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MBA 11 vs Vaio Pro 11

B

bubulol

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 7, 2013
967
274
Hey, ive been thinking buying MBA as main computer in previous thread
and now i realized all these tiny laptop could be powerful enough.
vaio pro also caught my eyes.
its sightly thinner and lighter, better screen overall, full HD but it has average battery life and wifi issue according some sources

which one should i buy?

thanks
 
At times, some of Sony's high end laptops seem to be some of the most mac-like alternatives in the Windows world. Thank you Sony! Competition is good.

But I would buy the mac without hesitation. Two reasons: (1) wannabe mac high end Windows laptops generally fail to offer similar battery life, (2) resale.
 
I had the previous two generations of Sony Laptops. Both 13 inch. I can say the MAC is better. I don't like all the crap sony installs in windows that you can't uninstall second I don't like windows 8. The build quality wasn't good either.
 
Vaio pros are good laptops, but they are worse than the mac in terms of performance and battery life.
 
Not crazy about VAIO's diamond/pyramid shape.

If you never owned a Macbook, strongly suggest playing with one and feel the very responsive trackpad.
 
The Vaio Pro 11 is not just "slightly" lighter than the MBA 11:
- The Pro 13, with touchscreen, is virtually the same weight as the MBA 11.
- The Pro 11, with touchscreen, is IIRC about 10 ounces lighter than the MBA 11.
- The Pro 11, if you can get it without touch, is about another 3 ounces lighter.

That for me is by far the biggest selling point of the Pro 11 - a fairly capable, usable laptop that's possibly lighter than a new iPad Air & an Apple BTKB combined (older iPads are of course heavier), but with the full "desktop" OS can do so much more than an iOS/Android tablet.

If you're in a position where you don't "get"/don't care about such a weight gap, then you're probably not the crowd Sony's targeting, and you can check out plenty of other options (e.g. Lenovo always likes to build heavier systems than everyone else, complete with the benefit that brings.)

Few people realize that across the board, Apple's the indisputable king of battery life in consumer electronics right now, in a world where people no longer get thrilled at such claims. This is also very much the case for the MBA - great battery life out of technically the same config as everyone else. Sony and other Japanese manufacturers, in spite of having 15+ years of experience squeezing battery life out of the parts of subnotebooks they create, are ultimately at the mercy of Intel on this matter.

So I guess the decision is very much about battery life versus weight. Sony sells an external battery for both Pros that would bump their weight to MBA-levels, but that's an extra investment some might find absurd (i.e. why did I want such a svelte laptop in the first place, anyway?).

I've seen the Vaio Pro 11 and 13 in person, and they're by far Sony's best laptop effort in years. Last few years' models have clearly been built to a cost and often look/feel unreasonably cheap for their price points, but this is not the case for the Pro. If you're at all infatuated with what Sony brings to the table, I think this would be a good year to take the plunge.
 
Last edited:
sl0uch said:
The Vaio Pro 11 is not just "slightly" lighter than the MBA 11:
- The Pro 13, with touchscreen, is virtually the same weight as the MBA 11.
- The Pro 11, with touchscreen, is IIRC about 10 ounces lighter than the MBA 11.
- The Pro 11, if you can get it without touch, is about another 3 ounces lighter.

That for me is by far the biggest selling point of the Pro 11 - a fairly capable, usable laptop that's possibly lighter than a new iPad Air & an Apple BTKB combined (older iPads are of course heavier), but with the full "desktop" OS can do so much more than an iOS/Android tablet.

If you're in a position where you don't "get"/don't care about such a weight gap, then you're probably not the crowd Sony's targeting, and you can check out plenty of other options (e.g. Lenovo always likes to build heavier systems than everyone else, complete with the benefit that brings.)

Few people realize that across the board, Apple's the indisputable king of battery life in consumer electronics right now, in a world where people no longer get thrilled at such claims. This is also very much the case for the MBA - great battery life out of technically the same config as everyone else. Sony and other Japanese manufacturers, in spite of having 15+ years of experience squeezing battery life out of the parts of subnotebooks they create, are ultimately at the mercy of Intel on this matter.

So I guess the decision is very much about battery life versus weight. Sony sells an external battery for both Pros that would bump their weight to MBA-levels, but that's an extra investment some might find absurd (i.e. why did I want such a svelte laptop in the first place, anyway?).

I've seen the Vaio Pro 11 and 13 in person, and they're by far Sony's best laptop effort in years. Last few years' models have clearly been built to a cost and often look/feel unreasonably cheap for their price points, but this is not the case for the Pro. If you're at all infatuated with what Sony brings to the table, I think this would be a good year to take the plunge.
Click to expand...

Personally I think that the weight difference doesn't make up for the loss of battery life. And to add to your comment, it's not Intel that is causing the problem -- that's Windows (the CPU is the same as in the Airs, but Windows cannot manage power as well as OSX - search the forums for more than a few threads on this).

In addition, there's build quality (the Pro feels cheap comparatively, and the keyboard has a VERY bad feeling to it -- but I'm obviously biased on this, coming from a long Air tradition), and resale value.

And obviously... you get only Windows on it, which is a big deal if you've been using OSX for any amount of time.
 
MacSignal said:
But I would buy the mac without hesitation. Two reasons: (1) wannabe mac high end Windows laptops generally fail to offer similar battery life, (2) resale.
Click to expand...

(3) Mac OS X

Really that should be the deciding factor. The hardware rarely matters, the end experience through the OS is what you'll really be dealing with from day to day. If you prefer Windows, go with the Sony. If not then I don't even see how a Sony, as nice as the hardware is, is even a consideration.
 
bubulol said:
Hey, ive been thinking buying MBA as main computer in previous thread
and now i realized all these tiny laptop could be powerful enough.
vaio pro also caught my eyes.
its sightly thinner and lighter, better screen overall, full HD but it has average battery life and wifi issue according some sources

which one should i buy?

thanks
Click to expand...

OS X or Windows should be the major factor.

Lenovo and Samsung have better Windows ultrabooks than Sony's Vaio Pro series. Vaio Pro received many bad reviews: high heat and fan noise, very weak Wi-Fi, too much flex, relatively short battery life. The only advantages are being thinner and lighter.
 
I've played around with the 13" Pro. The fan noise, heat, and Windows 8 experience makes it less appealing than the MBA in my opinion. It also just doesn't feel as "solid".
 
I have yet to see a windows laptop come close to Mac without a slice battery. Windows is not optimized for battery life like osx is. I would seriously rather have something that had four hours more battery life then being twenty ounces lighter which you would barely notice anyway.
 
Sony Vaio Pro 11 - 1.92lbs
MacBook Air 11 - 2.38lbs

Why is this such a huge deal to some people? It's less than half a pound! Are people becoming weaker nowadays, how light do you need your notebook to be?? :eek:
 
Actually, it's remarkable that Sony can make Pro 11 so light. Sony has different priority in design.

But for me, no, not at the cost of having fan noise, a weak body, short battery life and the other trade-offs (and assume I can ignore the OS difference). Those are just too much.

cedwhatev said:
Sony Vaio Pro 11 - 1.92lbs
MacBook Air 11 - 2.38lbs

Why is this such a huge deal to some people? It's less than half a pound! Are people becoming weaker nowadays, how light do you need your notebook to be?? :eek:
Click to expand...
 
cedwhatev said:
Sony Vaio Pro 11 - 1.92lbs
MacBook Air 11 - 2.38lbs

Why is this such a huge deal to some people? It's less than half a pound! Are people becoming weaker nowadays, how light do you need your notebook to be?? :eek:
Click to expand...

Well, for me a similar difference was one of the key reasons for choosing the MBA over a Haswell rMBP 13".

Still, when we're talking 2.38lbs already, then I agree that it becomes less of a variable in the equation.
 
If you're going to run Windows primarily, the Vaio is your better bet. If you really like OS X, and you're going to use that a lot, get the MBA. Apple supplies crap drivers for their Windows users.
 
bubulol said:
Vaio Pro has real wifi issue
what about MBA then?
Click to expand...

There is a murmur of Air 2013 WIFI issues, but I will let you use the SEARCH button to read all relevant posts.

I think most people here will tell you WIFI probs are anecdotal evidence, worthy to keep an eye out but should not stop you from purchasing.
 
I never understand questions like these. Which should you buy? How is someone else going to know what "you" should buy? You should want whatever platform better suites your personal needs. Everyone will have a different opinion, the only one that matters is yours. The Bottom line is the MBA can run OSX and Windows 8.1. You can have your cake and eat it too. I see no reason to get the Sony unless you don't like OSX. Good Luck.
 
It's more than just battery life. The MBA has an excellent track pad, keyboard, and what I love the most is that the fans are basically inaudible during any kind of use except gaming. I never used a Windows laptop that could offer that experience, the fans would turn on constantly even when doing nothing.

It ultimately comes down to OS X or Windows though. To me OS X is so much better on every level except gaming (it can still play games but the selection is fa fewer). I can't stand to use a machine without smooth scrolling, multiple desktops, and gestures anymore. Just so awkward and inefficient.
 
If you're married to Windows, then definitely get a Windows laptop. Though personally, even when I preferred windows way back when, I wasn't a fan of Sony's bloatware, or their penchant for plastic.

If you're fine with OS X though, or are willing to go to a new OS, get the Air.
 
A half pound weight difference is a very different matter for someone who lives in the suburbs and drives everywhere and the farthest they have to carry anything is from the building to the car than it is for someone who has to carry everything they need for the day with them, walk, bike, and possibly not get a seat on the train for their whole commute.

Everyone has a different life and different priorities.

For me the weight is not quite enough to make up for not being an MBA but boy would I love it if the MBA got even lighter.
 
Tfb said:
For me the weight is not quite enough to make up for not being an MBA but boy would I love it if the MBA got even lighter.
Click to expand...

There is a thread somewhere in here somebody complained the Air is too light. While sitting on a park bench, a gust of wind almost took his Air airborn! So sometimes, the Dimisnishing Return rule kicks in. Reason why, IMO the 2.5" floppy (giving my age away) never made it.
 
cedwhatev said:
Sony Vaio Pro 11 - 1.92lbs
MacBook Air 11 - 2.38lbs

Why is this such a huge deal to some people? It's less than half a pound! Are people becoming weaker nowadays, how light do you need your notebook to be?? :eek:
Click to expand...

as light as practically possible?
 
I know it's a different type of laptop, but why not the Lenovo X230 or 240 if you're looking for a windows laptop. I've just always questioned Sony's hardware quality.
 
poor resolution while vaio pro has full hd
no ssd, no haswell
weight, 3100 lbs

trust me, i owned thinkpad in the past, loved it but vaio pro is only one that we can compare to the macbook air
 
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