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by Manny Proenza
Overview and Introduction:
Sony VAIO S550 above view (view larger image)
Sony VAIO S550 front view (view larger image)
This is a review of the Sony VAIO S550P/S. It is Sony's sub 5lb notebook. The exact configuration is as follows:
Reasons for Buying:
This laptop was purchased as a Christmas gift for my brother-in-law. He is a thick fingered "hunt and peck", surf the web and check email kind of guy. He's also always on the go and is looking for a laptop that he could carry around with him pretty much everywhere. He plans to use it as his main machine and when he is not on the Internet or checking email, he will be reviewing spreadsheets, and typing documents. The only game I expect he will be playing is Solitaire.
Prior to making this purchase I looked at the Dell 700m and the Sony T series laptop. I nixed the Dell because of the keyboard. Like me, he has some pretty meaty hands and fingers. I set up a Dell 700m for my mother and found the keys to be too narrow for thicker fingers and hands (although for her petite fingers it was perfect). The T-Series has a similar issue. And the screen was a bit too small for him as well. I had set one up for my father who uses it mainly as a portable DVD player and occasional AOL mail during his travels.
I currently own a Sony S270 that I use day in and out for medical school and it has survived 4 months of constant back and forth. The unit has a great combination of full keyboard, bright easy to read screen and connectivity features for the mobile professional.
Where and How Purchased:
I purchased the laptop from SonyStyle.com. My budget was under $1,700 and with a $100 mail in rebate the unit cost $1,600.
This is my second experience with them and so far they have been great. My first experienced resulted in the purchase of my current S270 only after sending back two S380 laptops within a week of receiving them. SonyStyle.com's customer service was terrific. The first time I was able to return the S380 due to a single dead pixel in the center of the screen no questions asked. The representative explained that their policy was that they allow returns "for any reason" within the first 30 days. The second S380 arrived with a dead pixel on the left side of the screen. Between that, the battery rattle and the scorching right palm rest I decided that Sony had missed the mark on this one and opted for a custom configured S270. For the second exchange I had to walk through a troubleshooting procedure with Sony Technical Support (in India). But with some patience I was transferred to a Sony Customer Service representative who went ahead with the exchange. All that said, I felt confident in purchasing from them once again. I ordered a preconfigured unit to ensure it arrived in plenty of time for me to set up and put under the tree. The unit arrived 5 days after placing the order.
Build & Design:
At the risk of sounding odd, I must admit that the Sony VAIO laptops are just plain sexy. Besides Apple, who sets the standard in industrial design for computer desktops and laptops, Sony just gets it. The Sony VAIO S550P/S is a svelt, curvy and functional piece of eye candy.
I mentioned earlier that I own an S270, so some of this review will involve a comparison between the two. The first thing to mention is the silver exterior. It is brushed silver and a welcome change to the fingerprint magnet black on my S270. Also, the notorious "battery wiggle" that has plagued the S series has been greatly diminished. It is still there, but not as bad as I've seen on the S380 or on my S270. The unit also has a "latchless" LCD, typical to the S-series line. I have worked on other Sony Laptops, specifically the FS and A Series, and the latches have broken off. So I guess Sony opted to remove the problem all together and reinforce the screen hinges below. On the S550, the hinges feel solid. There is zero screen wobble and when you close the LCD the unit stays closed. On my S270 the unit has screen and hinges feel just as tight as the day I unpacked it so I have to rate the design a very solid.
Sony VAIO S550 on the left, S270 on the right (view larger image)
Sony VAIO S550 on the left, S270 on the right (view larger image)
Besides the aforementioned differences some minor cosmetic changes have demonstrates how Sony pays attention to the details. The S550 has an enlarged black boarder around the keyboard...not that big of a deal...but they have surrounded the LCD display with a black boarder as well which gives the illusion of watching a high end flat screen TV...especially while watching DVDs. The S550 has replaced the shiny silver track pad buttons with flush, brushed aluminum looking track pad buttons akin to the Apple Powerbook. Everything is basically the same as the typical S series configuration. I actually prefer the flushed track pad buttons to the original shiny rounded silver. Way to go Sony! The track pad is also responsive and allows for vertical and horizontal scrolling by sliding your finger along the edges of the track pad.
Screen:
The screen is, well, perfect. The Sony standard WXGA LCD screen with XBRIGHT technology is absolutely brilliant. There have been no changes to it from my S270. I use my laptop between 4 and 12 hours per day at school and I can report no eye strain whatsoever. I am writing this review on the S550 now and it is flawless.
The resolution is set at 1280 x 800 with 32 bit Color quality. This S550 is configured with the integrated Intel Video card with 128mb or RAM. That is plenty for everyday applications and casual gaming. Granted, it is not as sexy as an Nvidia or ATI chipset but it does the job nonetheless.
The 13.3" widescreen LCD is a very workable size. I am able to have a Word window on half the screen and a PowerPoint window on the other half quite seamlessly. Text size and resolution are crisp, clear and easy to read...even over long periods of time (I'm talking 4-7 hours at a clip). Color reproduction is very good as well.
Speakers:
The S550 comes with two speakers positioned at the top right and left corner of the keyboard. The Speakers are average. I do not consider this machine a killer game machine' by any means. The speakers recreate sounds accurately and play music just fine. I tested a few DVDs and sound reproduction was unremarkable. I recommend a set of quality headphones for gamers and moviegoers ... the sound is more intimate and unaffected by speaker quality or placement.
Processor and Performance:
At 1.7Ghz, and 512mb RAM the computer is nimble but not quick. Think Steve Young vs Michael Vick. Bootup takes about 1 minute to completely boot. There is about 4 seconds of overhead due to the VAIO Boot animation (which you can shut off using Sony's VAIO CENTRAL control panel applet). The unit runs standard applications with hardly any lag. I did not test games but have included the standard benchmark results below. The laptop has yet to hang while I type this review (on battery power) nor has it ever stuttered while running on AC.
Benchmarks:
Below are benchmarks run on the Sony 550 for PCMark04, 3DMark05 and HDTune:
| Futuremark PCMark04 Scores | ||
| ThinkPad T43 (1.86GHz, ATI X300 64MB graphics) | Sony VAIO S550 (1.73GHz) | |
| Multithreaded Test 1 / File Compression | 3.33 MB/s | 3.24 MB/s |
| Multithreaded Test 1 / File Encryption | 27.19 MB/s | 25.66 MB/s |
| Multithreaded Test 2 / File Decompression | 23.4 MB/s | 22.5 MB/s |
| Multithreaded Test 2 / Image Processing | 10.88 MPixels/s | 10.14 MPixels/s |
| Multithreaded Test 3 / Virus Scanning | 1914.17 MB/s | 1839.49 MB/s |
| Multithreaded Test 3 / Grammar Check | 2.82 KB/s | 2.7 KB/s |
| File Decryption | 54.11 MB/s | 51.35 MB/s |
| Audio Conversion | 2496.87 KB/s | 2351.46 KB/s |
| Web Page Rendering | 5.27 Pages/s | 5.02 Pages/s |
| DivX Video Compression | 51.71 FPS | 46.8 FPS |
| Physics Calculation and 3D | 159.19 FPS | 92.38 FPS |
| Graphics Memory - 64 Lines | 868.44 FPS | 355.11 FPS |
| Futuremark 3DMark05 Scores | ||
| 3DMark Score | 727 3DMarks | 225 3D Marks |
| CPU Score | 3414 CPUMarks | 2025 CPUMarks |
| Gaming Tests | ||
| GT1 - Return To Proxycon | 3.3 FPS | 0.9 FPS |
| GT2 - Firefly Forest | 2.2 FPS | 0.7 FPS |
| GT3 - Canyon Flight | 3.4 FPS | 1.1 FPS |
| CPU Tests | ||
| CPU Test 1 | 1.18 FPS | 1.2 FPS |
| CPU Test 2 | 2.9 FPS | 1.5 FPS |
HDTune benchmark results:
Keyboard and Touchpad:
The Sony S550 provides a full size keyboard with plenty of room to rest your palms and good tactile feedback. I have read reports of the keyboard feeling "mushy" but I do not agree. I touch-type about 60wpm and the keyboard works just fine.
The touchpad is well placed and does not interfere with touch-typing. The buttons have changed from the oblong, shiny silver buttons found on previous S series notbooks to a flush, brushed alluminum, similar to the Apple Titanum series notebooks. Responsiveness is adequate for standard mouse use. I use an Iogear Bluetooth mouse mainly because I am heavy handed and I press too hard on my fingertip causing pain at the DIP joint of my index finger.
S550 Touchpad (view larger image)
Sony S270 Touchpad (view larger image)
Input and Output Ports:
I/O ports are plentiful. The S550 comes with 2USB 2.0 ports, a 4 pin 1394 Firewire port along with a Sony Memory stick reader, a VGA Video Out port, RJ11 modem and RJ45 Network jacks, along with microphone and headphone ports. All ports are on the sides of the unit rather than the back to accommodate the unique screen hinges.
Sony VAIO S550 right side ports (view larger image)
Sony VAIO S550 left side ports (view larger image)
Much like the stealth bomber, the I/O ports are covered with attached rubberized plastic covers that maintain the sleek VAIO look. At first touch, these covers felt flimsy to me and I was afraid they would break off (of my S270) but having removed and replaced these covers everyday for the past 4 months they feel good as new.
The unit comes with a PCIMCIA port along with a Sony MagiGate port. Here is where I have a big issue with Sony pushing its own technology. The Dell m700 has a multi-card reader, as do many other notebooks. So if you don't already own technology that uses Sony Memory Sticks you are forced to go out and buy a PCMCIA or USB card reader for the unit. I wish Sony would relent and provide a multi-card reader in their laptops that supported other technologies besides their proprietary memory stick.
Wireless:
Wireless light indicator (view larger image)
I ordered the unit with 802.11b/g wireless but not with Bluetooth. The reason for this was to avoid having to custom configure it and risk not having it in time for Christmas. I found it odd that Sony did not include Bluetooth in a pre-built configuration and am disappointed about that one (my S270 has Bluetooth). There is also no infra-red port on the unit. Granted, this is a minor nuance, but it would have been nice to know it was there if I needed it.
Battery:
Battery lasted 3 hours running at full screen brightness and wi-fi on. The battery itself sits underneath the unit towards the back and does not stick out at all. As with all S-series notebooks there is some battery rattle but it is hardly noticeable and does not affect performance.
Operating System and Software:
The unit came configured with Microsoft XP Home Edition with SP2 as well as the following software:
Their Click to DVD suite is very usable. I have used it to create quick videos from my camcorder and transfer them to DVD. With the exception of MS Works, Quicken 2005, Roxio, Sonic Stage and the Sony Suite, all other software are trials and expire after 3 to 6 months.
Sony also includes their VAIO Recovery Media Center which I highly recommend you run as one of the first things you do. It is the only way to obtain your recovery disks and it will only create a single set of recovery disks. So once created, store them in a safe place.
The VAIO Central is a Control Panel applet that gives you access to many of the unit settings in one central location. It reminds me of the Microsoft Windows Powertoy: Tweak UI. You can do everything from manage your power settings to disable the VAIO boot animation. And speaking of the VAIO Power Management utility, it rocks. You can tweak several settings to squeeze every last bit of juice from the battery. I have set up my S270 to last as long as 5 hours...but that is with EVERYTHING turned down. And last but not least, the Sony VAIO Wireless utility does a nice job of walking you through connecting to a wireless network.
In summary, I'd say the Sony VAIO tools are worth your time while the value of the other software depends on what you plan to do with the unit.
Customer Support:
My only experience with Sony Customer support was the situation I mentioned at the beginning of this review. They accepted not one, but two laptops back because of a single dead pixel. I waited for less than 5 minutes both times when calling Sony support and found their staff courteous and helpful.
Like Compaq and Dell, Sony has outsourced their technical support to India. The technician was very courteous and polite. However it is clear to me that they follow a tightly scripted sequence of questions when troubleshooting. I initiated contact with technical support both times via email and received a response within 12 hours both times. Sending the emails first helped me fly through the script with the technician as the technician who sent the email used the same script so I had already gone through the steps on my own.
The warranty is the standard 1 year parts and labor with the 30 day return for any reason that I mentioned earlier. Sony provides extended warranties for a price however I have seen them offer 2 year warranties as a special incentive when you buy on line.
Complaints:
While the S550P/S is a terrific machine it is not without flaws. The right palm rest generates a noticeable amount of heat during prolonged use. It is not uncomfortable but it is noticeable. I also think Sony goofed when selecting the AC adapter. The thing is nearly .9lbs! I have included a photo comparing the S550 adapter with the S270 adapter...Sony should realize that the adapter adds travel weight and affects overall portability of the system. I'm also disappointed that Sony did not include Bluetooth and Infra-red in their preconfigured units...these are two basic technologies that really complete the overall package not including them is penny wise and pound foolish. And lastly, Sony should nix the memorygate and allow you to make more than a single copy of your Recovery Disks.
Power adapter too big? The S550 is much bigger than the S270 adapter (view larger image)
Praises:
The S550 is a real joy to own. It's like driving a new car...it just makes you feel good. Sony continues to improve on an already successful design. The infamous battery rattle' is grately diminished and the brushed Silver exterior is functional and aesthetically pleasing. The flushed track pad buttons are a nice touch along with the black boarder around the LCD display. Touch-typing is a breeze on the full size keyboard and all of this is packed into a package under 4.5 lbs.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, I would completely recommend this laptop to the mobile professional or serious student. Sony has created the perfectly sized laptop and allows the consumer to configure it to meet their needs. If you are someone who needs a reliable, comfortable, sub 5lb notebook look no further. However do take the time to go through the specs because you can go bare bones for a basic wireless workhorse or you can max out the configuration and create an ultra portable desktop replacement.
Pros:
Cons:
Pricing and Availability: Sony VAIO S550P/S
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