There's simply less travel with these keys than, say, the MacBook Pro's, though if you're already used to typing on a chiclet keyboard, the learning curve should be gentle. We said this with the VAIO Z and we'll say it here, too: while the keys aren't uncomfortable to type on (far from it!) they're shallower than most. Still, if you're looking for pillowy, tactile keys, you might be disappointed.
The keys themselves also have a soft, matte finish that matches the material used in the chassis and palm rest, a design choice that gives the SB a reassuringly uniform look.
The backlit panel feels solid, typing is quiet, and Sony also didn't dare shrink essential keys, such as Backspace or either Shift button. And why should it? The company has long since shifted toward island-style keys, and has had plenty of time to get it right. An odd choice, we think, but not one that's going to inconvenience you.Īs with everything else, Sony hasn't mucked around with its chiclet keyboard. And for some reason, Sony continues to separate its SD slot from MagicGate - that is, the one that accepts Sony's own Memory Stick format. Moving along, there's also a VGA webcam tucked in the bezel. Does anyone really want all of their peripherals growing out of the same general area? For what its worth, the group of ports you'll find on the SB's right side is pretty comprehensive, with two USB 2.0 sockets (and one of the 3.0 variety) on board, along with HDMI and VGA output and an Ethernet jack. Indeed, if you apply some finger pressure to the VAIO SB's screen, you'll see it gives way a whole lot more than any of these other models.Īs Apple is wont to do, Sony stacked all of the ports and slots on one side, save for a DVD burner and headphone jack on the other - a potentially crowded, impractical arrangement. Once we saw that, we started comparing the display to those belonging to other laptops we happen to have lying around, including an HP Pavilion dv6t, a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 and a year-old MacBook Pro. But, we noticed that even when we set the laptop down lightly, the lid wobbled forward and back - something we noted on the VAIO Z as well. Let's start with the good news: the palm rest feels rigid when you hold the 13.04 x 8.84 x 0.95-inch frame one-handed. Judging by Sony's unflinching judgment, though, we gather there are lots of you who don't mind it.įor the most part, the 3.8-pound laptop feels sturdy, though we have to say we were a tad disappointed by the uneven build quality - something VAIO stalwarts often swear by. We've always been of the mind that this clutters the chassis and can make an otherwise cutting-edge laptop look dated. And if you've ever seen a VAIO, you know all those buttons and switches are labeled with large, sans serif lettering.
#BATTERY FOR SONY VAIO S SERIES SERIES#
(Unlike other companies - ahem, Dell! - Sony isn't charging a premium for colors that aren't black.) Clearly, Sony hasn't taken any big design risks, and we suspect that's just fine by those customers who already swear by the VAIO brand.Īnd there are plenty of other ways in which the SB series looks like VAIOs of yesteryear: it's got dedicated switches for turning on WiFi and toggling between "speed" and "stamina" modes a power button and DC port that glow orange or green depending on whether the laptop is asleep and dedicated keys for launching the default browser, VAIO Assist, and VAIO Care. The lid, also available in white, bubble gum pink and an arresting blue, has an ever-so-slightly textured feel and that same 'ol chrome VAIO logo, emblazoned across the center in large lettering. Sony decked out the 0.95-inch thick SB series in a familiar matte magnesium alloy casing that doesn't exactly mask fingerprints, but at least makes them less conspicuous. It's not - we repeat, not - the slightly slimmer, higher-end SA series Sony introduced in May, after the SB laptops were already on sale. It can be tough getting all of those VAIO S series notebooks straight, so before we dive in we'll go ahead and set the record straight: this here VAIO SB is the same 13.3-inch VAIO S series laptop Sony brought stateside this spring.
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