I must admit that I was not expecting the world when I picked up the slightly less capable A0 model of the Vizio CT-14 ultrabook as a secondary notebook to take on vacation, for general family use if one of the main computers goes off into the weeds, or perhaps to use a dedicated Linux machine.
The build quality of the CT-14 is solid and the unit has a sleek, attractive design. The Intel Core i3 processor on my particular model is plenty fast, so the Core i5 in this model should be terrific. I love the clear, bright 14-inch display and the 1600 x 900 resolution; too many ultrabooks offer only the generic low-end 1366 x 768 resolution.
The keyboard is a joy to type on and I'm finding that I like the slightly larger beveled keys far more than the traditional island-style keys on my Sony laptop. I noticed a bit of keyboard flex, but I'm a heavy typer and have experienced some degree of flex on every laptop/notebook I've ever used; the keyboard is still top-notch as far as I am concerned. Because of the types of computing tasks I do, I typically use a Bluetooth mouse with laptops/notebooks more than I do the trackpad, but I think that I can get used to this trackpad; by the way, there is a driver update for the trackpad on Vizio's site.
Sound quality was better than I expected, although I don't typically listen to music while working and am no audiophile. There is a full-sized (not micro# HDMI port.
A big plus for me is that this computer is a Microsoft Signature model, meaning that it comes with a clean Windows 7 #Home Premium 64-bit# installation. There is none of the typical crapware to uninstall. The customary software amenities are already present, such as Microsoft Security Essentials, Adobe Reader, Flash Player, and so on. The SSD has no funky partitioning scheme to undo; there is just a single partition. I appreciated not having to waste any time getting the system set up and running properly.
I've been averaging about 4-1/2 hours of battery life on my unit. That's not stellar compared to some other ultrabooks; on the other hand, perhaps a larger battery would have resulted in a bulkier, heavier machine with less pleasing aesthetics.
Three possible cons:
1.) There is no SD card slot; you can easily find an inexpensive USB adapter for your flash memory cards if that is an issue, but without a dedicated slot, you won't be able to keep an SD card permanently mounted as a sort of secondary hard disk for extra storage.
2.) There are only two USB ports, one on each side; the good news is that they are both USB 3.0.
3.) The keyboard is not backlit; however, the screen is bright and the keyboard is silver, if that helps.
My humble suggestions to Vizio for future models:
1.) Include an SD card slot.
2.) Ensure that two USB ports are on the same side of the computer #as two are usually required when connecting an external USB-powered optical drive).
3.) Include high-end models with larger SSDs and more memory #256-GB SSD and 8-GB memory options would be sweet).
4.) Offer Windows 7 "Pro" versions on some models.
5.) Keyboard backlighting is not a deal-breaking issue for me, but many find it to be a useful feature, so why not include it?
If none of the cons represent a problem for you, it is difficult not to like this machine. It seems that Vizio sat back and watched the ultrabook market develop, learned from the mistakes of others, and only then released an initial series of excellent ultrabooks that hit most of the right notes. I look forward to seeing more from Vizio in the ultrabook market.
