Sony Vaio Duo 13 Owners Thread

The pro came with a hdmi to VGA adaptor in the box.

 

That's good to know.

Sent from my LT30at using Tapatalk 2

 

I returned my Duo 11 immediately when I saw the news on Duo 13. It had all my gripes about Duo 11 solved. Even though Duo 11 was a great machine, it had a lot to be improved...

1. The keyboard on Duo 11 gave me so much trouble that I actually think it was a defective unit. I used to work as a transcriber so I'm an accurate and fast typist... Typing on Duo 11 was miserable. It would not register all my keystrokes. Hopefully Duo 13 will be different... That's the first thing I'm going to test and if I don't like it I will have to return it. But according to reviews I've read (Engadget) keyboard seems to have been improved, so I'm pretty optimistic about that.

2. The tiny touchpad would be really nice as I will be able to scroll easier. Even though I got used to the optical pointing stick pretty well, the mouse buttons were too much of a hassle to reach, especially when scrolling.

3. Battery life.. I had the sheet battery which gave me 9-10 hours, but it added too much bulk. I didn't think it would make such a big difference... But it did.

4. 11 inch screen was too small for Duo's resolution... Constantly having to zoom when browsing the web was a nuisance. 13 inch screen isn't that big either, but I think it would be better.

I put in an order for customized Duo 13 few days ago (US). It says estimated ship date is 7/5... I hope it actually gets here by then. (sooner would be better, of course..) i7-4650U (Intel HD Graphics 5000), 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD. $1999.99 + tax = $2,154.99. It's pretty steep but I am willing to pay this much for the battery life and new Haswell CPU.

 

Has anyone in the US that ordered the DUO 13 has received any shipping date or something similar. I can't wait anymore... my i7 4650 is delaying the package.

 

Did you order the Duo 13 with i7-4650 already? I am also planning to order it when a concrete shipping date is known.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk 2

 

I ordered a Vaio Duo 13 yesterday evening for myself ..woohoo .... ETA is around 17/07

Ordered with i7-4500 no other option in Belgium
But I've taken all other options 8GB ram / 512SSD / W8Pro / LCD protector /4G...

A question for someone who has experience with the Duo 11... Is it possible to take a full backup when it arrives?
Normally I always use Acronis 2003 bootcd but there isn't a cd-dvd on this baby

Can you boot from usb-stick with a vaio-duo?

 

As I plan to use it for PhotoShop and other Adobe products, I would like to know, if the missing support for pressure sensivity of the N-Trig stylus, that so many Duo 11 users complained about, is fixed meanwhile. I also would like to know if support for resolutions above 1920x1200 is possible. Although higher resolution displays usually signal FullHD as maximum Resolution by automatic detection through HDMI, the graphic drivers should allow to select higher resolutions manually.

 

In the case of N-Trig Wintab (ie Photoshop) compatibility, I suspect that 'no news = bad news'. Pen drivers for the Duo haven't been on either N-Trig's or Sony's support pages for some time. Support from both companies has been dismal. I love my Duo 11 *except* its incompatibility with all of the software I want--and that is a huge issue. Regardless of how awesome the Duo 13 is, without upgraded stylus drivers, this machine is a big FAIL.

 

I ordered i7 4650 on June 9 and the order status has not changed yet.

Order Status: Processing
Estimated Ship Date: 06/28/2013

 

What surprised me: At the end of the order process in the online store you are asked if you want to purchase Adobe Elements oder even CS6 together with that product. Was this already offered as bundle option with the Duo 11? I could hardly understand how Sony could make such an offer when this issue is still unsolved.

 

Hehe,
Its Sony and there is not any concrete information. When I ordered my Vaio Z last year, it was due to ship in 25 days but it got shipped 3 days later from Japan. I am eager to see this new laplet.

 

I ordered mine on 6/10. (i7-4650U) Order status is still "processing," and estimated ship date is still 7/5.

As far as WinTab support, you guys have to go to N-Trig's website and send them an email asking about WinTab support on Sony VAIO Duo -- you have to bug them. I emailed them about a month ago, and their reply said "We are working on it, but we can't give you any dates." N-Trig has been saying that since the release of Duo 11... You have to keep bugging them!

 

There is a Computex hands on video on youtube where this sony representative shows a demo of the Sony Duo 13. She also says that the pen has pressure sensitivity so.. Who knows? Maybe it does!

 

Another review of Duo 13 is out on ultrabookreview.com!
Sony Vaio Duo 13 review - a big step forward

 

The stylus definitely has pressure sensitivity. It is capable of 256 distinct levels of pressure. The question is whether or not some popular software, like Photoshop, takes advantage of it.

 

alright, here's my view on the Duo 13: Sony Vaio Duo 13 review - a big step forward .

I do hope you'll find this useful, there's also a detailed video, benchmarks, gaming results, etc etc. I also have some videos comparing the duo 13 to the duo 11 and the pro 13, I'm not going to leave links here (unless requested), I'm sure you can find them if you want to

I must thank all of you who posted your questions a couple of pages ago, here and on PM, I tried to answer them all. I do not have a colorimeter or anything that would allow me to test the brightness though. I also wasn't able to conduct appropriate battery tests, i had to return this an hour or so ago and there simply wasn't enough time for everything... But if you have any other questions, let me know, maybe i can answer.

 

Great review. Interesting stuff in there. The problem you have with using the Duo 13 on your lap doesn't seem to happen on the Duo 11. I think because the hinge is not as loose.

 

even microsoft own surface pro have the same issue, i read that microsoft said that they are working on fixing that with adobe (i think it is something that microsoft need to add ) so i think we might see a solution soon (with 8.1 maybe) since microsoft is adopting N-trig (on surfacr pro )

 

yes thats a worry as its how i was using the duo 11

 

Thanks, for your work in this great review.!!.. only the problem with the loose hinge and the fact you can't change the viewing angle in "notebook mode" bothers me...

 

Noticed a mistake;
The heading on the video review should be titled 'Sony Vaio Duo 13 video review' instead you have it as 'Sony Vaio Pro 13 video review'.

 

Thanks for the great review!

Could I ask you - is the text size big enough to read comfortably in metro mode? It was quite small on 15.6 FullHD display as far as I remember, and here we have the same 5 rows on 13.3 inch screen.

 

Yeah, the stiffer hinge on the 11 made couch use more comfortable. But you still had to deal with the angles...

As for the other question, yes, everything looks tiny in metro mode. It's still usable, texts are small, but sharp

 

Meanwhile I got an answer on a request to the German Sony Support regarding the N-Trig stylus issue (no pressure sensitivity support through WinTab e.g. for Photoshop).

It said that they have no further information on that issue and currently no update is announced yet.

N-Trig did not yet answer on my request.

For me it is difficult to understand that after all that nagging even with the new model no solution is indicated. As using Photoshop will be one of the main tasks for me on that tablet, I cancelled my order now and will wait until I see an official confirmation from either Sony or N-Trig that this issue is solved. In the meantime I will watch other competitors for their new Haswell based tablets...

 

Thanks for the review. I have one question. Is the Duo 13 that bad using on the lap?. Because there is were I mainly use my laptop when not at work.

 

The more I think about it... the more I regret ordering one...

 

It depends on how do you define "bad". As long as you keep it with the base parallel to the ground (or with a let's say up to 20 degree variation), the screen is going to stay in place. When lying on the couch or in bed, with the laptop leaned on the knees... you saw what happens, in the video. Personally, I couldn't use it. You however might feel different about that.

Bottom point though, imh the classic kind of laptop with a screen that leans all the way back is a much better approach. For me, that's one of the reasons I use a ThinkPad as a daily driver (not advertising, just saying).

 

Too bad ( This plus price plus HD 5000 only in high end configuration May be it is possible to change the number of rows to four, for instance?

 

I asked Sony UK on and they said the Duo 13 does have GPS. This is why their price is higher

 

Yes - you can change this in Win8. I changed mine from 3 to 5 rows, as I felt 3 as too large - everything in Metro was resized - fonts etc. You do it by changing a registry setting that indicates the size of the screen.

 

Yes, the Duo 11 in the UK has GPS (mine has it). If I remember correctly, the Duo 11 in the US did not. So it sounds like it might be the same thing with the Duo 13. Very strange why they have such different options in different countries.

 

really great review (and nice videography)
my only note is about hinge on couch issue, wouldn't using due 13 on tablet mode is more comftroble when using on lap on couch (more comftroble than normal laptops)
PS. i don't have or used the device so i'm not sure if i'm right or wrong on this issue

 

Very true, W8's OSK in slate mode is a viable alternative for couch use.

 

For casual stuff, yes, this thing in tablet mode will do alright.

If for one do a lot of typing on my laptops and i need to access the physical keyboard.

 

So how's pressure sensitivity on the Duo 13? Has anyone put it through Paint Tool Sai yet?

 

Mike, the battery life on your review seems low. Is 8 hours with like 20% remaining or something, or going all the way down to 3%?

Anyone else have battery life numbers? Man, Windows still sucks in battery life compared to Mac.

Guys download Battery Status, as it'll show system power consumption in real-time and estimated battery remaining based on it, with graphs.

 

EDIT: Wrong Thread

 

hmm, vaio duo 13 looks excellent. good battery life, hopefully better performance and portability. Though im using SVZ now.

 

Sony Vaio Duo 13, ultrabook Haswell con design e autonomia ottimi - Schermo - Pagina 7 - Tom's Hardware

If anyone is interested (I know I was looking for this info), here's a review (you can google translate it) testing the color gamut and screen quality : it is a great screen with which covers (and slightly surpass) sRGB! Exactly what I was looking for! That's great news since the disappointed Surface Pro, Duo 11, XPS 12, taichi and Helix (Taichi was not so bad but I wanted 8GB of RAM and wasn't offered!). They say the screen is even useable in the sun!

The performance test are a bit of a bugger though (some worst than Duo 11) but this could be due to the supposed single channel memory and/or the SSD which looks slower than in the Duo 11. Battery life is incredible though, 2x in most test.

Now Hurry up Sony Canada, this is available to preorder everywhere in the world, what are you waiting for!

And I guess it's time to start bugging Ntrig and Sony again to get those winTab drivers for the digitizer to work with photoshop (I can wait a couple of months but I will need it eventually)!! Let's put pressure!!

 

I placed an order for a i7 4650 Vaio Duo 13 on June 9th and I've had 2 issues with my decision. Thought I placed the order somehow the $2,300 I paid seemed a bit too high especially considering my other option, an Asus Taichi with 2 1080P displays that costs just half that. Granted the Duo 13 has 8GB of RAM 256 GB SSD and Haswell. The other issue I have is with the screen resolution of only 1080P. I work with large photos, spreadsheets, and Visual Studio development and I'd love to have the option of fitting more on the screen.

So now comes along the Samsung ATIV Q with a 3,200 X 1,800 display and I'm tempted to cancel my Duo 13 order for the ATIV mostly for the higher resolution screen. If I'm paying over $2K for a laptop why not get the higher resolution screen I want?

So my question is can anyone think of a compelling reason for not cancelling my Duo 13 order and not getting the ATIV Q?

Samsung ATIV Q: hands-on with Sammy's new Windows-Android slider

 

Well there's no price on that ATIV Q, nor any spec beyond it's an i5 haswell. I'm suspecting 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD (maybe 256). Same thing as Taichi (last year CPU, 4GB ram, etc.)

I think the Sony will be/look more pro than the ATIV Q, which frankly, looks like a toy more than anything else. The resolution is nice though, and I wish Sony would have upped it for the Duo 13 (although personally, I think 1080p is fine, and color gamut is also important if you work on photos, and we don't have any info on the ATIV Q)

If you find the price steep, and are willing to wait a couple of months (anyway the ATIV Q won't be available until september probably), I'm sure when the rest of the Haswell convertible/ultrabook bandwagon will come, they will offer discount/free upgrade (same has the Duo 11).

 

I was also intrigued by the Ativ Q until I saw it only came with an i5/4GB RAM/128GB SSD.

The 3200x1800 high brightness screen with dual boot WIN8/ANDROID interests me.

 

well, there's no substitute for resolution. If you need higher resolution the better specs of the DUO (better cpu/gpu/more ram?/better build quality) can't negate a resolution disadvantage if that's what you prioritize over all. 1800P is ridiculous on a 13" screen though, but if you have the eyes to code and look at spreadsheets on a 1800P screen @ 13" then go for it. I'd be perfectly happy with 1080P plus the better CPU/GPU option, more RAM (all I see if 4gb), better build/nicer looking and a trackpad no matter how small it is, still better than no trackpad.

 

Ativ Q have no F-keys either and it is a huge minus for many professional programs. And I do not believe intel HD4400 will be able to handle 3200x1800 smoothly.

But the idea of putting all of the components in the hinge is great I think, and I believe it is one of the best form-factor for windows 8 machines.

 

If that review of the Duo 13 is correct, then the screen is 300 nits vs 400 nits for the Duo 11, so that's a shame for outdoor use.
Comparing the Ativ Q and Duo 13, it depends on what you want. I'm a big fan of the optical trackpoint, so to me that's a plus compared to the Duo 13. And now the Duo 13 no longer has the RJ45 and VGA, there's not a huge difference in ports. It's great that the screen can be used at different angles, but I would definitely miss the function keys. If I were to choose between the two, I would go for the Ativ Q, but it would be a tough choice.

 

If I can put more RAM and swap the storage, to me the Q is better than the Duo 13. SPen = Wacom. And it has the optical trackpoint which I love. We'll see when it comes out.

 

I am on hold with SONY to cancel my Duo 13 order. I've been waiting on hold for the last 22 minutes to speak with someone. I am kind of glad this is likely the last time I have to endure calling Sony for anything as their phone support is absolutely miserable.

The deal-breaker for me with the Duo 13 is the 1080P resolution. I have a Nexus 10 with 2560X1400 resolution and I absolutely love the screen clarity and the 3200 x 1800 display of the ATIV Q is the deciding factor. The Duo 13 I configured came out to $2300+ and if I'm paying that kind of money for a laptop I want it to have the best display available. After all that's why I'm going to spend all day looking at. An ultra high resolution display does not mean you are looking at small text as you can adjust that. What it means is that you are going to see absolutely clear and crisp graphics and text.

It's a shame SONY decided not to offer an ultra high resolution display with the Duo 13.

 

Ok, thanks for the update.

 

I see, but I would prefer a better runtime ... . Im still fine with the Duo13 if it comes in Europe with a 4650U

 

I would definitely get the Q, if it came with i7-4650+8GB DDR3 RAM+256GB SSD.