First Look of the The NEW 2012 SB series (S13?)

From what you can see in the video, the screen looks great, MUCH better than the crap in my SA!

 

Is it possible for the Vaio S13 or S13A to change the default hd with an SSD?

Will it void the warranty?
Does it need some kind of spacer to fit the original HD space?
Can i remove the DVD tray and put the old HD in for storage? If so, is it hard, do I need some kit to do it?

Thanks if you answer my milion questions

 

yes ,it is possible. no, it will not void the warranty. no need for a spacer if you get a 9mm SSD. to remove the optical drive, you need a HDD bay which, i believe, has to be redesigned to take into account the slot-loading feature of the new S design.

 

Wow Sony Australia has a deal here just before tax time where you can get a Sony S13A series with a bunch of free giveaways for standard RRP.

So you can get a SVS13A15GGB and it comes with a free Sony Xperia S, a free sheet battery and a free low-end CyberShot camera for $2299 AU.

Personally I wouldn't be going for the SVS13A16GGB cause $600 for 256GB SSD is a bit much when you can buy them yourself for about half that.

In terms of specs the SVS13A15GGB has the Core i7 3520M, 8GB DDR3L RAM, Windows 7 Professional, 750GB 5400rpm HDD, DVD Burner, NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE 2GB, 13.3" 1600x900 VAIO Display Premium, and 5 hours of battery life (which would go up to 10 with the sheet battery)

They have this for other VAIO models as well, the glassless L Series comes with a free PS3 and same camera, E Series Premium comes with a premium case, Anti-Virus software and the camera (top end model got a mouse and keyboard skin as well) and the T Series came with a case, camera and anti-virus software as well.

They also have a special run of low end E Series laptops for $999 AU with a quad core i7 and a free camera which represents EXCEPTIONAL value for money as it also has a discrete 7550M GPU (even if it is fairly low end, this is amazing value for Sony in Australia, as the E Series seem to be)

 

Does anyone know if the screen will be able to replace with
AUO B156HW01 V4
AUO B156HW01 V4 Overview - Panelook.com
on 2012 model or 2011 15 inch model ?

I'm tired to find other similar 15" notebook without color problem with the screen. Currently only new too expensive mac book pro ratina is another option but changing the screen on sony would cost me much much less.

 

Anyone know about the deals?

Also, is there anyway to take advantage of the Microsoft offer of the free Xbox as well? Maybe buy from the Microsoft store and call up Sony for the Vita? Possible? No?

 

I don't think you can find anywhere this model being sold as a selected PC for Xbox deal
But would be a nice try.

 

Surely it'd turn up on the M-store at some point and then you could do it?

 

So how durable is the s13 screen/hinge? Lots of peeps/reviews says it flimsy I want to take it to college a couple days a week, how has it held up for you owners of the previous models, does it handle being in a backpack well and just opening closing without failing.
thx

 

I've had no problems at all. Not even when traveling in a bus (=shaking) have I ever had any problem working, the screen doesn't vibrate. If one manually bend the top of the screen a bit and then release it the screen vibrates a few seconds but at least for me that's not how I use it.

For me the system have been packed/unpacked at least once per day since I bought it. All holding up very well.

 

I've had my SB since they came out in Australia, so since about February/March last year and it's held up fine.

I've had it in my bag filled with textbooks etc and there's been no issues at all.

Only issue I've had with my SB is the clip in the 3.5mm headphone jack has broken so the speakers on the laptop don't work. Luckily enough not much of an issue because I connect it to the speakers when I'm home and to headphones if I need sound when out.

EDIT: Something annoying with the flexible screen thogh is that the keyboard imprints on the screen, I'm hoping they can be cleaned off but not entirely sure.

 

Does anyone know if you can insert a sim card in the SA? - so if I have mobile broadband in a USB dongle i can put the simcard in the Vaio itself, and not having to lung around the USB dongle?

my operator giving free sim cards that let my phone share it's internet with another sim card. thats pretty damn cool. would you need to buy the expensive WWAN?

 

okay, I read from a japanese blog that S13P have selection for 3rd gen SSD option.
また、13Pに関しては、
ストレージでSSD選択が可能で、ついにVAIO Zシリーズと同じ、
第3世代SSDを採用したSSD RAIDになっているのが大きなトピック！
ちなみに、ストレージへのアクセスも、底面から簡単に出来るようになっていて、
例えば、「第3世代 SSD RAID 約256GB」のSSDを確認してみると、
SAMSUNG製の「MZ-RPC256T」だとわかる。

Google translation:
In addition, with respect to 13P, the SSD storage is possible in selection, the same as the VAIO Z series finally, It has become a big topic SSD RAID which adopted the third-generation SSD!
By the way, access to storage, it is easy to do looks like from the bottom,
For example, when I checked the SSD of "256GB SSD RAID about a" third generation, We know that "MZ-RPC256T" made ​​by SAMSUNG.

ソニーが基本的に好き。: モビリティとパフォーマンスの高バランスモデルVAIO Sシリーズ: So-netブログ

Vaio outlet website with various customization options showing 6Gb/s speed for SSD option:
SONY VAIO SƒVƒŠ[ƒY@ƒI[ƒi[ƒ[ƒh‚̏ڍׂƔ̔„

Also Sony Vaio official S13/S15 models specifications website showing 6Gb/s speed for SSD option:
ƒXƒyƒbƒN | SƒVƒŠ[ƒY | »•iî•ñ | ŒÂlŒü‚¯ | VAIOƒp[ƒ\ƒiƒ‹ƒRƒ“ƒsƒ…[ƒ^[ | ƒ\ƒj[
ƒXƒyƒbƒN | SƒVƒŠ[ƒY | »•iî•ñ | ŒÂlŒü‚¯ | VAIOƒp[ƒ\ƒiƒ‹ƒRƒ“ƒsƒ…[ƒ^[ | ƒ\ƒj[

The SSD options for model SVS13A1AJ/SVS1511AJ states 6Gb/s speed. Does this mans S13P/S15 could have official Sata3 support for specific models?

 

Almost sounds like they reserve the SATAIII for the soldered raid SSD and limit to SATAII for hd models. Which would be a crime but not surprising.

 

Thank you all for clarifying me the difference between the NVIDIA GPU (1 or 2 GB). Maybe for the 13' doesn't make any difference, but how about the 15 model?
Today I went to a Sony store (Philadelphia) and the 15' really impressed me, it is VERY light, looks almost the same weight from the S 13. But looks like the body material is not as good as the S 13 premium, looks like plastic. Please let me know if I'm not correct
Also, looking at Sony website, they mention IPS screen for the "pre-made" models, but for the custom new S 15, the display description is just:

15.5" LED backlit Full HD display (1920 x 1080)

Do you guys know if maybe they are also making non-IPS screens for it?

Thanks!

 

Yes you can. But a SIM card is simply a card containing network operator data, phone number and some user storage. In itself it's useless.

Yes you do, without the WWAN option the SIM isn't connected to anything.
I don't know how that sharing system works however every new smartphone should allow sharing the mobile network. Sharing it like that removes the need for the WWAN card too.

 

thx for the replies Awesome_Aleks and Megal.

I just ordered a vaio sa with sandy bridge cause it is only $699 brand new from sony canada with $250 off coupon. Came with 2450m, high res display and 6630m. Seems like a pretty good all rounder.

 

Wow! Pretty soon they're going to be paying us to take their machines! While the Sandy Bridge SA 2011 version that you got lacks some potentially nice upgrades in the 2012 S13 series - most particularly a better, though same resolution, screen - the model you got for $699 would have sold for twice that much a year ago and never lower than $899 for a brief time around last Christmas.

Nice going!

 

$2,200 sounds high for that configuration given that it has no SD, no blu ray. Is there some kind of VAT or other levy built in to the price in Australia? I haven't looked to configure it on the US site, but considering you can buy the SVZ13 without the PMD for $1,500 with an IB quad core cpu and 128GB SATA III RAID0 SSD (no optical drive, no discrete gpu, but that killer 1080p Z display and about 800 Mb/s sequential read SSD), I would expect the SVS13 as you show it configured above to be in the $1,200 price range, leaving out the value of the give-aways.

But I may be missing something here...(the US and AU $ are at near parity, correct?

 

The upgraded screen is still an unknown for the canadian market, I checked all the specs on the sites nothing about a premium display, even the wifi card is different than in the US models, maybe it is a typo.

 

It's probably just RAID of two 3Gbps SATA connections.

 

So somehow the bios would detect if it is a soldered raid SSD vs normal ssd/hdd and throttle the speeds as such?
Ouch... That would be such a downer.... But given Sony's record, I wouldn't put it past them either...
But still, here's to hope that a bios hack would be possible in future.

 

US and AU dollars are very close to parity, US started clawing back a bit but AU $1=0.94 US

In Australia, there is a 10% GST included in the price, but generally Australian's are ripped off. That being said, including $1000 worth of stuff for free is nothing to be scoffed at, especially when I'd sell most of it (I have a Xperia S already)

If Windows 8 wasn't imminent, I'd have already ordered one of these (not so much the Windows that's throwing me off as much as I'd love a Windows 8 tablet and I see little to no point in having both a tablet and a laptop). The model with a 256GB SSD is $2800 but I'd prefer to buy this model and install my own for far cheaper than do that.

 

Yea the new vaio s13 looks great with IB, slot loading drive and better screens, but I figure this will last me at least 2 years until I grad from college. Intels haswell is going to be a big improvement over SB and Ib anyways so I figure no real point in spending an extra $340 for a new ib s13, itll do everything I need it too .

 

hi guys i'm interested to buy the new s13A sony vaio (1600x900 with Premium Display...no Plus display) in italian sony vaio site.
I have some questions before buy it.

- If i would replace the original 320 gb hard disk with a ssd like crucial m4. Which 7 mm or 9.5 mm? There are 2 versions.

- If i would upgrade the ram. I know there is a 4 Gb soldered so-dimm ddr3 1333 mhz and one empty slot. Can i buy a classic 8 gb so-dimm ddr3 1333? Which brand? Corsair, Geil, Kingston, G.skill, Adata? I hear it about Low Voltage so-dimm....and No dual channel depending by the module. Can you explain me please?

- I know it's build in aluminium and magnesium. But....the down side (the part with direct access to ram, hdd) is in plastic?

Thanks in advance. Sorry for my little english.

 

I think Megol got it right 2xSATAII = SATAIII speed by sony math. I thought maybe they used a different bios in each model, but seems like that's not the case. Pretty weak, SATAIII should be standard on an IVB board, hopefully someone does hack it though

 

Has this been compared by an external review source? After reading through other people's comments, I'm still not quite sure if it's worth it to spend the $50 to upgrade to the 3320M.

I found some numbers of comparison on notebookcheck but I'm not sure if it's enough of a difference to invest.

Mobile Processors - Benchmarklist - Notebookcheck.net Tech

Thank you in advance!

 

To anyone considering the S13 - I highly recommend the Premium model with the 1600x900 display.

I went to a Sony store the other day to look at the new S15 and S13. The S13 on display was the standard S13 with the low-resolution (1366x768) display. In my opinion, the 1366x768 display looked awful. The viewing angles were underwhelming and the colors seemed washed out and severely lacking compared to the S15 right next to it.

The Sony store also had the previous generation (Sandy Bridge) S13 on clearance with the 1600x900 display. I don't know if the same display is in the refreshed Ivy Bridge laptops, but everything about it (colors, contrast, viewing angles) looked infinitely better than the 1366x768 display.

 

Had this been the case, I imagine someone would have made the same post requesting 660m. It will never be enough. As long as I've been advocating for thin and light laptops, I never thought we would reach this point so quickly. It's not that long since this slim chassis would have been reserved for 950 IGPU. *shudders*