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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Outstanding device, good value
By Steve R Sedlmayr
The price tag on this configuration might scare some people off for an ultrabook; but consider that you get 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. For the price, this is actually quite affordable. Most other manufacturers don't even offer 512 GB and when they do they mark up the product about $600 (for instance see the Fujitsu T902). Also this is a very capable device; it's basically a desktop replacement in a portable form factor. I got this device yesterday afternoon and already love it. I actually ordered it directly from Sony but felt I had to review it on Amazon to do it justice. The case is simultaneously surprisingly sturdy and surprisingly slim and light. In reviews I've read on Amazon and elsewhere, people complained about the weight, but it's lighter than the alternatives and it didn't feel that heavy to me. If you're used to say, an iPad or a Nexus 7 then sure, it's heavy, but that's not really a fair comparison. Those devices are a closed system with very weak processors and not very much RAM or storage, so of course they're lighter. This isn't a tablet; it's an ultrabook. However, it works very well in tablet mode. I ordered it with the extra sheet battery which does make it noticeably thicker and heavier, but I got used to it pretty quickly. People have complained about the battery life, but given how powerful this machine is, the advertised 4 hours and 45 minutes is very good, especially compared to my wife's Macbook Pro, which even with a brand new replacement battery lasts all of 3 hours; and this device is more powerful! With the sheet battery it lasts a very long time with mixed use.Following are some additional complaints people have had and my analysis:- Screen hard to slide open: Nonsense. It slides open and closed very easily. If you simply read the 2-step instructions that come in the box you'll figure it out in about half a second. The screen is very thin but doesn't feel cheap or flimsy. It's quite well-seated in both positions and feels sturdy. The magnesium supports for the screen in the upright position are very sturdy feeling as well.- There are exposed ribbon cables behind the screen: Doesn't bother me. There is a plastic guard the runs the entire width of the screen. I suppose if you are careless there is an off chance something could get back there, but it doesn't seem likely. Just blow it out with canned air every once in a while, assuming it's necessary.- The trackpoint in the middle of the keyboard is glitchy: Again, nonsense. I've never had the problem people describe elsewhere of hitting the trackpoint when typing 'g' or 'h'. I find myself almost never using it, and when I do, suprisingly, it works just as well if not better than a full sized pad.- There is no trackpad: Not necessary. There is the trackpoint, which works perfectly, a stylus and a touchscreen. Personally I find myself almost always using the touchscreen, as it's more direct. I only use the trackpoint and the mouse buttons when something is too hard to scroll or click on the screen.- It takes 2-20 seconds for the screen to flip: Just plain incorrect. I don't know how the models configured with less RAM perform, but this model flips in 1-2 seconds, tops.- Windows 8 is hard to use: For starters, this has nothing to do with the device. Secondly, I think Windows 8 is actually a really good OS. It's basically Windows 7 with added features for tablet and touchscreen use. As with any major release of Windows, some major things did change and as is always the case it's initially difficult to figure out how to do things that you used to do in the last version. For instance, there's no Start button so to get to things like Computer Management, you have to go through the power user menu. Some things have been renamed; the Run as Administrator option is only available in context menus from the Desktop, so you have to use ctrl + shift + enter from the search menu for most apps; et cetera. As in all versions of Windows, all of these things have an equivalent solution to the old OS in the new OS. If you are not a ready adopter of new tech, and you're one of those people who still pines for XP, or you're just not very computer savvy, then this might not be the device for you. If you're a tech head or a power user or even if you're just open to learning new tech, then I'd make the leap to 8 with this device.- Photoshop doesn't support pressure sensitivity from the stylus: Not really an issue. I do prefer this weren't the case, but it comes loaded with an app called ArtRage Studio Pro. Some artists have called it bloatware, but it's really not; it's a very capable bit of software that frankly might even be better than Photoshop for drawing. It imports from and exports to Photoshop, preserving layers.- The keyboard is too small: I admit that the keyboard takes some getting used to; it takes about a day.- The screen has only one position: Really not an issue at all. The angle is perfect and the device is so small it's easy to turn around if you need to show someone something, or fold it down. If you absolutely have to have that feature for some reason, I'd get the Fujitsu T902 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist; but those are much more bulky, heavy devices and not nearly as portable. The Lenovo, for instance, doesn't even support swiping and comes installed with Windows 7. The Fujitsu on the other hand does have a more powerful processor available and a bay for a second battery that doesn't add to the form factor, giving it 12 hours; it was the runner up to this device. I chose the Duo because of it's portability.There are a few things I wish were done better (but these are all minor):- Can't upgrade. The RAM is soldered to the board and there is no way to open the device without taking apart the whole case. However, it only takes up to 8 GB RAM anyway and 512 GB is more than ample storage. It blows most other devices out of the water; even my desktops only have 256 GB SSDs. Those are really the only things you'd want to upgrade. The only device that does this better is the Fujitsu T902, but you would only upgrade it once to fit 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD, which you would have to do because Fujitsu charges an arm and a leg to configure it that way. 16 GB is probably overkill anyway unless you are running several VMs; though you could run a couple on this device and be fine.- The screen hangs down and wobbles when touching it a little when laying flat and holding it upside down in your lap while in bed. This goes away completely of course if you fold it down, and I almost never need the keyboard in this position anyway. There's also a very good digital keyboard built into Windows 8.- There is a fair amount of bloatware. However, it doesn't seem to slow the machine down or get in your way.- Reinstalling with all of the correct drivers for touch might be a pain. However, I've had to install specialized drivers for every laptop I've owned when reinstalling Windows.- There is no place to store the cap for the stylus; I ended up just tossing it in a drawer, since I store it in the holder on the sheet battery.- There is no place to store the stylus without the sheet battery.- The volume buttons are hard to reach. However, it's less difficult in tablet mode and in laptop mode there are function keys.- The graphics are not that powerful. They are perfectly sufficient for videos or games that don't require much VRAM, but this is no gaming rig. And of course this chip is a big improvement over previous versions of Intel GMAs. You wouldn't want to use this device for that anyway though; if you're a gamer you want a big screen and a big keyboard. Needless to say, they couldn't fit a big, powerful card in such a small device.All in all, this is an amazing device that is a joy to use. I've actually found Windows 8 quite user friendly once you know how to work it. There are a few quirks, for example with Xbox Live integration, but again this has nothing to do with the device. Restart times are amazing compared to my Windows 7 desktop machines; we clocked it at 18 seconds for a full restart. Wake from sleep times are almost instant. It transitions seamlessly between the two modes, it's powerful, sturdy, stylish, portable, flexible, et cetera. I feel like this category of device is game changing for some people. I've been waiting for this kind of device before purchasing a tablet device, as I don't like closed systems for anything but my phone; and I think this is one of the few devices currently on the market that actually lives up to the promise of this category. If you can afford this configuration of the Sony Vaio Duo 11, buy it. If not, save up and then buy it. It's a fantastic all around device that you can use for almost anything you would use a desktop system for.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Outstanding
By Abir
Light, multifunctional, starts up is instantaneous!Just face it you need removable storage.Buying 2 devices will not replace it.
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