Sony Vaio Z Flip Screen Replacement

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UPDATE: Additional testing of the Flip has surfaced a much more serious issue than pen pressure or fan noise. I must recommend that you avoid the device until the issue is corrected. See this post for more information: -real-dealbreaker-for-sony-vaio-flip-15a-frequent-loss-of-pen-touch-control

To try to settle the Wacom vs. N-Trig contest once and for all, I decided to pick up a new Sony Vaio Flip 15A convertible laptop to test out. (Please pardon the grainy images accompanying this post; I was in too much of a hurry to get this story written to worry about lighting.)

My first impressions: the screen is huge and display is gorgeous with rich, saturated colors and excellent contrast. The black surface is a fingerprint magnet so it will be difficult to keep the Flip looking pristine. The screen flipping is very stiff and somewhat awkward. It's certainly not fluid to switch display modes.

The fan is LOUD and I haven't done anything with it yet besides installing a hideous number of updates for an operating system less than a month old. (UPDATE: Ack! Just realized this thing ships with Windows 8. An update awaits.)

The big question mark is the N-Trig digitizer. Users are reporting that the technology has been vastly improved in the last year, but I'll try to run tests side by side with the Surface Pro's Wacom digitizer to get a better sense of its strengths and weaknesses.

It's interesting to see Sony positioning its products to compete so effectively on price. I believe it's the first time I've ever seen the company do this. I've always avoided Sony devices because I'm unwilling to pay their markup.

With a display as large as this, I could see foregoing a separate tablet monitor, assuming the N-Trig delivers. Stay tuned! And if you have any specific questions you'd like me to investigate, please ask away in the comments section below.

Although this is definitely a Flip PC, Sony creates a little bit of confusion by also labeling this as a Fit 15A. The previous generation of Fit laptops did not have active digitizers.

In tablet mode: if you've seen one tablet, you've seen them all. Very little distinguishes the tablet screen from others, except the sticker in the lower right corner illustrating the various operational modes and a smaller than usual Windows home button in the lower center.

The newly restyled Active Pen retails for $40 and has a very nice finish and decent weight. It's much closer to the Wacom Bamboo Stylus Feel than the standard Surface Pro pen. Although I would prefer a slightly larger stylus, it is much better than I had feared.

UPDATE 2: While you're waiting for my review, take a look at this video review of the VAIO Flip 13 by Lisa Gade of Mobile Tech Review. It's a very in-depth look at the device and is applicable to the 15 as well.

Regardless of how much cash you have, you need to take into account the needs of the person you are shopping for. Is a super-sharp touch screen important? What about a fast processor? How much weight is the gift recipient willing to cart around?

This gift guide covers laptops with starting prices of more than $1,000, including a class of thin, light Windows laptops known as ultrabooks. Prices listed are manufacturers' suggestions, and you can often shop around for deals.

What sets this ultrabook apart is the way it converts into a tablet. Basically, you pop the screen out of its frame, flip it around and then close the laptop. The move puts the screen on the outside and the keyboard on the inside.

It's a quick and easy switch. But because the keyboard remains connected, you're not dropping any of its 3.4 pounds. While reasonable for a laptop, that's about triple the weight of many full-sized tablets currently on the market.

And of course, there's no Windows 8, an operating system that some people find confusing to use. The MacBook uses Apple's Mac system and integrates well with other Apple products, including iPhones, iPads and Apple TVs.

The Vaio is exceptionally thin when closed and weighs about 2.3 pounds, making it the lightest 13-inch model I tested. Part of that comes from its carbon-fiber construction, which improves durability while reducing weight. But it also made the laptop feel cheap and plastic-like.

Besides the traditional laptop mode, you can bend its 13-inch screen all the way back to close it, so the screen is on the front and the keyboard is exposed on the back. In that configuration, it works like a tablet.

You can also bend it into a triangle, laying one edge on a flat surface and having the display angled like a tent. This lets you use it as a tablet, but keep it upright. It's particularly helpful when you're crunched for space.

Or, you can flip it almost all the way around, so that the keyboard is on the bottom and the screen leans back at whatever angle you like. That's good for watching videos while kicking back on the couch or in bed.

The laptop itself feels thin, light and relatively sturdy. Although it weighs more than the Sony Vaio, it's slightly thinner. The rubber edges that give the laptop traction when it's in tent mode are a nice touch.

Battery life clocked in at 7.5 hours, considerably less than other laptops at that price. But the trade-off is a super-sharp screen that offers a higher resolution than the MacBook Pro, which already has among the best displays at that price.

The Surface Pro 2 is a more powerful version of Microsoft's Surface 2 tablet, and the company is pushing both as replacements for laptops. Just like a PC laptop, it runs Windows 8 and gives you access to all the Microsoft Office programs.

Looking for something cheaper? The $449 Surface 2 runs a lightweight version of Windows 8.1 called RT. But that tablet works only with apps designed specifically for it, not the broader pool of programs available for Windows PCs.

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