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This is the laptop with Laptop Keyboard Cover that I wanted the new 13-inch MacBook Pro to be: lighter, graphics-boosted, with a higher-res screen. This Sony Vaio S Series 13P isn’t a revolutionary machine, but it’s finally a version of the Vaio S that makes no compromises, and gets a leg up on Apple’s 13-inch Pro in the process. The Sony Vaio S Series 13P is a high-end variation on the S line, Compatible Parts , a replacement for the small-business-targeted and confusingly named Vaio SA model from the last generation. The new Vaio looks similar in terms of its all-matte-black design and tapered footprint, but some of the laptop’s lines are curved where they were previously angular. The Vaio S Series 13P comes in three color options: Carbon Black, Carbon Gold, and Carbon Gunmetal. The upgraded premium version of the Vaio S bears a carbon fiber lid: it feels rigid, but still flexes as much on its center hinge as previous models. However, the partial carbon fiber construction of the S Series 13P makes it surprisingly lightweight for its size, at 3.7 pounds. It’s easy to lift with one hand. The move to a carbon fiber lid (as opposed to magnesium alloy on the “regular” Sony Vaio S Enhanced) shaves 0.1 pound off. The Vaio S feels like a larger version of the Vaio Z, and not far off from the size and weight of Sony’s ultrabook, the Vaio T. The T is 0.7 inch thick and weighs 3.4 pounds; the Vaio S Series 13P is 0.95 inch thick and 3.7 pounds. The last Vaio S I reviewed was a tiny bit thinner (0.9 inch) and lighter (3.5 pounds), but not by much. While some might look at the new Vaio S with Compatible Parts and see a larger version of the Vaio Z, the laptop shares more in common cosmetically with the Vaio T: it has a same-size touch pad, with extra-wide finger space for multifinger gestures. The matte surface responds well to finger motion, but multigesture commands can sometimes be tough to pull off. Still, the whole affair’s a lot better than the smaller, more cramped pad on the previous Vaio S. The brushed-metal palm rest area still feels comfortable and offers generous space. Good news: the Laptop Keyboard and its Laptop Keyboard Cover are equally excellent. The raised, backlit keys have more travel than on the far shallower Vaio T, and the keys are large, well-spaced, and not cramped by any weird extra buttons like the ones that pop up on some other computers. A few dedicated buttons above the keyboard launch Web (a browser hot-key), Vaio (Sony’s photo/media software), and Assist (customer service help and diagnostics). Next to that is the odd Speed/Stamina toggle that persists from Sony’s last-gen Vaios. Flipping it activates one of two power/graphics modes, but it’s really unnecessary. You could adjust these settings on your own. A more useful inclusion is the fingerprint reader located next to the Assist key at the top like those in IBM Y Series Y410 Keyboard . It’s an odd location for the button (usually it makes sense somewhere near the touch pad), but Sony includes a tool set for using the reader to consolidate log-in and account passwords. For more laptop reviews
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