Sony Vaio S series

Last updated August 27, 2024

The Vaio ^[1]S series^[2] was a line of notebook computers from Sony introduced in summer 2004. They have been touted as business laptops, and their designs have focused on being thin and light. They also have features friendly to businesspeople, such as TPM chips, matte (anti-glare) displays, RAID SSDs, and extended sheet batteries, as well as continuing to include RJ-45 and VGA (D-Sub) connections.

2010

Sony introduced the VAIO S series in January 2010 to replace the SR series. The aspect ratio of the display was changed to 16:9 (1600x900) from the older 16:10 (1280x800). The CPU was upgraded from Intel's Core2 Duo to Intel's First-Generation Core i3/i5, and the system RAM was updated to DDR3. The graphics options were either the CPU-integrated Intel GMA HD Graphics or a discrete NVIDIA GeForce 310M. As with the SR, the S offered an optional Blu-ray Disc drive. Unlike the SR, the new VAIO S Series had a mini-PCI slot that allowed for an optional internal WWAN (mobile broadband) adapter. The keyboard was also redesigned with new backlit chiclet (island-style) keys.

2011: The SA/SB/SC/SE series

The VAIO SA/SB/SC series was released in February 2011. It once again featured a 13.3-inch screen with a matte anti-glare finish, with a native 16:9 aspect ratio and maximum resolution of either 1366×768 or 1600×900. It was notably thinner and lighter than its predecessor, weighing just under 4 lbs (half a pound lighter) and 0.95" thick (1/4" thinner). It also had a completely redesigned chassis, replacing the large rounded hinge with a sleek and angular design, featuring chrome accents on the hinge and VAIO logo. The processors were updated to Second-Generation Intel Core i5 and i7 CPUs, and the graphic options were either AMD Radeon HD 6470M (512 MB DDR3) or 6630M (1 GB DDR3). The laptop also featured a physical switch that could disable or enable the discrete graphics card at will and make the computer use the integrated processor GPU to increase battery life. It had 4 GB of DDR3-1333 memory soldered to the motherboard, and one open RAM slot which was customer-accessible and supported an additional 4 GB of RAM. It also features a sheet battery that increases the battery life to 15 hours. The 3rd VAIO S Series was the first VAIO with a non-removable battery.

Reviewers noted that the display felt quite flimsy, and that applying everyday amounts of torque, such as opening the display from one corner, would result in noticeable bending. Sony responded that this was by design, saying that under torque it would bend rather than break.^{[ citation needed ]}

In August 2011, Sony introduced the SE model as a larger variant of the existing S Series notebook. It featured a larger 15.5-inch IPS panel with a native resolution of 1920×1080, and a full number pad was added to the keyboard. Its hardware was otherwise identical to the 13.3" S Series, with an optional Blu-ray Disc drive and up to an Intel Core i7-2640M CPU and AMD Radeon HD 6630M GPU.

2011 Series SATA 6 Gbps controversy

The early release of SA/SB/SC had chipset support for SATA 6 Gbit/s, useful for fast speeds in solid state drive. In late 2011, Sony released a BIOS update which disabled SATA 6 Gbit/s speeds (thereafter capped at 3 Gbit/s) for no apparent reason, and without notifying users in the update changelog. A hacked BIOS was subsequently created and spread via the internet which re-enabled SATA 6 Gbit/s speeds.^{[ citation needed ]}

2012

Another refresh of the VAIO S Series lineup was released in the spring of 2012, coinciding with the launch of Intel's 22 nm Ivy Bridge processors, the 3rd Generation Core i3/i5/i7 processors. The number of models were consolidated to only three versions: S13, S15, and S13 Premium. The S13 followed the basic model of the previous generation with a 13.3" screen at a native resolution of 1366x768, and retained the same overall angular design and backlit chiclet keyboard. From a physical standpoint the most major change was that the touchpad was changed to a "clickpad" and the dedicated buttons were removed. It weighed 3.8 lbs and was 0.95" thick. Most of the changes from the last generation of VAIO S laptops were update hardware. It featured dual-core 3rd Generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors. For the graphics options, Sony switched from AMD back to NVIDIA with the GeForce GT 640M LE with 1 GB DDR3 dedicated video RAM. NVIDIA's Optimus technology allowed the laptop to conserve battery life by switching from the discrete GPU and the low-power Intel HD Graphics 4000 chip integrated in the CPU when high-powered graphics were not required. Like the 13.3" S notebook before it, it had 4 GB of RAM soldered to the board, and 0, 2 GB, or 4 GB of removable memory in a user-accessible memory slot. It also had an optional internal Blu-ray reader or burner available, as well as a sheet battery for additional power.

The S13 Premium was constructed of carbon fiber (as opposed to the magnesium casing of the standard S13) and as such was slightly thinner (0.90") and lighter (3.69 lbs). It also featured a higher resolution 1600x900 display that was not available on the standard S13, and an option to upgrade to 2 GB of dedicated video RAM instead of 1 GB.

The S15 was the larger variant in the 4th VAIO S Series, with (like its predecessor, the SE) a 15.5" IPS Panel with a matte finish and a 1920x1080 native resolution. Also as with the SE before it, its additional size let it fit a full number pad in the keyboard as well as a 3.5mm microphone jack; both S13 models have only a headphone jack. It was upgradable to the quad-core Core i7-3612QM CPU, which was not available on either of the 13.3" models, and the first quad-core processor in the S Series. The graphics card was the same GeForce GT 640M LE found in the 13.3" models, and like the S13 Premium, the S15 had an option to upgrade to 2 GB of dedicated video RAM. The S15 was remarkably slim for its size, weighing only 4.42 lbs and keeping the 0.95" thickness of the standard S13 model. There was no carbon fiber variant of the S15.

In October 2012, VAIO had a small refresh for the release of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system. The quad-core Intel Core i7-3612QM processor that was available in the S15 was swapped for its updated replacement, the Core i7-3632QM. There were no other hardware changes, however Sony did reorganize their available configurations, slashing hardware upgrade prices and making the 1600x900 resolution display available as an upgrade on the non-premium S13.

In addition, they added new colors (Pink and Red) to the existing options of Black, White, Silver for the standard S13. These colors were not added to the S15 options, which remained Black, White, and Silver. The S13 Premium color options (Carbon Fiber Black, Carbon Fiber Gunmetal, and Carbon Fiber Gold) likewise were not changed.

2013 discontinuation

On August 26, 2013, the Sony Vaio S Series was removed from the Sony Shop, as it has been dropped from their line of laptop computers. The Sony Outlet will continue to carry refurbished models including the S, E and T series.

On June 27, 2014, the VAIO name was sold by Sony. The Sony Outlet no longer sells VAIO.

Technical specifications

	Discontinued

Table of models
Model	Early 2010	Early 2011	Early 2012	Late 2012
Model number(s)	VPCS117GG	VPCSA190X CTO, VPCSA2GX/BI, VPCSA2BGX/BI, VPCSA290X CTO, VPCSA390X CTO, VPCSA490X CTO (Incomplete List)	SVS13112FXS, SVS1311AGXB, SVS13A1EGXB, SVS131190X Standard	SVS13122CX, SVS13127PXB, SVS13A2APXS, SVS131290X Standard, SVS131290X Premium, SVS131290X Premium Plus
Model number(s)	—	VPCSE190X CTO, VPCSE290X CTO	SVS1511AGXB, SVS1511BFXB, SVS151190X Standard	SVS15125CXW, SVS1512DCXB, SVS1512EPXB, SVS1512GPXB, SVS151290X Enhanced, SVS151290X Performance
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit			Microsoft Windows 8 64-bit
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit			Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 64-bit
LED-Backlit Display	13.3" (1366×768) 16:9
	—	13.3" (1600×900) 16:9 Matte (SA)	13.3" (1600×900) 16:9 Matte (S13 Premium)	13.3" (1600×900) 16:9 Matte (S13 and S13 Premium)
	—	15.5" (1920×1080) 16:9 Matte IPS (SE)	15.5" (1920×1080) 16:9 Matte IPS (S15)
Webcam/Microphone	Integrated 1.3MP Webcam and Microphone
Central Processor	Intel Core i3-330M [Dual-Core 2.13 GHz] Intel Core i5-430M [Dual Core 2.26 GHz] Intel Core i5-520M [Dual-Core 2.4 GHz]	Intel Core i5-2410M [Dual-Core 2.3 GHz] (SA1, SA2) Intel Core i5-2430M [Dual-Core 2.4 GHz] (SA3, SE1) Intel Core i5-2450M [Dual-Core 2.5 GHz] (SA4, SE2) Intel Core i5-2520M [Dual-Core 2.5 GHz] (SA2) Intel Core i5-2540M [Dual-Core 2.6 GHz] (SA4, SE2) Intel Core i7-2620M [Dual-Core 2.7 GHz] (SA1, SA2) Intel Core i7-2640M [Dual-Core 2.8 GHz] (SA3, SA4, SE1, SE2)	Intel Core i5-3210M [Dual-Core 2.5 GHz] (S13, S15) Intel Core i5-3320M [Dual-Core 2.6 GHz] (S13, S15) Intel Core i7-3520M [Dual-Core 2.9 GHz] (S13, S15) Intel Core i7-3612QM [Quad-Core 2.1 GHz] (S15)	Intel Core i5-3210M [Dual-Core 2.5 GHz] (S13, S15) Intel Core i5-3320M [Dual-Core 2.6 GHz] (S13, S15) Intel Core i7-3520M [Dual-Core 2.9 GHz] (S13, S15) Intel Core i7-3632QM [Quad-Core 2.2 GHz] (S15)
Random Access Memory	4GB DDR3 1066	4GB Soldered + Open RAM Slot DDR3 1333 4 GB Soldered + 2 GB Removable DDR3 1333 4 GB Soldered + 4 GB Removable DDR3 1333 4 GB Soldered + 8 GB Removable DDR3 1333
Graphics Processor	Intel GMA HD Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 3000	Intel HD Graphics 4000
Graphics Processor	NVIDIA GeForce 310M [512 MB DDR3]	AMD Radeon HD 6470M [512 MB DDR3] AMD Radeon HD 6630M [1 GB DDR3]	NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE [1 GB DDR3] NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE [2 GB DDR3] (S13 Premium and S15 Only)
Data Storage	Serial ATA 3 Gbit/s	Serial ATA 6 Gbit/s
	320GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 500 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive	320GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 500 GB 7200RPM Hard Drive 750 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 128 GB SSD 256 GB [2x128 GB] SSD RAID 0 512 GB [2x256 GB] SSD RAID 0	320GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 500 GB 7200RPM Hard Drive 640 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 640 GB 7200RPM Hard Drive 750 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 1000 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive	500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive 750 GB 7200RPM Hard Drive 1000 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 128 GB [2x64 GB] SSD RAID 0 256 GB [2x128 GB] SSD RAID 0 512 GB [2x256 GB] SSD RAID 0
	—	500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive 750 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 256 GB [2x128 GB] SSD RAID 0 512 GB [2x256 GB] SSD RAID 0 1024 GB [2x512 GB] SSD RAID 0	500GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 500 GB 7200RPM Hard Drive 640 GB 7200RPM Hard Drive 1000 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 128 GB [2x64 GB] SSD RAID 0 256 GB [2x128 GB] SSD RAID 0 512 GB [2x256 GB] SSD RAID 0	750GB 7200RPM Hard Drive 1000 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 128 GB [2x64 GB] SSD RAID 0 256 GB [2x128 GB] SSD RAID 0 512 GB [2x256 GB] SSD RAID 0
Optical Disc Drive	Internal DVD Burner
	Internal Blu-ray Disc Combo Drive (Reads Blu-ray and Burns DVD)
	Internal Blu-ray Disc Burner
Internal Wireless Adapter	Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n Internal Wi-Fi Adapter	Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n Internal Wi-Fi Adapter
Peripheral Connections	SD card slot Memory Stick Duo Slot
	3x USB 2.0	2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0	1x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0
	VGA (D-Sub) Out HDMI Out
	RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm Headphone/Audio Out, 3.5mm Microphone/Audio In
Battery	4800mAh Internal Lithium-Ion Battery	4400mAh Internal Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery
Battery	—	4400mAh Lithium-Ion Polymer Removable Sheet Battery
Weight	4.3 lbs (1.95 kg)	3.6 lbs (1.63 kg) (SA)	3.8 lbs (1.72 kg) (S13) 3.69 lbs (1.67 kg) (S13 Premium)
Weight	—	4.4 lbs (2.0 kg) (SE, S15)
Dimensions	13" Wide × 9" Deep × 1.2" Thick (33.02 cm × 22.86 cm × 3.05 cm)	13.04" Wide × 8.84" Deep × 0.92" Thick (33.12 cm × 22.48 cm × 2.34 cm) (SA)	13.04" Wide × 8.85" Deep × 0.95" Thick (33.12 cm × 22.48 cm × 2.41 cm) (S13) " × " × 0.90" (2.29 cm) Thick (S13 Premium)
Dimensions	—	14.9" Wide × 10.1" Deep × 0.9" Thick (37.85 cm × 25.65 cm × 2.29 cm) (SE)	14.97" (38 cm) Wide × 10.06" (25.55 cm) Deep × 0.95" (2.41 cm) Thick (38 cm × 25.55 cm × 2.41 cm) (S15)
Model	Early 2010	Early 2011	Early 2012	Late 2012

Related Research Articles

Alienware Corporation is an American computer hardware subsidiary brand of Dell. Their product range is dedicated to gaming computers and accessories and can be identified by their alien-themed designs. Alienware was founded in 1996 by Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila. The development of the company is also associated with Frank Azor, Arthur Lewis, Joe Balerdi, and Michael S. Dell (CEO). The company's corporate headquarters is located in The Hammocks, Miami, Florida.

Dell XPS is a line of consumer-oriented laptop and desktop computers manufactured by Dell since 1993.

The Panasonic Toughbook is a line of rugged computers produced and marketed by Panasonic. The first model, the CF-25, was introduced in 1996. The Toughbook brand mainly competes with other lines of rugged computers, such as Dell's Rugged Extreme.

Dell Latitude is a line of laptop computers manufactured and sold by American company Dell Technologies. It is a business-oriented line, aimed at corporate enterprises, healthcare, government, and education markets; unlike the Inspiron and XPS series, which are aimed at individual customers, and the Vostro series, which is aimed at smaller businesses.

Dell Vostro is a line of business-oriented laptop and desktop computers manufactured by Dell aimed at small to medium range businesses. From 2013–2015, the line was temporarily discontinued on some Dell websites but continued to be offered in other markets, such as Malaysia and India.

Dell Studio is a range of laptops and desktops targeted at the mainstream consumer market, produced by Dell. The computers sit above Dell's Inspiron and below the XPS consumer lines in terms of price and specifications. They differ from Dell's lower-end Inspiron models by offering slot-loading optical drives, media keys, more cover design options, faster processor options, HDMI and eSATA ports, LED-backlit screens, and backlit keyboards.

Sony has used the Z model naming scheme for its high-end ultraportable notebook computers since 2000. Unlike other Sony models, the Z has always been manufactured in Japan or in the United States for some models. Sony stated that production of the Z series would cease at the end of 2012.

The Vaio F series is Sony's multimedia and gaming orientated laptop series. Launched in January 2010, it replaced the Sony Vaio FW series. Like the preceding model, it features a 16.4" screen, but with Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, 240 Hz refresh rate, and LED backlight. The model came in two choices (VPCF2), 2D or 3D models. The 3D model is included with 3D glasses.

The Vaio Y series is a line of notebook computer from Sony introduced in January 2010. It is a netbook-inspired model designed for travel use: compared with the other 13.3" models in the Vaio range, the Y lacks an optical drive, and is heavier and cheaper than the premium Sony Vaio Z series, but lighter than the consumer-grade Sony Vaio S series, with better battery life than either, thanks to the use of CULV processors. The weight is 3.92lbs (1.78kg).

The ThinkPad E Series is a notebook computer series introduced in 2010 by Lenovo. It is marketed to small and medium-sized businesses.

The Sony Vaio E series is a range of consumer-grade laptops manufactured by Sony since 2010. The 14 and 15" laptops are configurable in a choice of bright colors: Passion Purple, Iridescent Blue, Caribbean Green, Coconut White, Hibiscus Pink, Lava Black and Gunmetal Black, while the 17" laptops offer only black or white. There is also an 11.6" version available. Each laptop each features 4GB & 8GB DDR3 RAM, optical drive, Bluetooth functionality, 802.11b/g/n wireless and gigabit ethernet,HDMI,mic & headphone jack.

The ThinkPad X series is a line of laptop computers and convertible tablets produced by Lenovo with less power than its other counterparts. It was initially produced by IBM until 2005.

The ThinkPad W series laptops from Lenovo were described by the manufacturer as being "mobile workstations", and suit that description by being physically on the larger side of the laptop spectrum, with screens ranging from 15.6" to 17.3" in size. Most W series laptops offered high-end quad-core Intel Core processors with an integrated GPU as well as an Nvidia Quadro discrete GPU, utilizing Nvidia Optimus to switch between the two GPUs as required. Notable exceptions are the W500, which has ATI Mobility FireGL integrated workstation-class graphics, and the W550s, which is an Ultrabook-specification laptop with only a dual-core processor. The W series laptops offered independent software vendor (ISV) certifications from various vendors such as Adobe Systems and Autodesk for computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D modeling software.

The IdeaPad Z Series is designed primarily for entry-level multimedia users. The first three Z Series IdeaPad laptops were the Z360, Z460 and Z560, with 13 inch, 14 inch, and 15 inch screens respectively. All three laptops were released in 2010.

The IdeaPad Y series was a consumer range of laptops produced by Lenovo, first announced in 2008. They were marketed as premium high performance laptops for multimedia and gaming, as part of the IdeaPad line.

In addition to the ThinkPad and IdeaPad laptops, Lenovo also offers a value-priced series of laptops. Called ‘Essential’ on the Lenovo website, the products available in this line include the G Series, B Series, and V Series. Launched in 2009, the first laptop in the Essential range was the G530.

Lenovo Yoga is a line of consumer-oriented laptop computers, tablets, and all-in-one computers designed, developed and marketed by Lenovo, named for their ability to assume multiple form factors due to a hinged screen. The line currently competes against other 2-in-1 PCs such as the HP Spectre.

The ThinkPad X1 series is a line of high-end ThinkPad laptops and tablets produced by Lenovo.

The HP Envy is a line of consumer-oriented high-end laptops, desktop computers and printers manufactured and sold by HP Inc. They started as a high-end version of the HP Pavilion line.

The Dell Inspiron series is a line of laptop computers made by American company Dell under the Dell Inspiron branding. The first Inspiron laptop model was introduced before 1999. Unlike the Dell Latitude line, which is aimed mostly at business/enterprise markets, Inspiron is a consumer-oriented line, often marketed towards individual customers as computers for everyday use.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] ttps://us.vaio.com/ ^{[ bare URL ]}

[2] ttps://www.sony.com.sg/microsite/vaio/products/vaios/perfectly_mobile.html ^{[ bare URL ]}

[1]

[2]