Vaio SZ: Is 13.3" wide to uncomfortably small?

Hey Guys,

I'll probably get an SZ for collage/university next year. That means I'll be going from my 15.4" wide to 13.3" wide.

I was wondering if it gets uncomfortable on the eyes when looking at the screen for long periods of time - writing essays researching, etc.???

I'm a little worried because I've used the 11.1" wide TX-series before to do essays and that was really uncomfortable.

 

I've been using a 12" as my primary development laptop, around 12 hours a day... and she's fine. I just upgraded to the 13" on the SZ, and I think it's absolutely gorgeous. I know that I came from a smaller screen so I am a little different to most, but it answers the question... the small screens are just fine for long hours of tedious reading based work.

 

It's all personal preference. Try to borrow one from a friend for a day or two and see if you can deal with it.

Usually the resolution goes hand in hand with size...you likely will have a 1280x800 (wxga) res on your 13.3, but something higher like wsxga+, or even wuxga on your 15.4.

 

Try the keyboard out at CompUSA. I think the size is fine, but your fingers will tell you the true story. As for the screen. I think it is better than larger screens. The font rendition is fantastic and clearer, I think, than larger units. I have used larger Dell's and HP's and think that the Sony has better font rendition. It is very easy to read on.

 

I'm going from a 14.1in Asus W3V to (hopefully in a month) the SZ's 13.3in screen. Although it isn't a huge size reduction, I actually cannot wait for it. =

The 14.1 is just a bit big to use in a bus or a train for me

 

I'll add to the list of folks saying that the 13.3 inch screen isn't particularly straining on my eyes ----- and echo the fact that having a smaller, more portable laptop is pretty nice in terms of traveling. When I was in grad school, I was lugging around an old gateway computer (c. 1999) that was heavy, but small-ish. There's a big something to be said for using a smaller computer in lectures, libraries, etc.

 

I do not want to start a flame war with IBM/Lenovo users here, but where IBM's are known for fantastic keyboards, the native resolution of Sony's is a known advantage over other portables. The SZ has a 1280x800 native resolution whereas the Thinkpad Z60 has a 1280x768. This does not sound like much of a difference but just look at a word document on each computer or better yet, web text. If the text is displayed in its native resolution it is much easier to read than if it is compressed at all. Here is a definition for NR that I have copied directly from CNET.

Native resolution: The physical structure of some types of displays, including LCDs and plasma panels, defines how many pixels can be displayed at once. The display produces the sharpest picture when used at its so-called native resolution. Other types of displays, such as CRTs, create pixels independently of the physical structure of their screens and do not have a native resolution. As a result, a CRT's image quality is generally the same across a range of resolutions.

 

The screen is not too small to use. However, if you like to view the whole page at once on the computer, you might find it a bit small. When I do format editing and view the whole page at once, it is a bit small. But the width is more than enough to display 1/2 a page at a time just fine.

 

I myself have relatively poor eyesight, but in most instances I don't find the screen too small. There are certain web sites where I have to hit the enlarge font button, but not too terribly often. When typing papers I usually have to wear my glasses to avoid eye strain, but that's what happens when you get older. I came from a 15.4" which was simply too large to transport in comfort, so I think the trade-off was fair. Good compromise between that and a 12". But anything smaller would simply be a no-go for me.
Oh, and if you can afford it, go for the premium model. I find the screen on the standard much dimmer and less evenly lit than that of the premium and certainly would have gone that way if I had it to do over.

 

What is the actual battery life for SZ with large capacity battery for 299?


I'm down to the SX or SZ for my next laptop.