the black one?

I wonder when this will hit the store.

 

Does it have a backlit keyboard? Before, on the Sony Style [USA] website it had the "See the Light" paragraph which was pasted from the Z listing, however, I can't find it anymore. I'm thinking they put it in by mistake since there isn't a backlit keyboard...

 

agreed, a black one would be nice, perhaps a black model will arrive later as some higher end version or special edition

 

I picked up a black YA15FG from Malaysia over the holidays - the earlier version with the Core i3 instead of AMD. Has this been discontinued? I know it never made it over to the UK, which means we'll wait far longer for the YB and any support I might be able to find...

Also, and this is me being very stupid, but how does the bottom panel come off to access the RAM? I see the 3 screws and figure they are the type which do not come out of the holes (ie. stay in the panel itself when unscrewed), but I just cannot get the panel to come off at all. Any help would be most appreciated!

 

they are already at sony style stores

no backlit keyboard. i was excited about that feature also. keyboard is nice tho, but like i said on my previous post, i'm not too sure about the F keys, as they made a bit of a clicking sound

 

I was wondering when this laptop will hit other web retail store.

Also wonder how this laptop will perform running a VMware client like Ubuntu or another W7.

I see on Sony website that there is no 64 bit drivers. That is going to be a headache. So has anyone put a 64 bit W7 on it yet?

 

if it was the 13.3 version, then it is not the new YA, new YA is 11.6.

 

O

Since the screws aren't coming out, the end of the threads may be catching and holding the cover on. You can try prying up while unscrewing or hold it face up while you finish unscrewing and let gravity be your 3rd hand.

Also, the YA isn't discontinued. It seems Sony decided to sell the YA in some markets and the YB in others.

Whatever the issue is, I'd be very reluctant to buy until it's resolved.

 

It's strange, All Vaio Y/YA/YB are absent from Sony UK.

 

Well, so you got 5-6 hours of battery life.

That was my main concern, as the engadget "preview" stated they had only a 3h battery life.

Was almost going for the MBA, as the HP is not available here in Brazil, but I'll save the 800 dollars (difference between the MBA and the YB here) and go for the Sony.

4 1/2 hour autonomy is what i need.

 

Does anyone know when the new YA will start shipping? I am guessing it is also affected by the intel chip recall?

I found it on the danish sony site, at 5900 Kr which is not bad but not cheap. On another site I found it for around 720ish euro which is a much better price.

http://www.lasystems.be/Sony/VPCYA1V9EB.BE1/VPCYA1V9EB/product/245441.html

but I don't really trust the site, also found it on a polish site for 3000pln or 768 euros which is not bad but the new S series in canada starts at 1099 canadian. it ships with a better screen probably, better cpu and a dedicated GPU. :/