Review: Sony Vaio Duo 11 Ultrabook – The Future of Hybrid Tablets and Notebooks

The digital reading market has been in constant flux, particularly since the rise of tablets. Dedicated reading devices like the Sony PRS-T2 are ideal for pure reading pleasure, but many people desire a single device for every imaginable application. Tablets already fulfill this requirement quite well in many cases, which is why the likes of the iPad are not only encroaching on the eBook reader market but also gaining a larger share of the notebook market.

Beyond the Apple iPad, however, the tablet market is no longer as homogeneous as it was at the beginning. Manufacturers are now entering the market with a variety of concepts, designs, hardware components, and operating systems, filling many newly discovered niches.

As this shift towards an all-in-one device is unlikely to slow down, today we’re going to look beyond our own horizons and examine the Sony Vaio Duo 11 Ultrabook, which brings a new form factor to the tablet market and offers a glimpse into the potential future of mobile computers (and eBook readers).

Sony Vaio Duo 11 Ultrabook Profile; Features

It’s not immediately obvious that the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is not an ordinary tablet. Initially, the device presents itself in the typical tablet look, with the large LCD touchscreen on the front. But upon closer inspection, it’s quickly clear that there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Sony Vaio Duo 11 (top center) as an All-in-one device? Left: Google Nexus 7; Bottom center: Acer 11.6-inch Sub-Notebook; Right: Sony PRS-T2

The device sides house several ports, and the side profile is slightly thicker than the usual tablets. When you hold the Sony Vaio Duo 11 in your hands, any remaining doubts vanish. This Ultrabook, as Sony calls it, reveals itself to be a notebook in a tablet disguise. A notable feature of the device is the integrated QWERTZ keyboard, which transforms the Sony Vaio Duo 11 into a fully functioning notebook. By flipping the screen up, you reveal the keyboard and can use the device like a regular PC.

But it’s not just the exterior; the internal specs of the device also show that Sony is trying to combine the best of all mobile worlds in one device. While most tablets are equipped with ARM chip architecture, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 features an x64 Intel Core i5-3317U processor with a clock speed of 1.7 GHz and 4GB of RAM. The processor is one of Intel’s Ultra-Low-Voltage (ULV) CPUs, which are slower than their desktop counterparts but consume significantly less power. Instead of a 77-watt power usage (TDP), the 3317U runs on 17 watts.

For comparison, the ARM-based Samsung Chromebooks with Exynos 5 chips need about 4 watts at idle and around 9 watts at full capacity. However, the power savings also come at a performance cost. The Intel Core i5 processor is faster than current ARM technology.

A 128GB ADATA XM14 hard drive provides internal storage, and the Intel HD Graphics 4000 is part of the ULV chip. Two cameras are part of the package as well, one on the front and another on the back. With a 2-megapixel resolution, both cameras are adequate for Skype video chats. WLAN, NFC, and GPS are also included, along with a motion sensor.

The hybrid usage of the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is enabled not only by the hardware but also by the software. With Windows 8, Microsoft undertook a comprehensive overhaul of the operating system to improve its finger-friendliness. The Windows 8 interface on the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is divided into two parts: the regular desktop interface familiar from home PCs and the formerly Metro, now Windows Modern UI, tiled interface, which is particularly finger-friendly.

The powerful hardware does come with its costs — in two ways: First, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is quite substantial in weight and size for a tablet. Weighing in at 1,300 grams and 19.9 mm thick, it surpasses typical tablets, which usually weigh around 700 grams and are 10 mm thick. But as mentioned, the Ultrabook targets a different segment, so the comparison is somewhat apples to oranges. The second point is the high price demanded by the powerful components. In the basic configuration, the device currently costs around €1,100.

Build Quality

At that price, one expects nothing less than excellent craftsmanship, and fortunately, it delivers. The Sony Vaio Duo 11 makes a very solid impression, which is imperative given its potential handling as a tablet. Flat PCs generally endure rougher handling than notebooks.

When folded, the 11.6-inch display sits on the front. By slightly lifting the upper edge of the screen, you can flip it up, so it stands at a 50-degree angle to the user, revealing the keyboard beneath. The tilt cannot be adjusted, but due to the excellent viewing angles of the display, this poses no major issue.

The display is flipped up …

… and fixed at a 50-degree angle

The keyboard is slightly smaller than normal but is comparable to a netbook. The spacing between the keys is ample, ensuring easy usability. The keys have good tactile feedback. On request, you can illuminate the keyboard with LEDs, providing good usability in darkness as well.

There’s no space for a touchpad in the limited area. Instead, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 offers a TrackPoint. This functions similarly to a touchpad; by swiping your finger over it, you can move the cursor on the screen accordingly.

As previously mentioned, the sides of the device feature several ports uncommon on typical tablets. There are two USB 3.0 ports on the right side, along with an HDMI port and the power button. The left side of the Sony Vaio Duo 11 houses a VGA port, a card reader, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. At the top, you can connect an RJ45 network cable and the power adapter.

The tactile feedback of the Windows button could be better

However, there is a point of criticism regarding the Windows button located below the display. The tactile response of this button is unfortunately not uniform, which doesn’t affect its function but is not entirely satisfying to the touch.

Display

The screen, much like in an eBook reader, is one of the most important components of a tablet. High viewing angles are particularly relevant, allowing for non-frontal handling of the device. The Sony Vaio Duo 11 excels in this area, with excellent viewing angles ensuring no color distortions, even when the device is held at an angle. This is advantageous when using it as a notebook, with the screen set at a 50-degree angle.

Other display features also impress: with a contrast ratio of about 850:1 and a maximum brightness of around 305 cd/m², the numbers are good, but what do they mean in everyday use? Simply put, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is also usable outdoors. Although it can’t compete with an eInk eBook reader like the Sony PRS-T2, it remains usable. In battery mode, screen brightness is limited. Only when plugged into an external power source can the display operate at full brightness. Like most tablets, the Sony Vaio Duo 11’s screen is not anti-glare, which can be distracting in certain situations. However, the high brightness levels minimize these issues.

The screen is undoubtedly one of the device’s highlights. You have to accept reflections under certain lighting conditions, as opposed to an eInk display (left: Sony PRS-T2). Sony Vaio Duo 11 at lowest brightness setting

Lastly, there’s the Full HD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels to mention. While it doesn’t reach the Retina level set by the iPad, it’s significantly better than most net-, ultra-, and notebooks, which usually have much lower resolutions for the same 11.6-inch screen size. The pixel density of the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is 189 dpi.

Overall, the display can be considered a highlight of the device. While we wouldn’t turn down a higher resolution, the Sony Ultrabook still stands out considerably compared to most competitors.

Applications & Usability

As mentioned, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 Ultrabook is a hybrid device combining a tablet and a notebook. This combination naturally influences the potential applications and the usability of the device. Users have the choice to use the device in two completely different ways.

To make this feasible, Microsoft, when developing Windows 8, didn’t limit itself to the familiar Windows desktop interface, which has been re-released since Windows 95. Instead, for the first time, it integrated the interface formerly known as Metro. This adjustment of the Windows features is geared towards finger-friendliness and touch operation, allowing the underlying operating system to be used in the increasingly important touchscreen segment.

The Windows Modern UI works very well in tablet mode

When you activate the Sony Vaio Duo 11 for the first time, you’re directed to this new interface, from which you can operate the device with its key functions. The Metro start screen functions as both an app launcher and an information hub. Most applications are displayed in the form of tiles and can be launched from here. Some apps offer additional information in this tile view without opening the application, such as a small slideshow of picture galleries, the next calendar entry, the weather, etc.

The program interfaces follow the same display scheme, with large fonts and few symbols dominating. While this makes operation simple, higher functionality and an overview are sometimes sacrificed in this design language. Windows Modern UI relies on a very simple stylistic form, distinguishing the interface from Android and iOS in part. Overall, it’s a matter of taste, leaving only the current app selection to criticize (see below).

Most navigation in Modern UI is done through swipe gestures. Swiping from the right side of the screen calls up important functions (e.g., search, device settings…), swiping from the left allows direct app switching or displaying all open applications. You can also split the display by dragging an app partially over the currently open application. If the respective apps support a live view, multiple information sources can be displayed simultaneously. Programs are closed by dragging them out of the view from the overview menu. You can call up the options menu by swiping from the top or bottom edge of the screen, and the keyboard appears automatically when text input is possible.

The biggest advantage of the Sony Vaio Duo 11, however, is definitely its ability to be used as a notebook. If you want to increase your productivity and use regular Windows programs like those you know from PCs, you can switch to the normal desktop and work from there. The TrackPoint allows you to move the mouse. Optionally, you can also connect an external mouse via USB. The tablet thus transforms into a fully-fledged workhorse, well-suited for computationally intensive tasks thanks to its fast processor.

Operation in the regular Windows interface works as usual. Programs are closed by clicking the X button; options menus can be accessed via the appropriate shortcuts, and multitasking is done via the taskbar. The operation concepts of the unified interfaces could hardly be more different, yet the transition between them is absolutely seamless after a short adjustment period.

The TrackPoint allows you to control the mouse pointer

However, this versatility requires sacrificing part of the typical ease of use associated with tablets — quite literally. The Sony Vaio Duo 11 is no lightweight at 1,300 grams, meaning you’ll often need to rest your arms during typical tablet use.

Wide Program Choice, Limited App Selection

The biggest advantage of Windows as an operating system is undoubtedly its incredibly wide range of programs. As the most-used operating system in private households, there’s a suitable program for almost every application for Windows. Before the tablet boom, however, these programs were not centrally collected anywhere, as has been done with the App Store since the Apple iPhone and iPad. Since Apple has struck gold with this practice, integrating it into the MacOS operating system, Microsoft has of course also been trying its hand at it.

Although this development is generally positive for users, as accessibility and program installations are much simpler than before, significant improvements are still needed. Microsoft’s Metro interface aims for uniform operation across all platforms, i.e., phones, tablets, and PCs. Developers are meant to have easier work, and users a consistent user experience. So far, however, the concept is only partially successful, since the success of the mobile Windows Phone 8 system remains limited, and most app developers still focus exclusively on iOS or Android, often avoiding Microsoft. While there are a few important apps in the Windows App Store, they are generally much less numerous than those on other systems.

This is where the problem lies: normal Windows programs from the regular interface are not compatible with the new Modern UI. You can run all these programs from the regular interface, but typically they do not have specific optimizations for touchscreen usage.

This leads to some issues in the reading operation, which is important to us. You can install Adobe Digital Editions on the Ultrabook, but you cannot swipe to turn the page as you might expect. To use such user-friendly screen inputs, adapted versions are needed — and these are currently scarce. Searching for “eBook” or “eBook Reader” in the Windows App Store yields few results. The Kindle Reader is among the better ones; the few others fall far behind dedicated eBook readers in terms of usability and customization.

The Kindle app’s functionality is good; other eBook reader apps are usually significantly worse

However, it should be noted that Windows 8 has not been on the market for long, and Sony is not to blame for this issue. Selecting Windows as the platform for the Ultrabook proves to be the right choice, as while Android and iOS are excellent mobile operating systems, their productivity capabilities fall short of Windows.

All-In-One Device for Every Application

Therefore, it should be kept in mind that the path Microsoft is taking with Windows 8 is only the beginning, and there is indeed a forward-looking vision at hand. This brings us back to the All-In-One philosophy mentioned at the beginning, which the Sony Vaio Duo 11 pursues: one device for every application. With the expected increase in apps for the Metro interface of Windows 8, tablet use will become increasingly attractive.

This is notable because tablets have also claimed a significant portion of the notebook market, putting considerable pressure on established PC companies like HP or Dell. The Sony Vaio Duo 11 shows us where the journey is headed — and it’s quite impressive. It offers ample computing power, decent mobility, and a finger-friendly yet productively usable operating system. Considering how rapidly mobile electronics have developed over the last 10 years, it’s almost certain that hybrid devices like the Sony Vaio Duo 11 will be commonplace in the next 10 years.

Until then, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 remains one of the few devices in this segment, which, although labeled as an Ultrabook, can easily be used as a Windows 8 tablet.

The Windows 8 app selection isn’t huge yet, pictured: eBook reader apps

Let’s also move from the negative points to the positive aspects of the operating system. Although the app selection for the Metro interface is still limited, regular Windows programs are fully accessible. This means you can view videos of any encoding, play any imaginable game, and access various content sources for eBook, video, or music downloads. Windows means you’re hardly restricted here. The same goes for eBook operations, allowing you to read both Kindle eBooks and ePub eBooks.

Thanks to the powerful hardware, many current computer games can be played at low to medium settings without issue, providing entertainment options. The built-in speakers, located on the bottom of the device, sound quite good for tablet and ultrabook standards. The Windows performance index rates the Ultrabook as follows:

• Processor: 6.9
• Memory: 5.9
• Desktop Graphics: 5.5
• Graphics for Gaming: 6.4
• Primary Hard Disk: 7.9

Active Stylus for Quicker Input

Another plus of the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is the included stylus. This is an active stylus, powered by a AAAA battery. Unlike other capacitive styluses, the Sony stylus allows for wireless and touchless interaction with the Ultrabook. Just one centimeter above the screen, the stylus’s cursor is displayed, allowing for excellent interaction even in the regular Windows interface, which is less finger-friendly. This doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be manageable with fingers; surprisingly, Windows 8 is quite operable by touch alone.

The stylus, however, makes it even easier, as it can conveniently call up context menus with a single press, something that isn’t always as smooth with just finger operations.

The supplied stylus works excellently for controlling and note-taking

The stylus also offers pressure sensitivity. For instance, in the drawing program provided by Sony, various line thicknesses can be drawn on the screen based on the pressure applied. You can even rest your palm on the display and continue to write smoothly with the stylus. This works well enough to use the stylus for note-taking.

Here, you can switch the QWERTZ keyboard to a handwriting recognition mode, allowing for direct word input with finger or stylus. With a bit of practice, you can effectively take notes without opening the screen and revealing the hardware keyboard.

We’re just missing an eBook app with a good note-taking feature. It’s unfortunate that Sony didn’t port its eBook Reader apps from the Sony PRS-T2 to Windows 8.

Noise & Temperature

Due to the processor architecture used and the associated increased computing power, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 doesn’t come with a fanless design, as many ARM tablets do but features active cooling like most notebooks.

Fortunately, this cooling is almost inaudible during operation. The fan runs continuously even in idle mode. However, the noise is low-frequency, so it’s not bothersome. When pushing the device to its limits, the fan obviously becomes louder, as is common in many notebooks. Overall, the noise level is low, so there’s no need to worry about being disturbed while reading, watching multimedia, or working.

Heat dissipation is a similarly important topic in notebooks. Here, too, there is no need for concern. The active cooling effectively manages the potent hardware. At no point does the casing become so hot that you need to worry about burning your fingers. Under heavy use, the heat generation is comparable to that of an iPad or other ARM-based tablets.

Battery Life

Battery life is an important consideration for both notebook and tablet mobile use. With a maximum runtime of nearly 7 hours in idle mode (minimal brightness, airplane mode) and about 3 1/2 hours during normal web browsing, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is roughly on par with other Ultrabooks, but it can’t match typical ARM tablets, which usually offer about 50 percent longer runtime under similar use.

Thankfully, the external power adapter plugs in at the top, so it doesn’t get in the way during work.

Conclusion

In our review, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 Ultrabook proves to be a great all-rounder. The device is not merely a proof-of-concept but a fully functioning ultrabook and tablet that is highly usable in everyday life. Whether you’re writing a Word document, connecting the device to a projector for a presentation, playing a Windows game, or using the Ultrabook in tablet mode for surfing and multimedia consumption on the couch, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 handles it all without issue.

As a reading device, the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is too big and heavy, but it’s well-suited for use as a tablet

Yet, some technical limitations have already been mentioned: because of the x64 processor architecture, the device is relatively thick and heavy for a tablet. It isn’t completely silent, unlike other tablets. It’s essential to remember, however, that Sony didn’t intend to market the device purely as a tablet. Notably, both the Vaio trademark, which represents Sony’s computer division, and the Ultrabook designation, intended to clear up any doubt, are part of the device’s (admittedly lengthy) name. It’s unfortunate, though, that a UMTS module wasn’t included, as it would hardly have affected the already high entry price.

In the end, the Ultrabook is an excellent companion for travel and at home, for work and leisure. While it’s too heavy for an eBook reader, the extra weight compared to typical tablets of a similar size is negligible in my opinion, as the current 10-inch models from Google or Apple are too hefty for handheld operation and need some support. The Sony Vaio Duo 11 Ultrabook is the perfect companion for travelers who need a powerful machine for work but don’t want to forgo tablet convenience. This hybrid has been successfully executed by Sony, even though there is room for improvement in some areas.

Given how thin (6.9 mm) and light (495 grams) the newly introduced 10-inch Sony Xperia Tablet Z is, we can expect many of the current criticisms to be addressed in the next generation of devices.

Note: Tablet evaluations are no longer conducted according to just eBook reader criteria, as was done with the Apple iPad. Soon, there will be a dedicated article on the new testing procedure for eBook readers and tablets.