The latest version of Sony’s Vaio S Series 13-inch laptop, the SB, has an all new bubble gum pink design with a solid angular look which is a real departure from the previous model – the S1. This S Series is Sony’s mid-range and offers great value for money and performance compared to similar models in the £600-£700 price range. Constructed around a magnesium-alloy chassis the Vaio S Series is a tough all-rounder which can easily stand up to the punishment of everyday usage.
13 inch laptops are the ideal compromise between a full-sized laptop and a more compact netbook. You get all the benefits of performance that you’d get with a 15 inch laptop as well as an optical DVD drive and you also get the advantage of a compact design and relative lightweight. If you travel a lot then this is the machine for you.
Available as a ‘configure to order’ model direct from Sony UK the SB has a range of options including a choice of 4 Intel Processors, 3 mechanical hard drives, one solid statedrive and up to 8GB of RAM memory.
The base model VPCSB2C5E at £699 has an Intel Core i3-2310M 2.10GHz Processor, 320GB Hard Drive, 4GB RAM, an AMD Radeon HD 6470M Graphics Processor with 512MB of dedicated memory and a standard battery offering up to 4½ hours life in graphics mode or 7½ hours life in power-saving ‘stamina‘ mode.
Upgrade options include a Core i5-2520M 2.50GHz Processor (+ £100), 500GB Hard Drive (+ £30) or a 128 GB Flash Solid State Drive (+ £340), 8GB of RAM (+ £ 60) and an extended slimline battery (+ £ 125) which can be charged separately and added without removing the existing internal battery.
If you’re in the market for a performance compact laptop you can do a lot worse than opt for the Sony. Engadget have just done a comprehensive review of the SB Series and they were quite impressed.
Basic Spec:
Model Number: VPCSB2C5E
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium
Hard Drive: 320 GB Serial ATA (5400 rpm)
Memory: 4 GB 1333MHz DDR3-SDRAM
Optical Drive: DVD disc drive
Screen: 33.7 cm LCD, 1366×768 + webcam
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6470M 512MB
Connections: 2 USB 2.0 + 1 USB 3.0
Wi-Fi: 802.11bgn
The Vaio SB Series is currently only available from Sony UK but some pre-configured models will be coming to other retailers later in the year. The base model costs £699 and there are various upgrade options – see site for details.
thank you guys !!!
how much is this aswell and do u get dvd …?
the base model is £699 –
you don’t get a dvd or cd drive because it’s only 13″. You can buy an external disc drive that works via a USB connector though – they are not expensive.Corrected – see comment belowIt does include a DVD rewriter.
Thanks for the correction Robin, you are right. Shame on me ):
The DVD disc drive comes as standard (DVD+-RW/+-R DL/RAM) and there is an option to upgrade to Blu-ray Disc writer as well.
does it have a camra
yes, it has a web-cam just above the screen
can i get this in john lewis shops …?
You can’t at the moment becuase it’s a new model. It might be available from John Lewis and other retailers towards the end of the year but, for now, you can only get this direct from Sony.
i am looking for a small compact computor were i can go on facebook and skype do you think this is appropriate…?
yes it’s appropriate but if that’s all you need then you might be better off buying a cheaper netbook from Samsung?
has it got a built in camera and mic aswell as bluetooth
Yes it does. The camera is just above the screen and is a standard 0.3 mega pixels. There is a built in mic just above the keyboard and it has the latest version 2.1 bluetooth.