Note: This review started out as a 3-star review. In my final update, I explain why it graduated to a 5-star review.
I wanted a new computer with Windows 7 but none could be found, so I settled for this one. I like the looks of it and the weight, but I have zero interest in using Microsoft's tile desktop. To avoid it, all you have to do is hit the Windows button on the keyboard and you'll have what looks pretty much like a Windows 7 desktop. That increased my comfort level considerably.
However, the touch pad has a mind of its own. When typing, I must be swiping the touch pad because windows keep re-sizing themselves. Very frustrating. Speaking of sizing, I don't know whose eyes can see the default font size. I just know for sure it's not my eyes. I've had to go through all my bookmarks, boosting the display to 120% or 133%.
Scrolling is a real pain. I intend to look for instructions on how to use the touch pad with more skill. Everything I've done so far is just following all my learned habits with touch pads, which I've been using exclusively for many years. This touch pad is like nothing I've ever used before. In addition to the scrolling headache, just plain clicking is different. You have to be in the upper center part of the touch pad for the computer to respond.
And now about the "night shift" lighting on the keyboard: It would be fine if I could turn off the lights when I don't want them. They're extremely distracting during daylight. When the room goes dark, the keyboard is great. A nice improvement. But during daylight, the lights that go around the keys are parallel lines of bright lights that glare and distract. The lighting has zero benefit, and a considerable dis-benefit. As I get into the documentation that came with the computer, I may find they can be turned off. If so, I'll update this review. The lights would be fine if you're sitting right above the keyboard and looking down, but I surf in the comfort of a recliner, so the laptop is in my lap and at an angle so I'm looking right at the lines of light, three per key along the under side of the keys.
It's also more than a little maddening to try to find all the familiar settings so easily available in Windows 7. I've been able to do much of what I wanted to accomplish when setting defaults, but it was not without considerable effort -trial and error.
I thought the tiles (which I intend to never use) were supposed to be responsive to touch, but they aren't on my computer. Maybe I was just mistaken about the model (this one) I ordered.
I have ordered a keyboard skin from Sony that will probably cover the lights that are such a bother to me in a well-lighted room. If not, I'll also update the review to reflect that.
I give the OS one-star because it's cumbersome and unfamiliar -and I'm doubting I'll ever adapt to the touch pad. That drags down my overall rating to three stars. If this baby came with Windows 7, I'd be giving it four stars -knocking off that fifth star because of the way the keyboard lights look in daylight.
Update: I just played some videos and was very disappointed in the quality (or lack thereof) of the speakers. There's a hollowness to the sound that I do not like, and I doubt many people would.
Another Update: The lights on the keyboard can be turned off, but when you want them on again you have to go into your settings and reactivate them. It's not worth the trouble.
With zoom turned off on the touch pad, I find the touch pad far more user friendly. My pages are no longer changing sizes without my intending to make that happen.
Scrolling problems I was having have been solved by simply using the arrow keys to zip through a page.
Something else that may be important to those considering buying this computer is that, according the Sony tech rep, this model does NOT have a touch screen. When ordering I assumed it did, but the lack of it doesn't matter to me. I'll never use the tile screen -but it may matter to someone else wanting to use the tiles on the Win8 desktop.
Now that I have things more under my control, I'm liking the computer enough to un-do my original three-star rating to now give this laptop 5 stars despite a few quibbles that remain (for example, the rather lousy speakers). And there's one big plus I learned today from a Sony tech rep: the letters on the keys will never wear off. As someone who wears letters off within six months of use, this is great news. The reason the keys won't wear off is because of how they're designed to let the light shine through. I had ordered a skin to prevent wear and the rep said it's still a good idea to use the skin to prevent damage to the keyboard from liquids. She said the lights will still shine through the skin.
Many thanks to the commenter who suggested I download the free Classic Shell program. It is far better than just hitting the Windows key as I suggested above.
One more thing: Every darn time you resume your computer after having closed the lid, you have to sign into your Microsoft account again and enter a password. The password cannot be saved to spare you the trouble of typing. If you don't have a Microsoft account, you must create one when first firing up the computer. (If you're more computer-savvy than I am, you can avoid that need to always type a password if you know how to set up a second account that has no password. Sony tech support walked me through that, but I lost the settings when I had to restore the computer to an earlier time and I didn't want to go thru multiple phone calls again to do it all over again. Why multiple? Because some Sony tech support reps say it can't be done; you have to call till you find one who admits it can be done and helps you do it.)
Another update: Sony's skin for this model's keyboard arrived today. For me, it's 25 bucks down the drain. The Sony tech rep was right: the light does shine through the skin, but in a hazy sort of way. But that's not my complaint. It formed a very small ridge at the bottom of the space bar and I did not like the way that felt each time I hit the space bar. I kept the skin on the keyboard less than five minutes. Its not working out is not a loss, other than money-wise, because I'm feeling quite comfortable with the lighted keyboard now that I've spent several days with it.
Final (I think) update: As is pointed out in another review, the wifi on this model is giving some people big problems. I experienced the same thing -getting kicked off the internet many times per day. I called Sony support several times and they tried lots of "fixes" that didn't fix the problem. I decided to try a different router and that made all the difference in the world. I bought a Medialink router here on Amazon. Now I always have four or five bars and I stay connected. But be aware that there are lots of people who haven't been able to get the problem resolved (as of 8-25-13) judging from all the complaints on Sony's website (linked to in the "warning" review on this page). What they describe is what I experienced until getting the Medialink router. However, if you want to use the laptop away from your router in other hot spots, you may be very disappointed in the wifi's speed, range, and/or ability to stay connected to the Internet. Many owners are hoping Sony will issue a fix for the problem, but so far the only solution I've found is the Medialink router. I never take my laptop away from home, so hot spot use isn't an issue for me.
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The velocity of the WiFi is an issue. My five years Toshiba Satellite works better. It seems that above 100 ft. the signal is lost. I read similar complaints and chat support doesn't help. You can read other complaints in this site: http://community.sony.com/t5/VAIO-Hardware-Networking/VAIO-Fit-slow-wifi/td-p/143697.
UP TO DATE NEWS!! I took my Vaio to the Sony Store at Escazu Costa Rica. After the technician installed some drivers the laptop kept worked bad. They gave me other Laptop and it has been working pretty well with signal strenght. I am grateful that I didn t buy the laptop by internet!!
Best Deals for Sony VAIO Fit Series SVF14214CXB 14-Inch Core i5 Laptop
User friendly model, and works just fine with all softwares. It a little slow with autocad 2014 especially on the block editing, All else its liveable especially with windows 8
Honest reviews on Sony VAIO Fit Series SVF14214CXB 14-Inch Core i5 Laptop
It would be a great laptop if it would stay connected to wifi. After about 2 months I need to disconnect and reconnect after every time I open it, and about every 10-15 min. The laptop thinks it is connected to the internet but its really not, something to do with this model having faulty wireless cards. The only fix I've seen is to replace the card on your own dime.
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On my hyper-expensive Sony Vaio fit running Windows 8, I get regular crashes I think associated with BlackBerry link. But a known problem since at least January 2013 is that the wifi is appallingly bad. It drops intermittently and fails all the time. Sony know this, but have failed to do anything about it just google sony vaio wifi fit problems for information...
The worst thing is that Sony have surrounded themselves with layer upon layer of "customer service" people who they have turned into terrible jobsworths with procedures and rules. They have multiple layers, long queues, they stick to the rules, they don't call back when they promise to do so.
Never, ever buy a Sony Vaio and if you do, make sure you get the onsite warranty, and a spare laptop for when it's away getting repaired..
