Review: Sony Vaio Tap 11 - The Windows 8 tablet to beat

When you pick up Sony's Vaio Tap eleven, y'all can't help but feel that it is a direct competitor to Microsoft's Surface line of devices. A few different OEMs have already tried to cut out their spot with devices similar to the Surface, but none have yet to hitting the mark. Sony on the other hand, might accept a winner, and i outstanding production.

Great pattern and external aesthetics brand for an elegant machine. Stylus works fantabulous and couples well with included "holder" attachment. Keyboard works cracking and integrated charging with the tablet ways you volition never forget to charge information technology. Display is beyond the description of mortal English – we volition telephone call information technology outstanding and amazing all at once. Includes apps are a nice touch on and give the tablet software that makes information technology stand up out.

Poor positioning for the stylus holder. Longer battery life would have been desired. Buttons around the edges tin feel too recessed and hard to press.

The Sony Vaio Tap 11 is the best Windows viii tablet we take reviewed to date and is a guaranteed smashing experience for anyone who purchases it. Its master competition volition be the Surface Pro 2, and we might be siding with Sony on this unit. We hope more Windows viii tablets are created in the image of the Tap xi equally it is a keen deal starting at only $799.

Form - The Tablet

Unboxing Sony's Vaio Tap eleven is like unraveling a piece of fine art. At that place are multiple pieces to the unit of measurement including the tablet itself, a wireless keyboard, and a digitizer pen zipper. All three pieces can be snapped together on the get, so at that place is no worry about losing that expensive stylus.

The tablet itself feels as if it was designed with attention to nigh every item. The front of the unit of measurement houses a gorgeous eleven.6 inch 1080p IPS display that is complemented by a beautiful edge to border drinking glass. The front of the tablet has almost no branding as well the light colored silver logo in the upper left mitt corner. Below the bear on screen sits a physical hardware Windows button; unlike most other units, which simply plop the button directly below the screen, Sony has placed the push along the edge of the unit and curved information technology. Between the minimalistic front, curved Windows button, and subtle forepart facing HD spider web photographic camera – the unit is a pleasant breathe of artistic design to look at.

Like all beautiful specimens, there is usually a grab or hint of imperfection if you look hard enough. Sony has included a charging connector for their wireless keyboard on the forepart bezel of the unit, which stands out equally a mole would on a face of perfection. The connector is pocket-sized and sits recessed as a three pin connector against the edge of the unit. When property the unit of measurement, there are no complaints, simply one can't help merely feel it would have been squeamish for Sony to try and find another solution to accuse the wireless keyboard.

The back of the unit of measurement is besides simplistic, and bears a unmarried shinny Vaio logo in the center. Our review unit included a collection of stickers that stated the unit was, "Non FOR Auction" – obviously something that you will not encounter. You will encounter an "Intel Inside" sticker, but like whatsoever stickers – it can be removed with a petty piece of work.

The back of the tablet does make itself dwelling to three speaker grills, which produce great sounding audio for such a thin tablet, forth with a kickstand that can be extended too perpendicular to the tablet itself – in essence, unlike the Microsoft Surface, in that location are a variety of dissimilar angles to bask using this tablet in.

Of class, this wouldn't be a tablet without also throwing on a rear facing webcam, so Sony has included an 8 MP webcam and microphone for all your recording needs – unfortunately, at that place is no flash. That being said, please stop recording video and taking pictures with your tablet – it is the new millennia's equivalent of the 1990s fanny pack in terms of social perception by your peers.

The unit itself has come up stocked with a collection of diverse ports and expandability options around its finally crafted edges. The bottom side of the tablet sits completely clean as one wouldn't be able to admission said ports when using the kickstand on the tablet. The top of the tablet keeps information technology simple past including a minor pinhole microphone jack, exhaust fan, and a small covered slot that would back-trail a MicroSD carte for expandable storage. One last button is added to the peak department of the tablet (although it sits farther, back around the rear), which is Sony's "assist" button.

We cannot communicate how happy we are that Sony decided to include this help button. Recovery with Windows 8 can be a slow and annoying procedure on most other devices. Due to the new UEFI booting system that Windows 8 incorporates, pushing buttons to boot into safe mode is now nearly incommunicable – instead you lot must kicking into the Operating system, then reboot it into prophylactic mode. Plain, this possess a problem for those who cannot even get their machine past the Windows loading screen. A USB key can exist used to aid access recovery, but many times the BIOS is set to ignore it and a hugger-mugger push button/cardinal combination must exist institute to get in and mess with the BIOS booting options. The Sony Assist button on the other mitt is sky; simply press the button while the device is off and you are booted to a Sony recovery card – from in that location, you lot can select to kicking into the BIOS, launch Sony recovery software, or admission advanced Windows 8 startup options (like safety mode).

The bulk of ports will be found on the left and right hand sides of the unit of measurement. The left manus edge includes a small power adapter charging port and a flap that reveals a USB 3.0 connector and Micro-HDMI port. The right hand edge of the unit of measurement includes a volume rocker, illuminated power button, and standard headphone jack. As with many of Sony's units, the buttons feel besides recessed and can take a flake of time before one feels completely confident in their "button clicking skills". The buttons on this unit, may exist the Achilles heel for the Sony Vaio Tap 11.

Form - The Keyboard and Stylus

Let's move onto the keyboard. Sony's included wireless Vaio keyboard may just exist a compliment to the unit itself or a bit difficult to piece of work on, depending who you are. This full sized QWERTY keyboard has 82 keys with a 1.1mm stroke and 19mm pitch. The keys themselves accept a matte finish, which feels nice confronting the assurance of your fingers and provides decent feedback for such a thin construction. For my taste, the keys were a chip too far apart, but I am nearly likely being nitpicky as I type all day long.

The keyboard also includes a touchpad with a physical click button for left and right clicking. The texture of the pad itself feels groovy, as do the keys that sit below it. Some might notice the buttons a bit too resistant to click, but I did not have that issue.

In the upper right hand corner of the keyboard sits ii LEDS (ane for CAPs lock and the other for battery accuse level), an ON/OFF switch, and the male end of the charging connector that clicks into the front end of the unit. The power switch also doubles as a way to disable the touchpad while typing – a much welcomed and quick to access feature.

The rear of the keyboard is a brushed metal cease with a small-scale Sony logo engraved into the corner. There is also a small LED light that lights upward when the unit is docked with the tablet and charging. The dorsum is where we besides find the biggest flaw of the keyboard – traction. The back is a glace metal finish that is accompanied by two minor plastic anxiety and two small-scale safety anxiety; this combination does non come anywhere near what is needed to keep the keyboard stable on most surfaces (say a polished, non-rustic, woods tabular array or desk). If y'all are someone who keeps their palms firmly on the palm remainder while typing, yous shouldn't have an issue. If you lot are like most people whose hands fly around the keyboard, y'all may encounter some slipping. The prepare may be as simple as applying something to the dorsum, but we really wish we didn't have to – we honestly wonder how Sony missed this in the product testing process.

The keyboard also doubles equally a cover for the tablet, which is one of the unit of measurement'south "prize features". Simply place the keyboard upside-downwards over your screen and it magnetically stays in place. The magnets do piece of work nicely, merely the keyboard can sideslip a scrap, so carry the unit every bit if you lot are carrying 2 books – the magnets don't glue the two together. We do enjoy that whenever the keyboard is embrace the screen, the LED lights up to inform u.s. that it is being charged by the tablet – a great characteristic that should ensure your wireless keyboard never runs out of juice.

The concluding included accompaniment is Sony's digitizer pen, which works extremely well with force per unit area sensitivity inside applications such as Microsoft'south Fresh Paint and ArtRage 3. The stylus itself is comfortable to agree, as it mimics the thickness of a high quality writing utensil. The pen itself contains a "triple A" battery inside, which gives it a comfortable weight during employ. Attached to the pen is a pen clip that functions nicely to keep the pen from rolling abroad. The overall design is modern, with a infinite similar tip and slanted rear.

Unlike Microsoft'southward Surface Pro which makes losing a stylus like shooting fish in a barrel, the Sony Vaio Tap eleven includes an attachable pen holder that sits over the USB and Micro-HDMI ports. If you are someone constantly swapping USB devices in an out, then the positioning of the holder may be an annoyance, only Sony has reassured us that the holder has been improved in the final production model to go far extremely easy to detach and reattach.

Sony did an excellent task on designing the Tap 11 and it may brand its marking every bit ane of the virtually cute Windows 8 products to engagement. The sophisticated and practical design of the unit hits a wonderful sweet spot in our hearts. As far as what could exist improved design-wise, we hope Sony reevaluates the external buttons for their next model and finds a different place to attach the pen holder.

Office

Looks aren't everything though, functionality is just every bit important – if non more important. Turning on the tablet reveals a stunning 1080 HD display. I wish I could convey the crisp beauty and cute colors that the display illuminates. The LCD is backed by Sony's TRILUMINOS technically, which they say "creates incredibly true, natural shades of colors". This was the brandish Windows eight was created for – this is perfection of imagery. If you are brandish crazy, cypher volition make you lot happier than the Sony Vaio Tap 11.

We said dazzler isn't everything, and this tablet is ready to defend its worth on both sides of the fence. Our review unit came loaded with a powerful Intel Core i5 processor, four GB of RAM, and a 128 GB SSD. Our re-create of Windows 8 ran like butter and was able to continue upwards with everything we threw at it. Applications within the Windows Store? Easy as block! Windows legacy applications? Have fun!

This certainly isn't a gaming car, but it is ane hell of a productive tablet. Most people today think they need to grab a Core i7 and 8 GB of RAM to go anything done, but we are at a point of spec overload – Core i5 and iv GB of RAM is more than enough for most people.

Sony states that the Tap xi's internal Lithium Polymer battery will last up to five hours and 45 minutes - in our testing and use, we plant that around 4 hours is a more reasonable time frame. The outcome isn't excellent or poor, only merely sits in the middle of both states. This tablet won't terminal you lot through the twenty-four hour period, but it shouldn't require a power plug every couple of hours.

If yous do need more power and storage, don't worry. Sony has announced that units with Core i7 processors and upwards to 512 GB of SSD storage volition be available for purchase. There is no increment on that 4 GB of RAM though, then if you are going to be working with multiple Photoshop windows open – you might want to consider another choice.

The insanely gorgeous brandish (seriously, head to a Sony store one time these are out and take a gander) coupled with the powerful intervals provide a great everyday experience that is sure to impress the geek within. Y'all will even be able to clasp in some raiding in World of Warcraft and see your favorite Microsoft News Editor while doing so (long as you lot are Horde, of class).

Sony is one of the few companies out there that makes the states excited to see what software they have preloaded onto the system. Sure, they throw on a few undesirable applications like Kaspersky Antivirus and the Intel AppUp store, but the rest are normally enjoyable.

Only every bit previous Sony units have included, the Vaio Tap 11 preinstalls "Album by Sony" and "Music by Sony" – both are excellent alternatives to Microsoft'south congenital in music thespian and photo viewer. Sony also includes their Socialife software for checking out what your friends are doing, and provides an interesting alternative (although it needs a bit of piece of work) to other social applications. Sony's Vaio care software and note software is also arranged into the package.

At present for the heady additions; for starters, Sony has included an awarding called "Vaio remote control", which allows you lot to command your tv set with your tablet. That's right, this tablet has a built in RF module for cablevision boxes, televisions, DVD players, stereo systems, iPod docks, projectors, and more. The application docks nicely on the side of the screen in the xxx/70 ratio and provides a swell feel while you lookout that latest episode of the Walking Expressionless and follow along with AMC'south StorySync app.

Sony also includes a piece of software called CamScanner, which works nicely to browse in physical documents to your system. The app works best in well-lit environments, only is also manageable in darker situations. CamScanner tin can too browse your document for text using OCR engineering and salvage it to the clipboard for subsequently employ. We wish the app immune us to salve the scanned documents as PDF files, but saving every bit an epitome worked just fine.

Conclusion

Overall the Sony Vaio Tap 11 is an excellent product and one of the best Windows 8 tablet hybrids we accept reviewed to engagement. The exterior is beautiful, and the 1080p Hard disk drive display shines similar none other nosotros have seen earlier. The kickstand and wireless keyboard make working efficient and enjoyable at the same time. Nosotros feel the biggest competitor to the Tap 11 is the Microsoft Surface Pro, and we have to say that we like the Tap 11 much amend; it provides a more than adjustable kickstand, amend screen experience, thinner profile, improve pen management, and nifty extras. One of the principal reasons we could see consumers picking the Surface Pro 2 over the Tap 11, is due to the difference in bombardment life, which is rated an addition ii hours.

The Sony Vaio Tap xi starts at $799 and is available for preorder now via Sony'south web store. You can choose betwixt choices of a white or black unit (both look keen) and await to have the unit to yous by the finish of October.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/review-sony-vaio-tap-11-windows-8-tablet-beat

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