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Design-wise, I wanted something off the beaten path, and I wanted a Blu-ray player. I also needed the most computing power for my money. I also needed a reliable wireless LAN antenna. Beyond that, I'm like everyone else, in that I wanted my new computer to be light-years beyond the old deck I was replacing (a 6 year-old Compaq Presario 2100US).



SPECS:

• Built-in Devices Bluetooth antenna , Wireless LAN antenna
• Width 15.1 in
• Depth 10.3 in
• Height 1.5 in
• Weight 6.4 lbs
• Color Midnight black
• Notebook type Mid-size laptop
  
• Screen type Widescreen
• Wireless capabilities IEEE 802.11g , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11 n (draft) , Bluetooth

Processor

• Processor Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 / 2.26 GHz
• Multi-Core processor technology Dual-Core
• 64-bit processor
• Data bus speed 1066 MHz
• Chipset type Mobile Intel GM45 Express

Cache Memory

• Type L2 cache
• Cache size 3 MB

RAM

• Installed Size 4 GB / 8 GB (max)
• Technology DDR2 SDRAM - 800 MHz
• Memory specification compliance PC2-6400
• RAM configuration features 2 x 2 GB

Environmental Parameters

• Environmental standards RoHS , EPA Energy Star

Storage Controller

• Storage controller type Serial AT

Storage

• Floppy Drive None
• Hard Drive 320 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
• Storage Removable None
• Hard drive type Portable

Optical Storage

• Type DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM / BD-ROM - Integrated

Card Reader

• Supported flash memory cards Memory Stick , SD Memory Card , Memory Stick Duo , Memory Stick Pro

Display

• Display Type 16.4 in TFT active matrix
• Max Resolution 1600 x 900 ( WXGA++ )
• Widescreen Display
• Features X BRITE-ECO

Video

• Graphics Processor / Vendor Intel GMA 4500MHD Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
• Total Available Graphics Memory 1750 MB

Audio

• Audio output type Sound card
• Audio output compliant standards Dolby Sound Room
• Audio Input Microphone

Notebook Camera

• Camera Type Integrated
• Sensor Resolution 1.3 Megapixel

Input Device(s)

• Input device type Keyboard , Touchpad
• Keyboard localization and layout QWERTY

Telecom

• Modem Fax / modem
• Protocols & Specifications ITU V.90 , ITU V.92

Networking

• Networking Network adapter
• Networking / Wireless LAN Supported Yes
• Wireless NIC Intel WiFi Link 5100
• Data link protocol Ethernet , IEEE 802.11a , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , Fast Ethernet , Gigabit Ethernet , Bluetooth 2.1 EDR , IEEE 802.11n (draft)
• Networking standards IEEE 802.11a , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , Bluetooth 2.1 , IEEE 802.11n (draft)

Expansion / Connectivity

• Expansion Slots Total (Free) 2 ( 0 ) x Memory , 1 ( 1 ) x ExpressCard/34
• Interfaces 1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm , 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 4 pin FireWire , 3 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A , 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) , 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45 , 1 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11 , 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm , 1 x Audio / video - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI Type A

Power

• Power device form factor External

Battery

• Technology Lithium ion
• Installed Qty 1
• Mfr estimated battery life 2.5 hour(s)

Operating System / Software

• OS Provided Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
• Bloatware VAIO Music Box , VAIO Media Plus , VAIO Movie Story , Microsoft Works 9 SE , VAIO Help and Support , VAIO Startup Assistant , AOL Online (90 days trial) , Sony Click to Disc Editor 1.0 , Microsoft Windows Live OneCare (Trial) , Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition (60 days trial)

Manufacturer Warranty

• Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year , Technical support - Phone consulting - 1 year

REVIEW

What's in the Box:

Everything I needed to get up & running, EXCEPT FOR recovery disks, those bastard skin-flints....


Design

Aesthetics are elegant and definitely unique. The company that designed this for Sony gave them a nice sexy box to market. One of the main reasons I buy anything is the way it looks, and this design sold me on Sony.


Screen:

Picture quality & viewing angle are both fine. Level of brightness is responsive. I did not get a separate video card -- something I'm still kicking myself for -- so brightness isn't as remarkable as Sony decks with both a video card and full HD 1080p capability. I know this because my wife's machine has the FullHD configuration, and her screen brightness blows mine away. If you're buying a Sony deck, spend the extra $$ for a good video card and choose the Full HD 1080p option. Sony's screens are remarkable for their clarity, brightness, detail, and vivid colors. You've never seen a great laptop screen until you've seen a Sony w/graphics card & 1080p screen.


Touchpad

The touchpad is annoying, and I mean ANNOYING. You can't just move your cursor by touching anywhere on the pad--you've got to keep your fingers to the left of the pad, or your cursor doesn't move. The mouse buttons are louder than they should be. The scroll feature works only if you have the corresponding Sony driver installed.



Features:

LEDS
LEDs are on the left front. They indicate HD activity, battery use, and wireless access.

Wifi –
The onboard wi-fi is easy to use and gets strong signals. I've used this feature 5hrs. daily since October '08 and it works flawlessly. Very happy with it.

Speakers
The built-in speakers are as good as you'd expect for an onboard sound chip, with no subwoofer.


Input and Output Ports

Front:
MagicGate card slot, which I've never used.


Webcam Pictures
Has a built in webcam, also which I've never used.


Right Side:
Standard array of ports on the right side, along w/DVD tray. Sony does something weird by lining up all three USBs toward the front right-hand side. Many times this gets in the way of your typing, depending on what you've got plugged in there. Better to put some in the back, or even have one on the left-hand side.


Left Side:
Standard array of ports on the left side. Has an HDMI out, which I've yet to use.


Rear:
Just one big long hinge.


Bottom:
Usual number of exhaust ports. 1 cooling fan. Has a Battery lock. It also has a Release slider that will snap off if you use it a lot. I remove the battery every day, sometimes several times a day. Well, your release slider can snap off. It took 11 months before it snapped off, but it snapped off.


Benchmarks
This Sony deck isn't for gamers. Benchmarks are pretty pedestrian and ho-hum.


Size and Weight
Computer is not bulky and weight-wise is nicely balanced. It's heavy by today's 13.3" standard, but still it's under 7 pounds. Without the battery, it's surprisingly light for its size. It's all the plastic.


Heat and Noise
Heats up at the back left, where the processors are. Nothing to be alarmed about. You can use it in your lap without scalding your flesh or setting fire to your clothing. Virtually no fan noise.


Battery Life
Battery life is about average. Nothing to write home about. The extended battery is the way to go, but boy does that add to the weight of the thing. I wouldn't use battery power to watch videos.


Software
'Bloatware' and 'Sony' seem to be synonymous terms these days. I wiped the HD clean & did a fresh install of Vista 64bit.




PROS

• Beautiful to look at

• Quiet HD & fan

• 16:9 aspect ratio perfect for DVD viewing

• Surprisingly light for its size

• Once the bloatware is uninstalled, cold-boot & shut-down are both quick

• Wireless feature is fast and dependable

• Memory max. is 8GB

• Handles multiple applications easily

• Blu-Ray drive is dependable and of good quality

CONS:

• System occasionally hangs. What Windows-based system DOESN'T occasionally hang....

• Chassis is plastic, not aluminum

• My power button -- the one that lights up green and gives Sony machines their famous iconic look -- broke after about a month, due to me balancing the machine on its side several times. I know, I'm the idiot. I didn't realize that the button is just plastic. I called Sony & asked what it would cost to replace, and they wanted $150 AND they wanted me to pick up the S/H. Very disappointing.

• While you're in the middle of typing a sentence, the keyboard has an infuriating habit of jumping to where the cursor happens to be and typing letters there. Suddenly you find yourself typing in the middle of the previous sentence. My wife notices the same problem on her FW190, but not nearly as bad as my model.

• Sony tends to skimp on component quality. Why for example wasn't a $1,300 machine configured w/DDR3 memory, instead of DDR2? And why the 5400 rpm HD instead of the faster 7200 rpm? And why a DVD tray instead of a slot-loader, for crying out loud? At these prices, these features should and must be standard. Dell offers all these features and components for around the same money in their XPS decks. I understand that Sony's an import, but still....

• I wish you could update the video card, instead of having to sell your rig & buy another one.

CONCLUSION:
Sell your rig, get off the grid, and spend quality face-time with those who admire and love you. Failing this ---

Sony offers a good product that could be world-class if they used better components like other companies (Dell comes to mind).

Their customer support isn't the greatest, but most everyone owning a computer today can say this about their comp manufacturer/reseller.

I've had good success with the quantity of updated drivers that they post on their site for this deck, even though the model's been discontinued, so I give them high scores for that.

WARNING -- If you ever need to do a disk wipe of your HD, make sure you go to the Sony site & re-install the proprietary program that works with your recovery disks, otherwise they'll be useless when something happens and you need them.

Great stuff. Would you attach (upload) some pics to the post? You can use the advanced option in the "edit" or use "managing attachment".

REP!

cheers ...