Sony Vaio Flip Is a No-Compromise Hybrid Laptop

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By Pete Pachal2013-09-04 14:45:49 UTC

Since Windows 8 launched, many PC manufacturers have experimented with hybrid models, but few of the designs outside of the Lenovo Yoga have gotten much traction. Sony thinks it's cracked the tablet-PC hybrid with the Vaio Flip, which the company just unveiled at the IFA show in Berlin.

With the name Flip, you'd expect something like the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix or the ridiculous Dell XPS 12, and that's not far off. When closed, the Sony Vaio Flip has a visible seam along the cover. Still, the machine unfolds normally, resulting in a normal-looking laptop. But when you flip the small sliding switch beneath the monitor and push the screen back, the display flips around. In that mode, the laptop is in display mode, and you can push the screen all the way down to become a tablet.

See also: How to Install Windows 8 Without Ditching Windows 7

Sony designed the Flip this way to keep users from the distraction of keys on the bottom of their tablet, a weakness of the Yoga. The final design is a little reminiscent of the Acer Aspire R7, although the Vaio Flip's hinge goes all the way across, and the top joint doesn't lock, meaning the screen is always either facing in or out — not in between.

From a brief hands-on with some pre-production models, I found the Flip to be a better stab at the Windows 8 hybrid than the Vaio Duo, and the overall design is more elegant than other hybrids. Like the Yoga, it feels like a laptop that has made few — if any — compromises to also work in display and tablet modes. If you didn't know the hinge was there, you'd just think the Vaio Flip was an Ultrabook with an odd seam on the back.

Sony is treating the Flip as a pillar of the Vaio line, not an experiment. It'll come in 13-, 14- and 15-inch models, each configurable up to an Intel Core i7 chip. Standard resolution is full HD (1,920 x 1,080), but the 15-inch model can get as sharp as 2,880 x 1,620.

Options include a solid-state or hybrid hard drive and up to 2GB of Nvidia graphics. Weight ranges from 2.6 to 4.6 pounds, and all three models come in black or silver. The keyboard is backlit, and the USB 3.0 port can charge a separate device even when the PC is shut down.

The Vaio Flip will be available in October; pricing details are not yet available.

How do you like Sony's latest Windows 8 hybrid? Let us know in the comments.

Images: Mashable

Topics: hybrid PC, IFA, IFA2013, Mobile, sony, sony vaio, Tech, Windows 8