Sony Vaio T13 SVT13112FXS

Competitive pricing has driven the cost of some Ultrabooks south of $800. Critics say the Sony Vaio T13 SVT13112FXS is the best cheap Ultrabook option, although the Lenovo IdeaPad U310 (*Est. $630 and up) also attracts some mostly positive buzz.

The Sony Ultrabook easily handles everyday computing tasks.

The combination of 4 GB of RAM and a third-generation Core i5 processor handles all but the most demanding chores smoothly, even though the CPU is a power-saving low-voltage model. A 32 GB solid-state drive teams with a standard 500 GB hard drive and provides boot-up times of less than 30 seconds and faster loading of frequently used applications. The Sony Vaio T13 also has an above-average battery life. Gamers will want to look elsewhere, however, as the integrated Intel graphics don't deliver playable frame rates. Critics recommend the Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 (Discontinued) and its discrete Nvidia graphics for that role, though it has a bit more heft.

The keyboard and touchpad draw mixed reviews.

The 13-inch Ultrabook is only 0.71-inches thick and weighs less than half a pound, so it's easy to lug around. Overall, reviewers say the non-backlit keyboard is solid and sturdy, although some find the shallow keys to be a bit uncomfortable. The biggest bone of contention is the touchpad, which doesn't have separate mouse buttons and instead relies on clicking down on the surface itself. Around half the reviewers think it's efficient and natural, while the other half find it jumpy and awkward, though not so bad as to render the notebook useless. Critics unanimously love the wide port selection, though the Sony Vaio T13 lacks an optical drive.

The beautiful case hides a lackluster screen.

The thin, brushed aluminum notebook is sure to turn heads, reviewers say. Unfortunately, they also say the Ultrabook's display will also crane necks thanks to its poor viewing angles and slightly dim screen. The 1,366-by-768-pixel display resolution is also slightly lower than experts like to see. The Vaio T13's speakers are loud, but audio quality is hollow and lifeless, experts report.

Sony has a reputation for good customer support.

The company offers email and phone support for its Vaio laptops along with helpful web-based FAQs and forums. Sony won a 2012 Readers' Choice award from PCMag.com in both the "work" and "less than a year old" categories for their reliable quality.

The Sony Vaio T13 is a good value -- for an Ultrabook.

The system components perform well, the notebook itself is lightweight and attractive, and Sony has good brand reliability. However, if the ultrathin form factor isn't a must-have, you can find full-sized notebooks with more powerful components for a similar price, such as the Acer notebook mentioned above

Most of the top review sources subject the Sony Vaio T13 to stringent testing-based reviews, including PCMag.com, CNET, Laptop Magazine, ComputerShopper.com and others.