The Sony VAIO SA that we recently reviewed is available for $750 at NewEgg.com right now, that’s the cheapest I’ve ever seen this premium laptop for. I actually bought it for $799 in a deal at B&H two months ago and didn’t think it would get any cheaper than that. But it has. The specs on the Sony VAIO SA VPCSA3AFX that’s on sale at NewEgg.com is as follows:
- Color: Jet Black
- OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2430M 2.4GHz
- Screen: 13.3" 1600 x 900 resolution, matte finish
- Memory Size: 4GB DDR3
- HD: 500GB
- Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA monitor out, SD card reader, Memory Stick Duo card reader, headphone out, Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45)
- Optical Drive: DVD±R/RW
- Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6630M 1GB VRAM
- Dimensions: 13.04" x 8.84" x 0.92"
- Weight: 3.65 lbs
The big call outs here are the 13.3” 1600 x 900 resolution screen and powerful Intel Core i5 + AMD 6630M combo. There is literally no other 13” screen laptop on the market right now that has a 1600 x 900 screen in this size, which makes it a very popular and unique laptop. The Intel Core i5-2410m and AMD 6630M means the VAIO SA competes in performance with many 15 – 17” screen desktop replacement style laptops. The VAIO SA starts at $899 on Sony.com with these exact same specs configured so the $750 price is a great deal, especially since shipping is free and there are no taxes via NewEgg.com except for California residents.
We recently reviewed the Sony VAIO SA3 and found it to be a great laptop choice for both business professionals and students that can afford more premium laptops for on campus needs.
is the matte screen on this grainy? i’m used to glossy screens.
No, it’s not grainy, it’s actually better than glossy in the sense that it doesn’t reflect a lot of light and cause eye strain. However, the viewing angles are not that great, colors distort at angles greater than 15 degrees.
TY
Late response here, I know, but let me just add that the anti-glare screens on these VAIOs are very nice, and do not suffer from the severe graininess on anti-glare screens from HP, Lenovo, and Samsung. I’ve only seen them in the store, but I’m consistently impressed by them
They’re not traditionally anti-glare in the sense of having a mottled coating or rough surface in front of the image. In fact, at first glance, they appear glossy…except they don’t severely reflect things like a mirror. I consider them semigloss.