Sony VAIO E Series 14in review

For some, the mere sight of that four-letter VAIO logo is enough to inspire irrational desire. But in a world where Sony’s brand cachet alone can loosen wallets, the latest addition to its E Series family, the 14in VAIO VPCEA1S1E/L, is the laptop equivalent of Marmite.

We’d barely plugged it in before the comments began. Two PC Pro writers ambled by, caught sight of the unmissable Sony and, as if struck by lightning, stopped dead on the spot. What one said is wholly unprintable; the other, meanwhile, gave the E Series a loving fumble and cooed appreciatively.
Attention grabbing
Love it or hate it, the eye-popping aqua blue of this VAIO certainly grabs the attention. It’s not often that we find ourselves transfixed by a lid, but the Sony’s is something special. Ripples of tiny, dark dots radiate out from the silver VAIO logo that seemingly floats a few millimetres above. If you’re one of the 43 people worldwide who’ve always longed for a pseudo-holographic effect on the lid of your next laptop, you’re in luck.

The striking blue continues inside. Those darker dots fade through the wristrest, echoed by a strip of pin-pricks sweeping across the top edge of a keyboard that cuts a bold, black swathe through the middle. Keyboard
Although it's the smallest of Sony's E Series, with a 14in screen, that keyboard is a sensible as it looks. Every key falls nicely under the finger and releases with a dainty click, and while the Sony isn't lightweight at 2.29kg, build quality is well up there with the best in its price bracket. Unlike many portables, the Sony’s lid genuinely seems to guard the TFT panel inside and despite prodding, poking and the most impolite twisting actions, the E Series proved remarkably resilient.