Sony VAIO S, VAIO Z get Ivy Bridge, intros two new VAIO E models

[Shawn Knight]

Sony has given their VAIO S and VAIO Z business-minded notebooks the Ivy Bridge treatment in addition to introducing two new VAIO E models. The VAIO E series 15 and 17 join the 14P as part of their entertainment line although unlike the smaller 14P, these new models aren’t getting third generation Intel processors.

Starting with the Ivy Bridge systems, the VAIO S will ship with 13.5-inch and 15.5-inch display options with a backlit keyboard and either an aluminum, magnesium or carbon fiber frame depending on the model. We know that the 15.5-inch display will be of the 1080p IPS variety but details on the smaller panel remain a mystery.

VAIO S 13 buyers will get to choose from a Core i5 or Core i7 processor while the larger display system will come with a Core i7-3612QM, 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia GT640 LE GPU alongside integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000. The 15 will include a 1TB hard drive while both systems will have the option to select an SSD. Expect both systems to weigh under 4.4 pounds.

Engadget notes that the VAIO Z will feature the same CPU and RAM as the VAIO S 15 but with a 256GB SSD instead of the 1TB HDD. Select configurations will even include built-in 3G/4G LTE radios while an optional media pack will provide an optical drive and Radeon HD 7670M graphics. These systems are said to weigh less than 2.6 pounds with a thickness of less than 0.7-inches.

The new entertainment models, VAIO E Series 15 and 17 will feature 15.5-inch and 17.3-inch displays, respectively. Both systems will utilize a second generation Core i5-2450M processor, Radeon 7650M graphics, a 750GB HDD and the standard array of connectivity options.

Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/48624-sony-vaio-s-vaio-z-get-ivy-bridge-intros-two-new-vaio-e-models.html

 

[Guest]

Powerful laptop from Sony

 

[Guest]

From my 12 years experience as a IT Engineer supporting all kinds of brands of machines, here's my personal opinion about Sony so called business series laptops " Vaio Z"

It looked nice on the outside, impressive screens no other brands can match it's resolution. But junk on the inside. Once it starts to break, your nightmare begins.

Sony Vaio Z "Business" models, there is not proper support from Sony Computers for corporate users. Different region has different model naming, this pose a nightmare for large corporation wanting to standardize their own OS image around the globe. Different region has different hardware configurations. I have noticed, for older OSes like Win XP, their website forces you to download the entire driver package, instead of just wanting a sound driver for example, be prepared to download the entire package of all other drivers that averages 300+mb per package.

A particular model on a region may have a similar specifications compared to another region, but different model naming will be used. You cannot use the same driver package for the 2 machines from different regions, which make no sense since it's a identical hardware. For example, ATI/nVidia graphics drivers. They are basically the same GPU, yet you cannot use the same driver package from another region. This caused a unnecessary resources on servers, additional space is required to store these drivers.

There is also no official on-site support from Sony. As far as I know, there is none for APAC region. When it breaks, there's also very limited spare parts replacement available in the market, for IT engineers to replace necessary hardware. Sony is forcing users to go back to them for repairs and charge you insane prices that make it not economical for repair after warranty expires. This makes Sony Vaio Z series a very expensive show off machine instead of a proper real business machine.

Sony needs to standardize their models across the globe, get their driver packages right, if they really want to tap into the corporate market. They have to provide a proper support for it's customers too.