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Review of Sony VAIO Pro 13

Review of Sony VAIO Pro 13

Review of Sony VAIO Pro 13
12 July 2013

It’s thin enough to shave with, made from the same carbon fibre found in supercars and wields a stunning 13-inch touchscreen. This is Sony’s VAIO Pro 13 and we might have licked it in a fit of passion.

Ultrabooks are like laptop supermodels: thin, light and portable, with an unfortunate tendency to break if you sit on them. The Pro 13 weighs a worrying “Did I put it in my bag or leave it at home?” 1.15kg – lighter than the amount of cash you have to hand over (from £859) to buy one. Its top edge is so thin we were worried we’d snap it prying it open, but rest assured the carbon fibre can endure your clumsy fingers. The keyboard is beautiful: backlit, responsive and angled to perfection - unlike a supermodel, we were able to live and work with the Pro 13 very happily.

The touchscreen throws out rich colours and deep blacks in full HD, and the additional touch element is no cheap gimmick. Sony’s machine uses the touchy-feely features of Windows 8 perfectly; once you've started flicking through web browsers and documents you’ll wonder how you ever managed with a track pad.

We’ve no idea where the Pro 13 hides its battery, but its “all day” eight hour life span had us impressed. In fact everything about this shiny ultratop had us smitten. We were devastated when the Sony people came to take it away again. It’s not returned any of our calls.

If you’re looking to throw some cash on a go-anywhere-impress-anyone machine, aim it at Sony's VAIO Pro 13.

You can buy one here