Sony has a pretty nicely stacked VAIO range targeting consumers from sub-30k range to a high-end one. The VAIO T sits in between the two extremes and offers the much needed portability and stylish Sony looks. But is it worth it? We take a look.
Design:
There’s no denying that Sony VAIO laptops are known for its looks and the VAIO T is no exception. The notebook is attractive, thanks to its chrome sides and brushed aluminum finish. Looks are nothing if the build quality isn’t great and I’m happy to report the VAIO T is a sturdy computer. Long story short, the notebook oozes premium-ness. As for the port placements, there is one HDMI and VGA port, headphone jack, Ethernet port and a memory card slot on the right hand side whereas the left hand side is reserved for the charging port, vent to exhaust air and two USB ports with USB charging function.
Speaking of the dimensions, the VAIO T measures 297.0 x 17.8 x 214.5 mm and weighs just under 1.45kg, which is fairly decent.
Display:
VAIO T comes in two display options – 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch. The one we’re reviewing today is the 11-incher that supports a resolution of 1366×768. The display is LED backlit and is pretty decent with good color reproduction and viewing angle. However, one issue I had was not with the display but the bezel. The bezel around the display is too much, which I feel could easily integrate another inch of display, even keeping the webcam intact. Agreed, it must be purely a design decision but who doesn’t like to work with a larger display in a compact chassis?
Performance and Software:
The notebook is powered by Intel’s Core i5 1.70GHz processor with 4GB RAM and integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics. This VAIO T is more than enough for most of our operations like surfing the web, watching HD videos or doing a medium-intensive task on Photoshop or editing a video.
It comes with an 83-key chiclet-styled keyboard, which is really comfortable to type on. Disappointingly, there’s no LED backlight for the keys. Trackpad supports multi-touch gestures that allows users to pinch and zoom, scroll webpages etc.
VAIO T comes pre-installed with Windows 7 and features a number of software from Sony. The installed apps include VAIO Control Center, VAIO Gate, VAIO Gesture Control, Remote Play with PlayStation3, Evernote for VAIO and though they’re unobtrusive, some power users may loathe the inclusion of such “bloatware.” However, for the majority of the users out there, these apps will enhance the usability of the laptop with easy and streamlined UI.
The laptop also comes with the trial version of Intel Anti-theft service, Trend Micro antivirus and Rapid Wake + Eco for quick wake from the sleep.
Battery Life:
Sony rates VAIO T battery life to last up to 4.5 hours with the bundled battery. And in our tests, the runtime was close enough to last up to 4 hours with moderate usage or last under 4 hours when doing processor hungry tasks.
Wrap Up:
VAIO T may disappoint you if you’re looking for something to have a good battery life but apart from that, it is a formidable compact notebook that is packed with a good design and potent hardware. Sony VAIO T 11 retails for Rs. 49,990.
Rating: 
Pros: Design, Hardware
Cons: Battery Life
Leave a Reply