A year ago, Sony's stylish, pricy Vaio PCs silently disappeared when Sony sold journey brand. Now, Vaio is back -- as its personal company -- with a tablet directed at professionals. Starting at $2, 200 in america, the new 12. 3-inch Vaio Z Canvas is a full Windows 10 computer using a detachable keyboard, a battery-powered stylus, a ultra-high-res screen and enough horsepower to operate video editing software also to create 3D animation.
Vaio Z Canvas Tablet PC review
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| Vaio Z Canvas Tablet PC review |
But once again, I'm not the target audience for this computer. Well, i found someone better.
Viva Tung is usually an art director at CNET. She creates items of attractive, functional 3D art that come in our videos, and she uses a stylus daily. She has a Wacom Intuos4 tablet: a huge, flat drawing surface which she shacks up to her Mac Pro to manage two monitors simultaneously. She's gotten so great at using that stylus that she prefers it to your mouse.
The answer ended up being no. "My Wacom is a lot more responsive, " said Tung, the first time she took the Z Canvas stylus to get a spin. Sure enough, watching her work, I could view the Z Canvas's mouse cursor lagging guiding her movements. It just couldn't carry on.
Tung also didn't appreciate how small the 12. 3-inch surface could feel under the woman's pen. "Aiming at something is difficult without investigating the tablet, " your lover related. And when she discovered that her stylus could only control certainly one of her external monitors at the same time -- not both of them -- it was very clear the Z Canvas wouldn't certainly be a good desktop replacement on her.
But what if Tung had a hardcore deadline and needed to look at some work home? No more than her Mac Pro may very well be, the jet black container isn't exactly portable, and a MacBook Pro doesn't contain the stylus she prefers applying. I wondered if your lover could work more comfortably using a Vaio Z Canvas inside her bag, and figured the answer was no.
Vaio Z Canvas Tablet PC review
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| Vaio Z Canvas Tablet PC review |
I underestimated your Vaio's potency. The essential, she told me, would be if your computer could render 3D animation away from home. (Tung got her fresh Mac Pro when it been found a MacBook Pro couldn't handle her intensive workflow. )
We tried rendering available nearly 2GB of animation she'd suitable for a CNET Smart Home video utilizing a program called Cinema4D. We started it around the Mac Pro and Z . Canvas simultaneously, and watched as all the Core i7 processor's CPU cores lit nearly render the scene. The actual Mac Pro finished considerably faster, of course, within 2 and half minutes -- but it really only took 6 minutes with the Z Canvas to full. "It's pretty good! inches Tung exclaimed. Not dangerous to a computer that fits in the tiny messenger bag.
When all was said and done, Tung still had some reservations, like the annoyance connected with switching to Windows 10 when she's so used to OS X on a Mac. But she could see herself having a Z Canvas home. "Now that we see how it renders, I would. To finish off something. "
Take the strong anodized aluminum base of an MacBook Pro, squeeze it into 12 inches, then embed a touchscreen. That's the Vaio Z Canvas to put it succinctly: a squat silver state. You'd find it very thick and heavy beside a iPad, but is in reality remarkably thin and light when compared with laptops with the same level of processing power.
Specs
| Vaio Z Canvas | Surface Pro 4 | Surface Book | 13-inch MacBook Pro | 15-inch MacBook Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (USD) | $2,199 | $899 | $1,499 | $1,299 | $1,999 |
| Price with keyboard | $2,199 | $1,030 | $1,499 | $1,299 | $1,999 |
| Display | 12.3-inch 2,560x1,704-pixel resolution | 12.3-inch 2,736x1,824-pixel resolution | 13.5-inch 3,000x2,000-pixel resolution | 13.3-inch 2,560x1,600-pixel resolution | 15.4-inch 2,880x1,800-pixel resolution |
| Pixel density | 250 | 267 | 267 | 227 | 220 |
| Dimensions (imperial) | 11.85 x 8.39 x 0.54 inches | 11.50 x 7.93 x 0.33 inches | 8.67 x 12.3 x 0.30 inches | 12.35 x 8.62 x 0.71 inches | 14.13 x 9.73 x 0.71 inches |
| Dimensions (metric) | 301 x 213 x 13.7mm | 292 x 201 x 8.4mm | 220 x 312 x 7.7mm | 314 x 219 x 18mm | 359 x 247 x 18mm |
| Weight | 2.67 lbs (1211g) | 1.69 lbs (766g) for Core M, 1.73 lbs (786g) for Core i | 1.6 lbs (726g) | 3.48 lbs (1580g) | 4.49 lbs (2040g) |
| Thickness with keyboard | 0.71 inches (18mm) | 0.51 inches (13.1mm) | 0.9 inches (22.8mm) | 0.71 inches (18mm) | 0.71 inches (18mm) |
| Weight with keyboard | 3.42 lbs (1551g) | 2.33 lbs (1057g) for Core M, 2.37 lbs (1075g) for Core i | 3.48 lbs (1579g) | 3.48 lbs (1580g) | 4.49 lbs (2040g) |
| Operating system | Windows 10 Pro | Windows 10 Pro | Windows 10 Pro | OS X El Capitan | OS X El Capitan |
| Processors | 2.2GHz 4-core Intel Core i7-4770HQ | Up to 6th-gen 2-core Intel Core i7 | Up to 6th-gen 2-core Intel Core i7 | Up to 5th-gen 3.1GHz 2-core Intel Core i7 | Up to 5th-gen 2.8GHz 4-core Intel Core i7 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Pro 5200 | Up to Intel Iris 540 | Intel HD 520 or Nvidia GeForce | Intel Iris 6100 | Up to AMD Radeon R9 M370X |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| RAM | 8GB / 16GB | 4GB / 8GB / 16GB | 8GB / 16GB | 8GB / 16GB | 16GB |
| Battery | No mfgr estimate | Up to 9 hours video playback | Up to 12 hours video playback | Up to 12 hours video playback | Up to 9 hours video playback |
| Networking | 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1 | 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Ports | 2x USB 3.0, 1x Mini DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, 1x SD card reader, 1x Gigabit Ethernet | 1x USB 3.0, 1x Mini DisplayPort, 1x SurfaceConnect (charging and docking), 1 x headset jack | 2x USB 3.0, 1x SD card reader, 1x Mini DisplayPort, 1x SurfaceConnect (charging and docking), 1x headset jack | 2x USB 3.0, 2x Thunderbolt 2, 1x HDMI, 1x SD card reader, 1x headset jack, 1x MagSafe 2 (charging) | 2x USB 3.0, 2x Thunderbolt 2, 1x HDMI, 1x SD card reader, 1x headset jack, 1x MagSafe 2 (charging) |
| Cameras | 720p front webcam, 8MP back | 5MP front, 8MP back, Windows Hello face authentication | 5MP front, 8MP back | 720p front webcam | 720p front webcam |
| Hinge | Freely positionable from flat to upright | Freely positionable to 150 degrees | Freely positionable to 125 degrees, tablet reversible | Freely positionable to 135 degrees | Freely positionable to 135 degrees |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Extras | Included stylus and detachable wireless keyboard cover w/ built-in touchpad | Included stylus, $129 Type Cover, $159 Type Cover with fingerprint sensor | Included keyboard dock with built-in Nvidia GPU, included stylus | Force Touch trackpad | Force Touch trackpad |
While I wouldn't say the Canvas wil attract, it's got a particular workmanlike sensibility. I didn't tried dropping it or perhaps bashing it with instruments, but it feels as it would survive a several beatings. Vaio claims the tempered glass screen was created to withstand a fall through any angle. Which will be good because -- on 2. 67 pounds -- this tablet weighs greater than some laptops.
But gosh, does the Z Canvas possess a gorgeous display underneath that edge-to-edge glass frame. If we're referring to crisp, clear and lovely displays, the 12. 3-inch, 2, 560x1, 704-resolution panel on this PC is right up there with the Retina displays you'll find by using an iPad or high-end MacBook. I'm a little bit of an amateur photographer, and it's an absolute joy to think about my pictures on this screen.
Vaio Z Canvas Tablet PC review
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| Vaio Z Canvas Tablet PC review |
Know that 12. 3 diagonal inches could make for a pretty little viewing area, and the backlight bleeds a bit, too; if you look at the screen from off-center, you will observe bright white lines in which the borders of the screen satisfy the glass-covered bezels. Not reasons for concern, just something to be aware of.
The built-in kickstand and keyboard will probably be a major reason to buy or to avoid your Vaio Z Canvas, according to your perspective. I are unable to emphasize this enough: this isn't a convertible laptop. It is just a tablet that belongs on a desk. The clever spring-loaded kickstand isn't meant to prop it up with your lap; it's designed to resist the pressure of your respective finger or stylus tip since you press down to sketch, and yet easily let you lift it up to help any angle. (It does that beautifully, by the way in which. )
Similarly, the detachable keyboard cover doesn't have just about any hinge to permanently connect it for the tablet. Instead, think of it as being a wireless keyboard and touchpad which you can use to enter keyboard cutting corners with one hand because you use the stylus with the other. It does physically hook up to the tablet to impose while it's protecting your current screen, which is very cool.
And while you're obtaining a thin keyboard and a pretty small touchpad here, both of them work surprisingly well. I'm typing these very words around the Z Canvas keyboard, and I'm locating the keys well-spaced and quite responsive. I just wish the keys had a little more cushion; I wouldn't want to write a novel upon here.
Not that We ever would. The Vaio Z Canvas makes probably the most sense when docked with very much peripherals, including an external mouse and keyboard. I just now prop the tablet through to a stand, hook up a pair of big 24-inch external displays, an Ethernet cable, a mouse, keyboard and some headphones, and then my personal three-screen desktop setup will be complete. If I want to attend a coffee shop, I just now rip out all your cables, slap on your keyboard cover, and crease it under my adjustable rate mortgage. Easy.
Vaio Z Canvas Tablet PC review
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| Vaio Z Canvas Tablet PC review |
The Vaio's also excellent for editing my dSLR photos around the fly if I step out on a shoot, as a result of the full-size SD slot machine game and fantastic screen. I also saw the item last 5 hours on a charge in our rather lightweight video rundown test, which probably means you wouldn't want to edit a long video without the AC adapter -- but it should be just fine for a photography session.
What's your catch? I can do everything I just now mentioned with a 15-inch MacBook Expert ($1, 999, £1, 599, AU$2, 799) in the same way easily, and without needing a flat surface to prop it up or a power brick. If an individual ask me, both your $1, 028, £858, AU$1, 548 Microsoft Surface Pro 4 additionally Type Cover and $1, 500, AU$2, 299 Surface Book -- while slightly slower at computing tasks -- have an overabundance of comfortable keyboards and more responsive stylii than this machine.
Even the fresh $799, £679 or AU$1, 249 iPad Pro has a better stylus. We found the $99, £79 or AU$165 Apple Pencil slightly better for handwriting and rough sketching, though their library of professional croping and editing software and keyboard cutting corners aren't nearly as sturdy as OS X or perhaps Windows.
If you only need many of the things the Vaio Z Canvas are capable of doing, it's probably not the computer in your case. It's a package work, and you should know that package includes a stylus that may not satisfy the needs you have. You should really test it out first if you receive the chance.
But if you're dead set by using an exceptionally portable, powerful House windows tablet, it's not a bad choice either. The Vaio Z Canvas is far too expensive for anyone outside a distinct segment audience of creative pros, but it offers people folks more performance than we've affecting a computer this size before.
And that impressive display of engineering might signal better circumstances to come. Maybe Vaio could make this machine even stronger, or cheaper, or discover how to let us use it as being a laptop as well. That is just the first generation on the new Vaio computer, and I'm already eager for the next one.
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