Sony Vaio Y Netbook Review

Sony Vaio Y Netbook 

The Sony Vaio Y netbook is Sony’s first try at AMD’s new Fusion processor.  Sony opted for the fastest of the lot with the E 350 Fusion processor, a dual-core processor that runs at 1.6GHz and integrates a Radeon HD 6310 graphics unit.  Priced at Php29,990, the Vaio Y is a little pricey for a netbook but is the price tag justified?
Sony VAIO Y Specifications (VPCYB15AG/S/P/G)

• AMD Dual-Core E-350 processor (1.6GHz)
• 11.6-inch WXGA with LED backlight (1366 x 768)
• Genuine Windows 7 Starter 32-bit
• 2GB RAM
• AMD Radeon HD 6310 integrated graphics
• 320GB hard disk
• Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• 6-cell 3500mAh Li-Ion battery
• 1.46 kg

Design
If there’s one thing I really like about the Sony Vaio Y, it’s the design.  Sony has built a reputation for releasing well-designed laptops and fortunately, the Y series is just as good-looking as its more-expensive siblings. Viewed from any angle, the Sony Vaio Y looks like a premium notebook.  The round central hinge and the green power button on the side are trademarks of a Vaio notebook, and so is the chiclet keyboard.


The Vaio Y’s screen is an 11.6-inch glossy display with 1366 x 768 resolution. This is quite sufficient for photo and video viewing and also just right resolution for browsing.
The Vaio Y is light at 1.46kg which makes it easy to carry around.  It also sports a slim profile, although not as slim as the razor-thin Macbook Air. It has a matte lid, which is good since it is not a fingerprint magnet.

The chiclet keyboard is very nice and honestly one of the things I like about Vaio notebooks.  Just like in other Vaio models, the keyboard on the Vaio Y is almost perfect: layout is good, keys are well-spaced and tactile feedback is just right.  The palm rest on the Vaio Y looks nice and has a textured finish.  The touchpad is just the right size and felt very responsive.  The buttons are equally responsive and are soft when pressed.

The Vaio Y includes standard ports like USB ports, earphone and mic jacks, HDMI and VGA ports and an SD card and Sony MemoryStick.

Performance
For a netbook, the Sony Vaio Y is fast. This has something to do with the  1.6GHz dual-core AMD Fusion E-350 processor with an AMD Radeon HD6310 integrated graphics.  This processor definitely feels faster than its dual-core Intel Atom counterparts.  Sony even claims that this processor is comparable to an Intel Pentium processor and it is hard to dispute this.  I tried running 1080p HD videos and the Vaio Y happily obliged, playing the videos without the usual stutter.  HD Youtube videos also ran smoothly on the Vaio Y.
However, don’t expect too much from the Vaio Y in terms of processing power.  Although it is without a doubt one of the fastest netbooks around, it is not sufficiently fast for most applications.  You’ll find that loading applications on the Vaio Y is slower than your Core i3 experience.  Loading multiple applications is acceptable courtesy of its 2GB RAM but its performance still makes you realize that the Vaio Y is a netbook.  Word processing and light photo editing is manageable but don’t expect the Vaio Y to run Photoshop smoothly.
If you’re interested to know the Windows Experience Index of the Vaio Y, it’s 3.7.  The Windows Experience Index measures the capability of a computer’s hardware and software configuration.

Battery Life
Battery life is not one of Vaio Y’s strong suits.  Although the AMD E-350 is a low-power chip, regular use will bring you a little over 3 hours of computing time, far from the 4-hour computing time promised by Sony.  Regular use includes surfing the internet, typing and running a few applications.  I guess this is quite expected since the Vaio Y uses a low-capacity 3500mAh battery.
Conclusion
It used to be that Sony Vaio products are only for those with extra cash to burn.  The Vaio had a reputation for being expensive, and sometimes too expensive for the specs and features offered.  This seems to have changed recently.  With the Sony Vaio Y, it appears that Sony has made its products more affordable, although admittedly still among the most expensive.
The Sony Vaio Y is priced at Php29,990.  It is more expensive that netbooks with similar specs but is something that is justified when you consider the Vaio Y’s design features and its build quality.  The Vaio Y is also fast for a notebook, thanks to the AMD Fusion processor.
I would have loved the Vaio Y on black but there are only three colors being offered: green, pink and silver.