Sony Vaio SB review: the modern businessman’s portable laptop

Sony Vaio is a series of laptops that needs no further presentation. It is a brand that makes you think of the best laptops in the world. In this article we will speak of a top Vaio laptop, the SB model, a 13.3 inch portable addressed to the business segment, a premium laptop. We will have the opportunity to see if the Sony Vaio standard is still extremely high in 2011, as it remains in my memory back from 2003-2004.

We have to say that the model we tested is a special sample for testing, but the Sony Vaio SB model which you can already find on the market is identical to this one. Only some hardware specs can differ if you want them to.

Sony Vaio SB - portable for business men

Let us first take a look at the technical specifications:

• 13.3 inch screen, LED illuminated, 1366 x 768 resolution, opaque finish
• Intel Core i5-2520M 2.5 GHz (SandyBridge) processor
• hybrid graphics: integrated Intel HD 3000 Graphics chipset and dedicated AMD Radeon HD 6470M chipset
• 6 GB of RAM memory
•  500 GB HDD, 5400 rpm, 2.5”
• DVD-RW integrated optical unit
• Connectivity: Gigabit LAN, Bluetooth, Wireless N, incorporated 3G modem
• Ports: 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, SD and HGDuo card readers, webcam
• Windows 7 Professional operating system
• incorporated LI-ION battery
• Size: 331 x 225 x 24 mm
• Weight: 1.75 kg

In some shops you will find the Vaio SB configured with a Core i5-2410M processor at only 2.3 GHz, and 4 GB of RAM and a 640 GB HDD. However its performances will be similar to the ones of the model we tested.

Exterior and design

Sony Vaio SB is a business laptop. It has a sober exterior and it is made out of high quality materials. It comes with a sharp body with sharp edges so it is easily positioned.

Certainly no one can say anything bad when it comes to the design and finish of this notebook. Magnesium is used for the exterior of the case in order to leave an impression of durability and great grip. In the interior the palm rest and the area around the keyboard is done out of aluminum.

Exterior made from Aluminum and Magnesium

Using light materials the SB is not only rigid and resistant, but it is also very light; it only weighs 1.75 kg while competitors have similar notebooks weighing around 2 kg. This is great when it comes to a portable laptop.

You can find out more about the exterior, case and ports by watching the video below:

I should mention the dedicated buttons for special functions present on this laptop. Along with the on/off switch for the Wireless you will also find a switch for using the Stamina (autonomy setting) and the Speed (performance setting), a button for opening the optical unit, buttons for the Assist (opens the Vaio Care application), Vaio (opens Vaio Control Center) and Web (opens your browser) functions, along with the power button of course.

Keyboard and trackpad

This laptop’s keyboard is definitely one of the most comfortable ever to be seen on a laptop. Sony generally excels when it comes to the keyboard, but in this case it seems they managed to be extraordinary. The keys are full sized, well spaced, and adequately finished with a pleasant rubber. They are not noisy.

Keyboard is excellent, but the trackpad has some issues

Unfortunately the same cannot be said about the TrackPad. It is big enough and precise. It has 2 separate buttons for right and left clicks, which is to be appreciated, but the two buttons are extremely rigid and hard to press. Daily use is quite annoying thus. This is why we recommend future owners of the Vaio SB to use a portable mouse.

Connectivity

Nothing bad can be said when it comes to this chapter. Along with the classical Gigabit LAN, Wireless N and Bluetooth, Vaio SB also offers a 3G integrated module. Introducing the SIM card is simple in a special dedicated place on the back of the laptop. We did not like the rubber lid of this place which seemed not to offer good protection.

We should also mention the presence of a USB 3.0 port, a necessary hardware component for all top 2011 laptops.

Screen

The Vaio SB uses a 13.3 inch LED illuminated screen at a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The screen is opaque so you will be able to use it in a bright environment without the annoying reflections you usually get on other screens.

The screen is matte but viewing angles are just average

On the other hand the horizontal viewing angle of this opaque screen is not that good. Practically for viewing content correctly on the screen the inclination of the screen must accurately be set. This is not a problem when using the laptop on a desk, but due to the fact you cannot open it more than 130 degrees using the SB on your couch, or bed will be complicated.

You may say that such a laptop is not meant to be used this way, but you will find this aspect to be annoying.

Hardware and performances

Reading the technical specs you noticed that Sony has equipped the Vaio SB with the latest generation technology for the spring of 2011: Intel Core i5 Sandy Bridge processor, 6 GB of RAM memory, and a hybrid graphics card made out of the integrated chip in the CPU, Intel HD 3000 graphics and the dedicated AMD Radeon HD 6470M chip.

Exchange between the two cards is not done automatically as in the case of the similar solution from Nvidia, the Optimus, but manually. However Sony has introduced a physical button that will let you switch between the Stamina and the Speed module. Changing modes does not necessitate the restart of the computer, but you may need to restart applications. The screen will flicker for a few seconds when changing modes.

Sony Vaio SB gets 5.8 raging in Windows 7, in Stamina mode

From the point of view of its performances the Vaio SB stays pretty well. It will let you use usual programs, but you will also be able to use graphic editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, or even Adobe Premiere. In Stamina mode, using the integrated graphics chipset you will be able to run any type of multimedia content including Full HD. In Speed mode you will even be able to run the newest PC games, but with details set between minimum and medium, because the AMD 6470M chipset is an entry level laptop video card.

You will find out more about performances from the video below:

We ran a series of synthetic tests. You can see the results below. We will start with the results obtained in Stamina mode using the integrated Intel HD graphics:

• Windows 7 rating: 5.3
• Cinebench 11.5: OpenGL – 10.42 fps , CPU: 2.76 pts
• 3DMark Vantage Entry: E7598 points

The results obtained in Speed mode using the AMD Radeon HD 6470M video card:

• Windows 7 rating: 5.6
• Cinebench 11.5: OpenGL – 18.75 fps , CPU: 2.79 pts
• 3DMark Vantage Entry: E9572 points
• 3DMark 11 Entry: E1093 points
• 3DMark 11 Performance: P647 points
• PCMark vantage Suite: 6578 points

Software

Like a true business laptop the Vaio SB comes with the Windows 7 Professional OS. Along with this there is a suite of programs preinstalled which are worth mentioning. You will find applications specifically made for Vaio laptops such as Vaio Care, Vaio Power Management, Vaio Control Center, Vaio Support Center or Vaio Gate. Each of them has more or less useful functions. Vaio Power Management will know how to cut power to the optical unit when you are not using it and you are in stamina mode, for example, in order to obtain a few extra minutes of autonomy. Vaio Gate will allow creating a list of your favorite applications that will be displayed on the upper side of the screen, similar to the Macbook interface.

Vaio Gate and Care - two pre-installed apps on the Vaio SB

Along with this you will find preinstalled Office apps (the Office Starter module, which can be used for free and includes Word and Excel with reduced functions), Adobe (Photoshop, Premiere, Reader) and the back-up solution from Norton, and the antivirus from McAfee. It remains up to you to choose which apps you will keep activated.

Other aspects

About the Vaio SB speakers the first thing we can say is that their maximum volume is impressing. On the other hand the quality of the sound is also good, especially if you will not use them at maximum volume.

In daily use this laptop does not overheat and it is silent. However in the Speed module when running a full HD movie, a game, or a different application that uses a lot of resources, the processor’s fan will start working and will be noisy (even annoying).

We should also mention the 2 MP web camera positioned over the screen which is ideal for video conferences and chat programs such as Skype. The camera also has a little yellow LED to warn you when the camera is on.

Autonomy

Sony decided to equip the Vaio SB with an incorporated LI-ION battery. Unfortunately we cannot tell you its capacity, but taking in consideration its lifetime it is probably a 6 cell 52 Wh (according to Everest, the diagnose program we used).

Sony says its device has autonomy of 7 hours, but actually you will only obtain a maximum of 5 hours. When using the Stamina mode with the Wireless on (Bluetooth and 3G stopped), the screen set at 70%, and using the option of automatically setting brightness according to the exterior, we managed to obtain an autonomy of 4 and a half hours. Selecting the speed mode will considerably reduce the life of the battery.

Price and availability

Sony VAIO VPC-SA21GX/SI Laptop (Silver)

• List Price: $1,299.99
• Current Price: $849.99
• [Details or Buy from Amazon]
  [Amazon User Reviews]

The Sony Vaio SB is already in stores in 2 different versions. The first version is about 1200 dollars and includes the Core i5-5410M processor, 4 GB RAM, 640 GB HDD and a DVD-RW optical unit. The top version comes with a Core i7-2620M processor, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD and a Blu-ray combo optical unit at the price of 2100 dollars.

Starting this month there will also be available a white version of the Vaio SB with weaker settings (Intel Core i3-2310M, 4GB RAM, 500 GB HDD), at a price of about 1250 dollars. We will come back with details about this one soon.

White VAIO SB will be available soon

We must say the pricing is not accessible for any budget, because, as we first stated, the Vaio SB is a business notebook, so it is expected to have a price that mirrors its capabilities.

Sony VAIO S Series VPC-SA25GX/SI Notebook + Sony VGP-BPSC24 - Notebook battery

• List Price: $0.00
• Current Price:
• [Details or Buy from Amazon]
  [Amazon User Reviews]

Conclusions

Lately I have seen a few Sony Vaio mainstream laptops, meant to attract potential buyers with an average income. These laptops sometimes made smaller or bigger quality compromises from the standard we would expect from a Vaio.

The SB is not such a laptop. It is a laptop that shows us what Sony Vaio actually means. Good looking, solid, nicely finished, with a comfortable keyboard, and high performances, the Vaio SB is truly a top ultra-portable.

Sony Vaio SB: the complete ultra-portable

However it is not perfect. It has problems exactly where we did not expect it to have: the screen and the trackpad, or where we did not expect it too much to have any problems: the battery life time which is good, but not excellent. If we can overlook the first 2 problems the 3^rd one is harder to overlook, especially since this is a laptop that should come with us daily and offer us the chance to work independently without wires and electrical outlets.

Pros:

• solid case out of magnesium and aluminum
• good finish
• light and thin
• latest generation hardware and high performances
• incorporated optical unit
• excellent keyboard
• opaque screen
• top connectivity including 3G and USB 3.0

Cons:

• badly placed buttons of the trackpad that are extremely rigid
• the opaque screen has limited viewing angles and will not rotate too much.
• noisy in speed mode
• medium battery life.

Each laptop has its advantages and disadvantages. This article about the Sony Vaio SB shows you what you should know if you are planning to buy such a notebook.

In our opinion the SB is a top laptop which can be a rival for the Apple, Lenovo or Toshiba. Its little disadvantages may weigh a lot, especially when we will need to spend at list 1600 dollars for such a device.

Source: Netbooklive.com