Sony Vaio SVS1511AGXB

Sony Vaio S Series SVS1511AGXB review

Sony has cut down on the number of different laptop lines it offers, but you're still left with the Vaio E, S, T, and Z series. Of those, the Vaio S is probably the most universally useful, combining sharp, high-end design with powerful components, a decent set of configuration options, and both 13 and 15-inch screens. High prices also go along with that, especially compared to the more budget-friendly Vaio E series. This $1,349 15-inch Vaio S could position itself as an alternative to more expensive premium midsize laptops, such as the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. It's nearly identical, componentwise, to Dell's updated XPS 15, another fairly thin 15-inch laptop, but that model can cost as much as $1,699. The Vaio S series certainly has a lot of what we look for in a high-end laptop. Full 1080p display, Blu-ray drive, discrete graphics, plus something you rarely see on a consumer laptop, a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip, something you likely won't need, but your IT department might. Sony also packs in some extra value with a decent free software package, including Vegas, Acid, and Soundforge -- all Sony-owned apps that are used for pro-level multimedia production (I've used Acid and Soundforge many times over the years). As I've come to expect from Sony, this is an excellent multimedia package that can also handle some midlevel gaming. It's a show-off laptop for the coffee shop or office, but at more than $1,300, it's a sizable investment as well.