MBA 13" vs Sony Vaio Pro 13"

Depends what you are looking for and what you need laptop for

If you need more Windows specific apps and need to work more in windows os then go for sony vaio

I have seen that sony vaio in person too its a lovely machine but it doesnt look durable IMO... What i like about sony vaio is nice screen resolution and that it have a IPS display but i dont like touchscreens on laptops

since you said you are going to college i would recomend you MBA over sony vaio only because of battery life as MBA have better battery life and if you dont mind MBA screen then you are good to go

but in other hand Sony vaio is more expensive than MBA so yet another reason why i would go for MBA over sony vaio

Check this video which breakdowns and compares the 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWkG6wVWGds

If your considering a Mac, OSX should be your prime consideration.

If OSX is not a prime concern and your going to boot camp, your wasting money.


If you want OSX the hard decision is which Mac model to get.

As someone who has owned a few Vaios, they're overpriced and fall apart shortly after purchase.

Don't be lured by their specs as I once was.

Bear in mind this is a forum dedicated to Apple products.
Opinions will be biased.

I do own neither maschine and in fact have never owned an Apple product before.
I am here to inform myself about Macbook Airs as well.

I read a review at notebookcheck.com (German section of http://www.notebookcheck.net/) which said the carbon case of the Vaio flexes a lot.
It influenced the use of the keyboard negatively.
Under load the fan is said to be very noticeably, more so than in the Air.
Also while it offers an i7, do you execute any CPU intensive tasks?, the GPU of the Vaio is weaker than that of the Airs (HD4400 vs HD5000).

On the other hand the IPS panel of the Vaio obviously is better than the TN panel of the Air.
The Pro weights less than the Air and it offers a HDMI port.

NickPhamUK said:

I'm going to college soon, so what should I buy? They are of similar price range.

MBA
1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
Turbo Boost up to 2.6GHz
Intel HD Graphics 5000
4GB memory
128GB SSD

Vaio Pro 13"
1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen display
1.5GHz dual-core Core i7 (Haswell) processor;
4GB RAM;
128GB PCIe SSD drive
1.06 kg
Windows 8 Pro
NFC enabled touchpad

I've seen them in person and they are both quality machines, well the MBA has a stronger iGPU, and nearly twice longer battery life (with similar usage), but the Vaio has a better screen, a little stronger CPU, a touch screen and is lighter and smaller. I'm used to both Mac OS and Windows.

Although this is a Mac forum, I hope you folks could give me the most non-biased opinions possible. Many thanks.

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go for the Vaio - much better value for money and of course you get all that free software, together with malware, virus, and bloatware included for free

Get the Vaio.

- IPS Display is gorgeous
- HDMI Port
- Carbon Fiber (It can take a beating)

I would have got the Vaio Pro if I wasn't going to learn iOS Development.

Louis XIV said:

On the other hand the IPS panel of the Vaio obviously is better than the TN panel of the Air.
The Pro weights less than the Air and it offers a HDMI port.

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The colors on the MBA are amazing. They pop out way more than anything I've ever used. Even though it is not retina it is the second best screen in the industry.

beautifulcoder said:

The colors on the MBA are amazing. They pop out way more than anything I've ever used. Even though it is not retina it is the second best screen in the industry.

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Hmmm, I don't think you will find many people agreeing with you.

I am also choosing between a MBA or the Vaio Pro/ Vaio Duo 13 inch as my next upgrade from a 2011 MBA. The screen of the MBA is the only negative compared to the Vaios for me. I'll probably wait for the Haswell MBP Retina and see what that offers.

beautifulcoder said:

The colors on the MBA are amazing. They pop out way more than anything I've ever used. Even though it is not retina it is the second best screen in the industry.

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Sorry bud, the screen on the air is downright atrocious for the money you pay. Cheapo TN panel no different to those used on $400 Acer notebooks. The colors don't pop at you, they wash out unless you are looking directly at the screen on eye level because the viewing angles are really bad.

Just for the better screen alone I'd take the Sony. The MBA has a downright bad screen.

Thank god they didn't put a touch screen on my Air.

The touchpad works brilliantly. I don't need nor want to keep poking my laptop screen. I have a dedicated touch device in my iPad Retina 64GB 3G.

If you will bootcamp the macbook air and use windows a lot (like most of the time) then just get the Sony.

If you want a Mac, and want to use OSX then get the Mac.

If you're going to go Windows, I would look at comparable models from Lenovo or Toshiba. Sony Vaios are way overpriced for what they deliver, and their durability isn't nearly as good as they're hyped up to be.

People keep bitching about the macbook air screens but it looks fine to me, and to almost everyone I know. Maybe I just haven't used a computer with a really amazing screen and thats why but I have 0 issues with it.

axi0m said:

Just for the better screen alone I'd take the Sony. The MBA has a downright bad screen.

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I beg to differ on the screen. Think the screen is nice, once adjusted. Colors are crisp, and sharp. Watch streaming Netflix movies and have enjoyed my 13" Air for 10 hours or more each day!!

NickPhamUK said:

He says it is bad compared to the Sony Vaio Pro. 1440x900 vs Full HD 1920x1080 on the same 13" screen, one does not need to be a CNET staff to understand which is apparently better.

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1080p does not make things better, it just makes things small.

JollyJoeJoe said:

Cheapo TN panel no different to those used on $400 Acer notebooks. The colors don't pop at you, they wash out unless you are looking directly at the screen on eye level because the viewing angles are really bad.

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Well, it is not IPS but the viewing angles are excellent on the MBA (surely, I own one). Not sure what Apple is doing here but my MBA has much better colors than a "top of the line" Dell and HP monitor. I actually experience eye strain with these crappy monitors and the colors suck but that could just be crappy Windows. I also use a T420 with the best screen money can buy and a graphics card, it is pure cosmic suck compared to the MBA. Can't comment on Vaio but then who buys Sony these days, I hear the company is in really bad shape.

beautifulcoder said:

1080p does not make things better, it just makes things small.



Well, it is not IPS but the viewing angles are excellent on the MBA (surely, I own one). Not sure what Apple is doing here but my MBA has much better colors than a "top of the line" Dell and HP monitor. I actually experience eye strain with these crappy monitors and the colors suck but that could just be crappy Windows. I also use a T420 with the best screen money can buy and a graphics card, it is pure cosmic suck compared to the MBA. Can't comment on Vaio but then who buys Sony these days, I hear the company is in really bad shape.

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What? Have you heard of the PS4?

If your buying a windows laptop, get the Lenovo X1 Carbon for 1,384.65
Better than the Sony, Asus, or Samsung.
I would wait for Lenovo to start making Haswell laptops first. Worth the wait over the other windows choices.

Personally I reccomend the Mac Air over the Lenovo. That's what I ended up with.

beautifulcoder said:

1080p does not make things better, it just makes things small.



Well, it is not IPS but the viewing angles are excellent on the MBA (surely, I own one). Not sure what Apple is doing here but my MBA has much better colors than a "top of the line" Dell and HP monitor. I actually experience eye strain with these crappy monitors and the colors suck but that could just be crappy Windows. I also use a T420 with the best screen money can buy and a graphics card, it is pure cosmic suck compared to the MBA. Can't comment on Vaio but then who buys Sony these days, I hear the company is in really bad shape.

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Eye strain is a different matter altogether. It often has little to do with the colors/contrast or viewing angles. A lot more important is whether the screen is glossy or matte, how it reflect/deflects light and the brightness levels, I for one find glossy screens like that on the Air easier for the eyes.

That being said you sound like an avid Apple fan with little objectivity in the way: "crappy Windows", "who buys Sony". I am discussing the quality of the screen panel that is all. And you absolutely can't compare a TN panel to an IPS, and a bad TN panel is obvious and I am sorry to say but the Air has a bad TN panel. I have perfect vision and don't need someone on a forum telling me how much better the screen on their air compared to some top of the range 1080P+ IPS panels that some PC's now sport, that's delusional ! I come up to a bunch of MacBook Air's in the store and they're all washed if I move my head away a tad too many degrees off the center point along any axis, the text is fuzzy and not crisp, the colors/contrast so so. And these are not some subjectively perceivable differences, they are in your face literally.

Get the MBA. Sony is a crap company and they make crap products.

.eric said:

Get the MBA. Sony is a crap company and they make crap products.

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Actually Sony is not a crap i do own apple products but in fact Sony does make nice products and they are also innovative same as apple i have at home iPhone 5 and Sony Xperia Z and I like Sony Xperia Z a lot more than iPhone 5 now i know everyone is going to Boo at me but i don't like fanboys people need to be realistic... Unless you are working for Apple

Sony Vaio Pro 13 is a nice product and it have better screen than MBA and better screen resolution... And Apple since rMBP line started to make laptops with a IPS screen and if Apple didnt make a IPS screen laptop i wouldnt buy rMBP 15"... Also I took a risk buying rMBP 15" because there are many reports of IR on rMBP and other flaws so i guess you could call Apple a crapple crap company... and does that make Apple a crap company because of some flaws they had? I guess not, because all companies have good production and bad production and nothing is perfect and besides no company is a chairity organisation they are here to earn (take) money from us

Memole said:

Actually Sony is not a crap i do own apple products but in fact Sony does make nice products and they are also innovative same as apple i have at home iPhone 5 and Sony Xperia Z and I like Sony Xperia Z a lot more than iPhone 5 now i know everyone is going to Boo at me but i don't like fanboys people need to be realistic... Unless you are working for Apple

Sony Vaio Pro 13 is a nice product and it have better screen than MBA and better screen resolution... And Apple since rMBP line started to make laptops with a IPS screen and if Apple didnt make a IPS screen laptop i wouldnt buy rMBP 15"... Also I took a risk buying rMBP 15" because there are many reports of IR on rMBP and other flaws so i guess you could call Apple a crapple crap company... and does that make Apple a crap company because of some flaws they had? I guess not, because all companies have good production and bad production and nothing is perfect and besides no company is a chairity organisation they are here to earn (take) money from us

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I agree, Sony makes great quality lcd panels.

Are we talking about computers or home entertainment systems ?

Computer wise Apple or Lenovo is the way to go.

For a nice movie experience a Sony panel is a great choice. I know because I own one.