Can The New Vaio Z Flip Hybrid Take On Microsoft Surface Book And Surface Pro 4?

Ever since Microsoft found major success with the Surface Pro 3 (and now, Surface Pro 4), other companies have tried to match the success and have failed. The new VAIO Z is the latest to try and take the crown away from Microsoft. Engadget has the news.

“As ever, the Z is a halo product, one that puts an emphasis on both thinness and performance. All told, it weighs just 2.9 pounds — not bad considering it packs both a 13-inch 2,560 x 1,440 touchscreen and a 28-watt Core i5 or i7 processor.”

Engadget adds that the 13-inch VAIO Z isn’t like the other Windows 10 hybrids, in that instead of using a 360-degree hinge to flip the touchscreen into tablet mode, the Z allows the screen to flip over the panel. The VAIO Z also as an 11.5-hour battery life (though that hasn’t been tested), comes with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and has either a 256GB or 512GB SSD.

This all sounds good in writing, but the 2,560 x 1,440 touchscreen sounds problematic, especially when the Surface Pro 4 has a smaller 12.3-inch screen with a 2736 x 1824 pixel resolution. The price tag, which starts off at $1,799, sounds ridiculous, as well.

VAIO laptops, which used to be made by Sony, are iconic. Before MacBooks became popular, seeing somebody use a VAIO was like seeing somebody drive a Mercedes Benz. VAIO laptops were always more expensive, but have always been built with premium materials, outstanding keyboards, and various connectivity options. The VAIO Z series in the 2000s is the most iconic.

Right before the Surface Pro 4 came out, Microsoft released the VAIO Z Canvas, which has a 12.3-inch IPS screen with a 2560 x 1704 pixel resolution and comes with a Bluetooth keyboard. Just like the new Surface devices, it has a 3:2 aspect ratio. The “cheapest” model has an Intel i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive. It also costs $2,199.

The VAIO Z canvas has received a lot of criticism for coming with an Intel 4th generation Haswell processor, rather than the new 6th generation Skylake processor. VAIO’s new laptop hybrid has received a lot of mixed reviews. Winbeta ‘s Rick Rodriguez was especially disappointed with the pen capabilities.

“I’d say my reaction to the pen performance is lukewarm. It wasn’t bad by any means; it just didn’t feel special. In fact, it felt familiar, bearing many of the niggling problems of other current generation N-Trig devices.”

While the VAIO Z Canvas is meant more for artists, the new VAIO Z is definitely aimed towards those who would buy the Surface Pro 4 or even the Surface Book. If people don’t mind the lower-resolution screen, it could be a decent alternative, especially since both the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book have been riddled with problems.

Top Microsoft blogger slams Surface Pro 4, Surface Book problems https://t.co/i4oPN9dGgg

— Majdi A (@MajdiMY) February 2, 2016

@Surface @WindowsCanada. #SurfaceBook – "a beta product masquerading as a released product" @GabeAul

— I’m from the government, I’m here to help! (@davidsmi) November 29, 2015

Microsoft has offered firmware updates for both of these products. The problems aren’t affecting the Surface Pro 4 as much as they are the more expensive Surface Book, which — according to some — is practically unusable. Microsoft may want to fix these problems soon as people may buy the new VAIO Z, which hits stores later this week, instead.