The case has been modified slightly compared to our last test. This is perhaps a good thing as the device is designed for use on business trips. While the notebook gives an overall high-end impression, hardly anyone would be able to guess the notebook’s exorbitant price simply by looking at the exterior. The exterior is restrained and only a few details, such as the glossy Vaio logo on the display lid and wrist rest, highlight the unobtrusive and potentially boring design. The Vaio SV-13A comes wrapped in dark-gray magnesium and carbon fiber and is a proper metaphor for an affluent business manager in a tailored suit. The Vaio has no competition in this price range and other business notebooks, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1, Dell Latitude E6320 / E6330, and Toshiba Tecra R840, all fall short of the Sony notebook’s combination of high-end hardware. The system is rounded out by an enormous 512 GB flash storage array, a built-in Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Long Term Evolution (LTE) module, a Blu-ray writer, and a matte 13.3-inch screen. The processor is supported by a gigantic 12 GB memory and the Nvidia GeForce GT 640M LE graphics card. The Vaio comes with the fastest Intel dual-core processor, the Core i7-3520M. At this price, one would certainly expect the crème de la crème state-of-the-art hardware and the Vaio SVS-13A1Z9E/S certainly does not disappoint. Our test device, the Sony Vaio SVS-13A1Z9E/S, fits this description and is currently the most expensive notebook Sony has to offer with a price of almost 3000 Euro ($3660).
However, the price quickly soars beyond the entry point when higher configurations are selected. The entry point to this world starts at just over 800 Euro ($975 USD), a lot less than one might normally pay for models from the twice-as-expensive Z series. Famed Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály wrote, “Only the best is good enough.” The Sony Vaio S series of business notebooks is designed specifically for corporate clients who demand this philosophy from their mobile work devices.