Sony VAIO SVF15N190X Pro Reviews

In the end, we're tempted to slap a cliché on the VAIO Flip 15—that it does a little bit of everything and nothing particularly well—except there is something it does particularly well: change from a laptop into a viewing easel or tablet. We love its screen for video and believe the Z-hinge's benefits outweigh (literally) its detriments. With a Core i7 in play, this isn't the quietest notebook around, but it's fairly unobtrusive and quite comfortable to work on for extended periods.On the other hand, the benchmark scores are underwhelming; we think 5.1 pounds is far too heavy for a tablet; and to really use it as a graphical creation tool demands the $300 screen upgrade—unless we're talking about education apps for kids, in which case the current config is fine if not overkill. Call the Flip 15 a darkhorse competitor to the MacBook Pro, and a really good ad for the Flip 13 or 14.

The Sony VAIO Flip 15 supersizes the convertible laptop, with a large screen that can work in various poses. It's starting to approach the convertible sweet spot, but it needs a few more iterations to become lighter and easier to hold.

There are few bigger-screen hybrids right now, likely because the mechanics of flipping or folding a 15-inch or larger screen is complicated compared with a smaller 11-inch or 13-inch one. Sony does an excellent job of making its fold-over Flip 15 screen mechanism feel smooth and secure, but the odd decision to not have the tablet mode lie completely flat makes the system's tablet mode awkward to hold or carry.