First impressions mean a lot, and from the moment you signed for delivery of your new VAIO SX14, you knew this one was going to be good.

Opening the box and sliding it out of the protective sleeve, you’re drawn in by the glossy casing, the result of a process refined with same craftsmanship you would expect for the finish on sportscar. The lid tilts the keyboard up, which as you press the slim power button in the upper right corner of the brushed aluminum palm rest, feels like the perfect angle to type.

Plugged in and purring to life, you pick it up again just to get a sense of the 2.32 lb weight. That’s the carbon fiber framework. Strong yet flexible, and yet somehow still has the satisfying heft of laptops too large and cumbersome carry around everywhere. And with a generous battery life, this is going to go places with you.

Right away you can tell the 4K Ultra HD option was worth it. Even the startup screens sparkle with life. It’s then you realize you’re sitting in veritable silence. Running a finger under the keyboard you can feel a slight rush of cool air, but you can’t believe it’s from a fan because where is the noise? It’s then you see the ports.

You plug your phone into one of the three USB ports to charge up as you survey the others. There is also a standard-sized SD card slot, a USB Type-C 3.1 port, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, a headphone jack, and a legacy VGA port. No more asking around the office for someone else’s laptop to run this or that. And best of all – and end to the business trip panic in distant hotel conference rooms without connectivity.

You sit back, relax, and consider how you could do a lot worse than the VAIO SX14, but never better.