Hands-on: Sony’s latest Vaios are convertible PCs done right

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Hands-on: Sony’s latest Vaios are convertible PCs done right

Sony has come a long way since its first convertible PCs.

by Andrew Cunningham - Sept 4 2013, 11:00am PST

• Laptops
• Tablets
• Windows

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I've said it before and I'll say it again: the best convertible PCs are the ones where the "convertible" feature doesn't get in the way. If the big, weird hinge that your laptop uses to turn into a chubby tablet gets in the way of it being a laptop, we're going to have problems.
Sony's original convertible, the Vaio Duo 11, was one of the more awkward ones. It had a relatively thin profile, but its hinge mechanism took up a lot of space and made the keyboard feel cramped (and there wasn't room for a touchpad at all).
At this week's IFA, Sony announced two more convertible PCs, and they show how far the concept has come since the first designs came out last year. The Vaio Flip laptops can turn into tablets, but they focus first and foremost on being good laptops. The Vaio Tap 11, on the other hand, is a Haswell-equipped Surface Pro competitor that can be used as a laptop, but it doesn't let that functionality make the device big or bulky. We spent some hands-on time with both devices last week, and our initial impressions are pretty good.

Laptop first: The Vaio Flip PCs

Enlarge / The Vaio Flip 13 is the smallest member of the family, but it still includes a nice 1080p touchscreen. Note the seam on the back of the lid.

Sony

The Vaio Duo 13 was a nice step forward from the Duo 11, but Sony's Vaio Flip PCs really get it right. If you like the IdeaPad Yoga or Dell XPS 12, you should like these.
In laptop mode, the 13-, 14-, and 15-inch computers look like just that—laptops. All three models come with a bright, colorful 1080p IPS display (with a 2560×1620 option available on the 15-inch model), a full-size keyboard with decent (but not exemplary) travel and a nice standard layout, and a large multitouch trackpad. Flip the switch above the keyboard and push the top of the screen, and it will fold back along the seam on the lid of the laptop. This can then be closed to make a chubby-but-workable tablet (the computers weigh 2.6, 4.2, and 4.6 pounds, respectively).
 Hands-on: Sony’s latest Vaios are convertible PCs done right