Amazon.com Product Description

Delivering powerful performance for your everyday computing needs, the Sony Vaio VGN-FS550 notebook PC is also ready to grow with your multimedia demands. You'll be able to easily create high-quality DVDs in one click and display it on the 15.4-inch crisp, XBRITE LCD. Slim and lightweight (at just over 6 pounds), the VGN-FS550 also offers a battery life of up to 5.5 hours thanks to the battery-sipping Intel Centrino processor. It also features an 80 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, multiformat, dual-layer DVD+/-RW drive, 54g wireless connectivity, a Memory Stick slot for easy transfer of your photos from your Sony digital camera, and Windows XP Home Edition (Service Pack 2). For a step up in price, the Vaio VGN-FS570 offers a larger hard drive and 1 GB of RAM.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 80 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is a bit above average in size for notebook PCs, and it's befitting of such an entertainment-centric PC. It offers more than enough capacity for storing documents and productivity software for road warriors. You'll also be able to store a good-sized digital audio library.
• Processor: The Intel Centrino M processor is designed specifically for mobile computing, offering a balanced level of mobile-optimized processor technology, good mobile performance, and exceptional value. It features a Deep Sleep state, which helps enable longer battery life by minimizing the power consumption of the processor during brief periods of inactivity. The 1.6 GHz speed is in the middle of the speed spectrum for this processor (as of winter, 2004), and it also offers a fast 533 MHz front-side bus (FSB) speed and a large 2 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.)
• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, DDR SDRAM) is a good start for power users, and it offers a faster than average RAM speed (333 MHz). It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion only 1 GB (2 x 512 MB).
• CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, the multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer DVD+R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. For DVD-RW discs, it has a 8x write/4x rewrite speed, while for DVD+RW discs it has a 8x write/4x rewrite speed (DVDs are read at 8x). For double-layer DVD+R, it has a 2.4x write speed. For CDs, it has a 24x write/10x rewrite/24x read speed.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 86-key keyboard and electro-static two-button touchpad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The VGN-FS550 has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g networks. You get a basic offering of connectivity options, including both USB 2.0 and i.Link (Firewire):

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 headphone jack
• 1 microphone jack
• Memory Stick media slot, compatible with Memory Stick and Memory Stick Pro

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes loaded with a bevy of Sony multimedia software: Vaio Zone with WinDVD (for watching DVD movies), Click to DVD (DVD creation), PictureGear Studio (digital photo), SonicStage (digital music), Vaio Media (network file sharing), and DVgate Plus (digital video). Other preloaded software includes Quicken 2005 New User Edition, Microsoft Works 8.0 (with word processing, spreadsheet, and calendar), Norton Internet Security (with 90-day subscription), and SpySubtract.

Dimensions and Weight
Easily portable, the VGN-FS550 weighs 6.28 pounds with standard battery and measures 14.33 x 1.41 x 10.41 inches (WxHxD).

Power
It is powered by the VGP-BPS2A standard lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which produces a battery life of between 2.5 and 5.5 hours.

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGN-FS550 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Sony FS550 Very Sexyyy!!!!
(...)

About the product...

Pros:
-excellent screen
-Nice keyboard
-Nice touchpad (configurable)
-Good performance but not for gaming
-sery slim, lightweight, sexy notebook

Cons
-battery life is exactly 100 with full brightness
-slight humming noise when brightness is not set to full otherwise runs very cool
-shared RAM ... not for heavy graphics uses
-hard disk is slower but I don't care
-Short keys S1, S2 are not well designed

conclusion:
A must buy notebook

no way
Want a sony? Please, please for your own good take the time to read these following links. Thank you. My goal is to protect consumers from the problems that I and others have faced.


http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/5449/?o=0
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?sonymem1

Sony = the Bose of PCs!
By which I mean that their products are very attractive-looking but also very overpriced, overhyped, and totally dependent saleswise on the huge (and expensively maintained) brand-name recognition.

However to be fair, Sony unlike Bose does at least publish full specs on all of its computers, where Bose doesn't even tell you how many watts per channel its audio stuff is!And Sony isn't quite THAT bad for computers, just notoriously unreliable.

My wife was given one of these computers at work and it has been constantly in the shop!

I have worked in IT for over 20 years and the machines that we spend the most time repairing are Sony VAIOs and Compaqs/HPs.

My advice is, if you're on a budget go with Dell and if you have more money to spend buy a Toshiba or IBM.Sony needs to concentrate on making TVs which it's still very good at!

great deal
Before i get this, i was using Hp zv5000, compaq r3000 CTO.

i feel like it is way better than those.
keyboard is OK(except small right ctrl key) and screen is very bright.

only complaint is memory.
amazon.com said it will be one 512MB but mine, it's 2*256MB combination.

most of the time, i do 2D drawing, artworks for engraving using corelDraw, so 1G momory is MUST. If you take a look product description, it says

***Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (1 x 512 MB, DDR SDRAM) is a good start for power users, and it offers a faster than average RAM speed (333 MHz). It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion only 1 GB (2 x 512 MB)****

However, it is not true. it will be two 256MB and no empty slot for upgrade. I'm in trouble caz i'd already bought 512MB memmory.
beware that i comes with 2*256MB.

not perfect
I really liked the look of this computer in the store so I bought one right away.The screen gets a 6 out of 5 stars.Its the best I have ever seen.The construction is above average also.Seems to have some hard plastic.The bad part is that the hard drive makes a clicking noise every min or so.Gets really annoying.I got rid of a sony notebook in the past becasue of that.Plus its a slow harddrive.New CPU Sonoma or something but its pretty slow if you ask me and the ram is not the new DDR2 ram.The computer gave me some other minor problems and the clicking was killing me.I sent it back to Amazon.And let me take a min to tell you how much I love Amazon.Never a problem.I am a Prime member and I highly recommend yo become one.Free 2 day shipping.I buy everything here.Sadly they don't have the laptop I traded the sony fs for which is the HP nc8230.So far the best laptop I have ever had. 5 stars.Made out of magnisum alloy and has the DDR2 ram.mmmm.Back to the FS

Pros:
Screen (by far the best I have seen)
Design (its almost as nice looking as a mac g4)
Keyboard( nice size and the keys were cut lower and gave more surface room on top.)
Power cord( becasue it wasn't as long as a hose and was easy to manage.)
Cons:
Power cord (becasue the transformer was huge
Battery life (was below average.I got like 2 hours off the thing with the screen turned down.)
Hard drive was the typical slow loud sony hard drive.
intagrated video card.(come on)
Ram (come on)

Over all for home use this is great.For business use forget it.Get a business notebook built for the road with qualtity parts that won't crap out on you.Sony is great at design.But as bad or worse then dell for parts.I think this will be my last Sony.


... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Access your digital audio library wherever you roam with the HP Pavilion dv1240us notebook PC, which weighs just over 5 pounds and comes with 100 GB of storage space. It even includes dual headphone jacks so you can watch a DVD movie with a friend on the widescreen, BrightView 14-inch display--which provides improved viewing in direct sunlight. And you'll keep the party going thanks to the battery-friendly 1.7 GHz Intel Pentium M (Centrino) processor. This notebook also features 1 GB of installed memory, built-in 54g wireless connectivity, dual layer DVD+/-RW drive, and multiformat memory card reader.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 100 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is above average in size, and is befitting of such an entertainment-centric laptop. You'll be able to store a hefty digital audio library.
• Processor: The 1.7 GHz Pentium M (Centrino) Processor 735 is in the middle the speed spectrum for this processor class (March, 2005). It is well equipped for office productivity software tasks, from complex spreadsheets to databases. The Pentium M processor is designed specifically for low-power mobile usage, and it features the latest in power-saving technologies--ensuring you push your battery and productivity to the max. It also has a large 2 MB L2 cache--which will help speed up your system's performance--and a 400 MHz front-side bus (FSB).
• Memory: The 1024 MB (1 GB) of installed RAM is a great start, providing enough power for today's demanding multimedia and business productivity software. For immersive gaming and video editing, you'll want to take advantage of the roomy 2 GB of total RAM capacity (2 x 1 GB) .
• CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, the dv1240us multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer DVD+R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a 101-key keyboard and a touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical/horizontal Scroll Up/Down pad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The dv1240us has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. You get a decent offering of connectivity options, which does include super-fast USB 2.0 and Firewire:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video port for connecting to a TV
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
• 1 notebook expansion port
• 1 IR receiver
• 6-in-1 Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Sticks, Memory Stick Pro, SmartMedia, and XD Picture Cards

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Norton Internet Security 2005 (with 60 days of complimentary updates), Microsoft Money 2005, Sonic RecordNow, Apple iTunes, Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition, Intervideo WinDVD, Intervideo Home Theater, MuVee Autoproducer, and MSN Encarta Plus.

The included HP Image Zone Plus photo and imaging software makes it easy to organize, edit, share, print, protect, and store your photos and video clips. Organize and find your photos easily by timeline, keywords, and/or location using the unique photo-globe mapping tool. Remove red eye and fix other common problems. Share your photos quickly via e-mails that include thumbnails with links to the full-sized images--without downloading time-consuming attachments.

Dimensions and Weight
Nice and light, this notebook weighs just 5.33 pounds and measures 13.15 x 9.24 x 1.18 inches.

Power
It's powered by a 6-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 3 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the dv1240us notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty and 30-day free software support. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Balancing power and mobility, the HP Pavilion zv5330us notebook PC offers a fast 3.2 GHz hyper-threaded Intel Pentium 4 processor and a bright 15.4-inch widescreen display for effective presentations, photo slideshows, and DVD movie playback. The zv5330us also offers a large 80 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, 54g wi-fi connectivity (with SpeedBooster support), a high-end video card with 128 MB of shared video memory, and a combo DVD+RW/CD-RW drive.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 80 GB hard drive is larger than the average notebook's, enabling road warriors more than enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and productivity software.
• Processor: The hyper-threaded 3.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system, helping to deliver faster transistors and increased performance. It also features a 1 MB L2 cache and a blazingly fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed

  A Hyper-Threading processor helps a PC to run multiple demanding applications at the same time. This technology enables the processor to execute two threads (a part of a program) in parallel, boosting performance during key high-drain procedures. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking.

• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, 266 MHz, DDR SDRAM) is a good start for power users. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 1280 MB (1 x 256 MB, 1 x 1024 MB).
• CD/DVD Drive: It is equipped with a combo DVD+/-RW and CD-RW drive. For DVD-RW discs, it has a 1x write/rewrite speed, while for DVD+RW discs it has a 2x write/rewrite speed (DVDs are read at 5x). For CDs, it has a 16x write/8x rewrite/24x read speed.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 101-key keyboard and two-button touchpad with on/off button and dedictated vertical scroll up/down pad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The zv5330us has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. The 125 HSM/SpeedBooster support will enable it to be ready for tomorrow's 125 Mbps wireless LANs. You get a decent offering of connectivity options, including super-fast USB 2.0:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video out
• 1 parallel port
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Other preloaded software includes Microsoft Money, Norton Antivirus 2004 (with 60-day LiveUpdate subscription), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Encarta Plus, HP Image Zone Plus, InterVideo WinDVD Creator and Home Theater, Muvee autoProducer, Sonic RecordNow, and Apple iTunes.

The included HP Image Zone Plus photo and imaging software makes it easy to organize, edit, share, print, protect, and store your photos and video clips. Organize and find your photos easily by timeline, keywords, and/or location using the unique photo-globe mapping tool. Remove red eye and fix other common problems. Share your photos quickly via e-mails that include thumbnails with links to the full-sized images--without downloading time-consuming attachments.

Dimensions and Weight
At just 7.9 pounds, the zv5330us notebook is a larger than other mobile-oriented notebooks. It measures 11.59 x 14.25 x 1.8 inches (L x W x H).

Power
It's powered by a 12-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which provides an average of battery life of around 2 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the HP Pavilion zv5330us notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Take your computing life with you wherever you roam with the Compaq Presario V2110US, designed for the budget-minded mobile professional. Featuring a cool, modern metallic design, the V2110US weighs only 5.25 pounds and is as thin as 1.29 inches. It's powered by a power-saving 1.3 GHz Intel Celeron M processor, and also offers a 40 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, a 14-inch LCD, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, and 54g wireless connectivity. For a more powerful Pentium M processor, 60 GB hard drive, DVD+/-RW burner, and Firewire capability, see the Compaq V2140US.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 40 GB IDE hard drive (4200 RPM) is on the small side compared to other notebooks. However, it does offer a decent enough capacity for storing documents and productivity software for road warriors--but not enough for much multimedia storage.
• Processor: The Intel Celeron M processor is designed specifically for mobile computing, offering a balanced level of mobile-optimized processor technology, good mobile performance, and exceptional value. It features a Deep Sleep state, which helps enable longer battery life by minimizing the power consumption of the processor during brief periods of inactivity. The 1.3 GHz speed is at the middle of the speed spectrum for this processor, and it also offers a 400 MHz front-side bus (FSB) speed and a 1 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.)
• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, DDR SDRAM) is a good start for power users, though it is a little slower (266 MHz) than RAM found in comparable laptops. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 2 GB (2 x 1024 MB), and you'll want to maximize the RAM within your budget to take advantage of today's memory-intensive business productivity software.
• CD/DVD Drive: The combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive can read CDs at 40x, write at 16x,and rewrite at 10x speeds. It can read DVDs at 8x.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a full-sized 101-key keyboard and touchpad with four-way scroll zone on/off button and dedictated vertical scroll up/down pad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The V2110US has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g networks. You get a limited offering of connectivity options, but it does include super-fast USB 2.0:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 headphone jack
• 1 microphone jack

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Symantec Norton Antivirus 2005 (with 60 days of LiveUpdate), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Sonic RecordNow, InterVideo WinDVD, InterVideo Home Theater, Apple iTunes and Apple iTunes Music Store, Adobe PhotoShop Album STE, Muvee autoProducer, Microsoft Money, MSN Encarta Plus, and Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition (60 Day Trial Version).

Dimensions and Weight
This lightweight notebook is easily portable at just 5.25 pounds. It measures 13.15 x 9.1 x 1.29 inches (LxWxH)Power
This notebook is powered by a 6-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which offers up to 3 hours of battery life (dependent upon computing conditions).

What's in the Box
This package contains the V2110US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty and 30-day free software support. ... Read more

Amazon Product Description

Sleekly styled and comfortably ergonomic, Sony's K Series notebooks offer affordable, all-purpose portability for home computing, home office needs, and students. The PCG-K33P balances your productivity and entertainment needs, with an integrated 54G wireless LAN to keep you connected inside and outside your home and a suite of preloaded Sony multimedia applications for managing your digital audio and photo collections. It also comes with a double layer DVD+/- RW drive that can burn both DVDs and CDs. Other features include a 15.4-inch screen, 80 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, and a Memory Stick slot.

The PCG-K35 features a 15.4-inch WXGA widescreen display that is perfectly tailored to the aspect ratio favored by DVD movies.

The Basics Hard Drive: The 80 GB hard drive is larger than the average notebook's, enabling road warriors more than enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and productivity software. Processor: The 3.06 GHz Mobile Intel Pentium 4 is a powerful processor that was designed to be used with notebooks used as a desktop replacement PC. It includes Intel's Enhanced SpeedStep technology, which helps cut the power used by the chip and conserves battery power. It has a front-side bus (FSB) of 533 MHz and a 1 MB L2 cache. Memory: The 512 MB of installed RAM (2 x 256 MB, PC2100, 266 MHz DDR SDRAM) has become standard with notebooks, and it's a good start. But you'll want to take advantage of the 1 GB expandability to get the most out of this computer. CD/DVD Drive: The PCG-K35 offers the latest in DVD writing technology with a that's compatible with DVD+R dual-layer discs. Double-layered DVD+R discs can store up to 8.5 GB of data and can be written at 2.4x speed. It's also compatible with standard DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW discs (which can be written at 8x and rewritten at 4x). You can write and rewrite CDs at 24x. Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 86-key keyboard with electrostatic touchpad.

Sound and Graphics The included ATI Radeon IGP 345M video/graphics card provides competent, but not overpowering, 3D graphics. It features 64 MB of shared video memory. This is taken from the main system memory, so you'll want to increase your RAM from the installed 512 MB if you plan on doing much gaming or video work. The enhanced widescreen format function (1280 x 800 pixels) lets you watch DVDs in full cinema mode as well as easily view spreadsheets and Web browsers side-by-side. It also offers an integrated audio card, built-in speakers, A/V connection out, and the ability to drive an external monitor.	 
	Sony VAIO PCG-K37 3.20 GHz Pentium 4 1 GB RAM 80 GB HD	Sony VAIO PCG-K35 3.067 GHz Pentium 4 512 MB RAM 80 GB HD	Sony VAIO PCG-K33 3.20 GHz Pentium 4 512 MB RAM 60 GB HD

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
This PCG-K35 model has an integrated 802.11g wireless LAN (which is compatible with the more widespread 802.11b and offers faster data transmission rates). You get a standard offering of connectivity options, including both high-speed USB 2.0 and FireWire:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
• 1 Memory Stick slot (Memory Stick Pro compatible)

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems). It also has a hot-swappable bay for adding an optional optical drive or second battery."

What's in the Box
This package contains the Sony Vaio PCG-K35 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It's backed by a 1-year warranty for parts and labor, and 1 year of toll-free phone support. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Take your productivity to the next level with the Compaq Presario R3440US notebook PC. It features one of the fastest processors available in a notebook--the hyperthreaded 3.0 GHz Intel Pentium 4--and comes with 54g wireless connectivity featuring SpeedBooster support. It's packed with power from port to port, offering an 80 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, 15.4-inch widescreen display, a DVD+/-RW and CD-RW combo drive, S-Video out connection for displaying through a TV, and Firewire capability for downloading footage from a digital video camcorder. For a 100 GB hard drive and 1024 MB of RAM, check out the Compaq R3470US.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 80 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is one of the larger sizes you'll find in a notebook, and it's befitting of such an entertainment-centric PC. It offers more than enough capacity for storing documents and productivity software for road warriors. You'll also be able to store a good-sized digital audio library.
• Processor: The hyper-threaded Intel Pentium 4 processor (3.0 GHz) allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system, helping to deliver faster transistors and increased performance. It also features a 1 MB L2 cache and a blazingly fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed

  A Hyper-Threading processor helps a PC to run multiple demanding applications at the same time. This technology enables the processor to execute two threads (a part of a program) in parallel, boosting performance during key high-drain procedures. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking.

• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, DDR SDRAM) is a good start for power users, and it offers a faster than average RAM speed (333 MHz). It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 1280 MB (1 x 1024 MB, 1 x 256 MB), which is a smaller maximum than other comparable business laptops.
• CD/DVD Drive: The combo DVD+/-RW and CD-RW drive is compatible with a wide variety disc formats, including DVD+, DVD-, VCD, and SVCD discs. For DVD-RW discs, it has a 1x write/rewrite speed, while for DVD+RW discs it has a 2x write/rewrite speed (DVDs are read at 5x). For CDs, it has a 16x write/10x rewrite/40x read speed.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a full-sized 101-key keyboard and touchpad with four-way scroll zone on/off button and dedictated vertical scroll up/down pad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The R3440US has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g networks. The 125 HSM/SpeedBooster support will enable it to be ready for tomorrow's 125 Mbps wireless LANs. You get a good offering of connectivity options, including both USB 2.0 and Firewire:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video out
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 parallel port
• 1 headphone jack
• 1 microphone jack
• Multiformat memory card reader, compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, SmartMedia, and XD cards

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Symantec Norton Antivirus 2005 (with 60 days of LiveUpdate), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Sonic RecordNow, InterVideo WinDVD, InterVideo Home Theater, Apple iTunes and Apple iTunes Music Store, Adobe PhotoShop Album STE, Muvee autoProducer, Microsoft Money, MSN Encarta Plus, and Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition (60 Day Trial Version).

Dimensions and Weight
Best used as a replacement for your desktop PC, the R3440US weighs 7.8 pounds. It measures 11.18 x 14.25 x 1.8 inches (LxWxH).

Power
This notebook is powered by a 8-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which offers an average of 2 hours of battery life (dependent upon computing conditions).

What's in the Box
This package contains the R3440US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty and 30-day free software support. ... Read more

Amazon Product Description

The Basics
A capable portable computer best suited to power users, businesspeople, and anyone who appreciates potent 2D performance and a widescreen display, the Sony VAIO PCG-K33 crunches numbers and data faster than the majority of desktops yet won't drain your pocketbook. Its 3D graphics speed is not exceptional, nor is it recommended for those who require maximum portability or extremely long battery life. Yet at this price point, the VAIO PCG-K33 is a good bet for cost-conscious consumers who need PC-level speed in a mobile format.

Video
CPU's are usually so busy doing basic calculations that they need help translating visual output to the viewing screen. This is the duty of the graphics card (or graphics controller), the best of which include their own "dedicated" built-in video memory rather than "sharing" portions of the system's valuable main memory. Sony has equipped the VAIO PCG-K33 with an ATI Radeon IGP 345M graphics controller that shares 64 MB of main memory. Though this unit's CPU is so powerful that the lack of a high-end video controller isn't as essential as it otherwise might be, users who deal primarily with taxing visuals such as those found in 3D games and 3D animation may want to explore another Sony notebook.

Display
The VAIO PCG-K33's 15.4-inch WXGA display may be smaller than the 17-inch monsters found in today's notebook heavyweights, yet it's larger than that of most notebooks and even some desktops. Furthermore, its widescreen format is perfectly tailored to the aspect ratio favored by DVD movies. It's highly sophisticated too -- sporting Sony's new XBRITE Technology for better contrast and a brighter picture, and a crisp 1280 by 800 maximum resolution.

Hard Disk
At 60 GB, the integrated hard drive will easily store a broad range of applications and user data files, and a sizable library of space-gobbling music and/or multimedia files too.

Optical Drive
An optical drive is essential in today's computing environment. A "CD-ROM" drive allows you to install CD-based applications and play music CDs. A "CD-RW" drive adds CD "burning", so you can also backup your important files to long-lasting discs and create personalized music CDs. With a DVD-ROM drive you can watch DVD movies. And with a DVD-RW drive, you can "write" home movies to durable discs and archive files to DVD (DVDs boast more than seven times the storage capacity of a CD). Some drives allow you to do a combination of all of these tasks. This system features a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, through which you can do everything above but burn DVDs.

Audio
The unit is equipped with high-grade speakers and a powerful audio amplifier.

Keyboard and Controls
You'll control your notebook via an 86-key keyboard and a standard electro-static touch pad.

Dimensions and Weight
Many of today's most powerful notebooks are also the largest, weighing ten or twelve lbs or more and definitely too big and cumbersome for extensive, continuous traveling. These are often referred to as "desktop replacements". On the other extreme are "thin and lights" or "ultra-portables", super-miniaturized units that are typically less powerful than their larger brethren but weigh as little as two lbs and will often fit comfortably inside a large purse. The VAIO PCG-K33 is of medium size at 8.2 lbs. and 14.1 by 8.2 by 1.6 - 2.2 inches.

Power
Battery life is not the system's strong suit. You can expect 1 - 2 hours continuous use with the enclosed lithium-ion cell. ... Read more

Amazon Product Description

The Toshiba Satellite A75-S209 notebook PC is powerful enough to handle rich-media business presentations and offers perfect portability for rushing to college classes. It combines a host of multimedia features with a good varity of productivity applications to create a complete mobile computing center for PC digital media enthusiasts, young adults, and families. It features a 15.4-inch TruBrite screen, offering high brightness, high contrast, wide viewing angle. It also is loaded with hyper-threaded Intel Pentium 4 532 processor, 512 MB of installed RAM, 60 GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, and integrated 54g wireless LAN.

The A75-S209 features a 15.4" Wide-screen XGA Display with TruBrite Technology.

The Basics Hard Drive: The spacious 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) offers more than enough storage for both your work and home files as well as a multimedia library. Processor: The Intel Pentium 4 532 processor, which features a clock speed of 3.06 GHz, also offers Hyper-Threading technology that allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking. It is well suited for professional-quality image, audio, and video editing. It also has A 1 MB L2 cache and an 533 MHz front-side bus (FSB). Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (1 DIMM, PC-2700 DDR333) is a good start for power users. It can be expanded to a toal of 1.5 GB. CD/DVD Drive: It comes equipped with a combo DVD/CD-RW drive, which enables you to play DVD-ROM discs and DVD movies as well as burn data and record music to CD discs. You can read and burn CD-Rs at 24x speed, rewrite at 12x, and read; it has 8x DVD-ROM and 4x DVD-R/RW read speeds. Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 85-key keyboard and electro-static two-button touchpad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The A75-S209 offers a basic set of expansion and connectivity options, including a PCMCIA slot for one Type II PC card and the following:

• 3 USB 1.1 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 parallel port for connecting older printers and scanners
• 1 RGB monitor port
• 1 TV-out (S-Video)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack

Preloaded System and Software
The A75-S229 comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also includes Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Other preloaded software includes Norton Antivirus 2004 (with 90 days of complimentary live updates), Quicken New User Edition, Napster online digital service (30-day trial), Adobe Acrobat Reader, InterVideo WinDVD (for playing DVD movies), ArcSoft ShowBiz DVD, and Sonic Solutions RecordNow Basic.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Toshiba A75-S209 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It's backed by a 1-year warranty for parts and labor. ... Read more

Amazon Product Description

The Basics
Founded in 1998 and acquired by Gateway in early 2004, eMachines today is one of the largest vendors of PCs sold through U.S. retailers. With the T2862 Desktop PC, eMachines targets entry-level and undemanding consumers who want a desktop computer but can't justify the price of a high-end model and probably don't need one anyway. Featuring a cost-effective yet reasonably powerful CPU, minimal memory and mediocre 3D graphics performance, the unit is not designed for a top-level business environment or gaming den. But if word processing, personal finances, email and Internet surfing and CD burning are your priorities, the eMachines T2862 is a sensible and extremely affordable solution.

Processor
At the heart of any computer lies the CPU (or processor), a massive collection of miniature transistors that governs the speed and power of the entire unit. Many entry-level desktops utilize "budget" processors such as an Intel Celeron, and that is indeed the case with this model. But this particular processor is a new and recently enhanced version of the venerable Celeron, nicknamed the Celeron D and carrying 256 KB of Level 2 cache and a 533 MHz system bus for perceptibly faster performance than Celerons manufactured prior to 2004. This is the second fastest Celeron currently on the market, a 2.66 GHz version that doesn't approach the raw data-churning speed of a high-end Pentium 4 but certainly holds its own against lower-end Pentiums and AMD Athlons.

Memory
Computers typically store information on their hard drive, but they keep frequently and recently accessed data in Random Access Memory (RAM) for faster retrieval. More RAM means more efficient computing, superior multitasking and less strain on your hard drive. eMachines has partnered this unit's processor with 256 MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM main memory, the minimum recommended allotment for a modern PC. Thusly, the eMachines T2862 is not ideal for demanding multitasking sessions or ultra-complex applications in its stock form, though users may upgrade the memory (at additional cost) to a whopping 2 GB.

Video
CPU's are usually so busy doing basic calculations that they need help translating visual output to the viewing screen. This is the duty of the graphics card (or graphics controller). A graphics controller with "dedicated" video memory is preferable to a controller that "shares" the system's main memory, as it better handles complex procedures. The eMachines T2862 is equipped with an Intel Extreme Graphics 2 video controller that is integrated on the motherboard and shares 64 MB of the system's main memory. Thusly, the unit is not intended for anyone who regularly works or plays with demanding 3D animations such as those found in the latest high-end games, unless they first purchase and install a separate graphics card. A display screen is not enclosed, thus allowing you to continue using your current monitor or select from today's many alternatives.

Sound
Audio is produced via an AC 97-compatible chip integrated on the motherboard. AC-97 is today's most accepted entry-level PC audio standard. Though not as sophisticated as most standalone audio cards (its audio specs aren't as good and it supports limited speaker configurations), this integrated chipset is perfectly adequate for most stereo applications. eMachines will also enclose a pair of small desktop speakers for your listening enjoyment.

Hard Drive
The built-in 60 MB hard drive sports enough space for a typical home or home office situation or student setup. However, if you regularly load large applications, save large files, and maintain a sizeable multimedia or music collection, you may need to upgrade this drive, transfer files to a compact disc to free up room, or add another hard drive.

Optical Drive
An optical drive is essential in today's computing world. A "CD-ROM" drive allows you to install CD-based applications and play music CDs. A "CD-RW" drive adds CD "burning", so you can also backup your important files to long-lasting discs and create personalized music CDs. With a DVD-ROM drive you can enjoy all of the above plus watch the same big budget DVD movies you watch on your home entertainment system. And with a DVD-RW drive, you can also "write" home movies to durable discs and archive files to DVD (DVDs boast more than seven times the storage capacity of CDs).

The eMachines T2862 features a DVD/CD-RW drive that allows you to install applications from CD, play and burn music and data CDs, and play DVD movies. DVD burning is not possible unless you upgrade or replace this drive.

Connectivity and Expansion
Though designed for the budget conscious, the eMachines T2862 nevertheless sports all the standard amenities, and then some. Communication options include an Intel PRO 10/100Mbps integrated LAN for high-speed Internet and email access and a standard 56K modem for low-speed dial-up service. For reading memory cards from devices such as digital cameras and PDAs, the system features an 8-in-1 Digital Media Manager. And, with no less than five high-speed USB 2.0 ports at your disposal, you'll have plenty of places to plug your plug and play peripherals. eMachines has not included an IEEE 1394 FireWire port, most commonly used for fast data transfer from digital camcorders.

Operating System and Software
The system features a surprisingly generous software package headed by Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition operating system, Microsotf's Works 8.0 productivity suite, Microsoft's Money 2004 financial center and several useful multimedia and music utilities.

Keyboard and Mouse
A Standard eMachines Multimedia Keyboard and 2-button mouse (with scroll wheel) are enclosed. ... Read more

Amazon Product Description

Sony's Vaio A Series notebooks unite desktop PC power and functionality with performance rivaling any desktop. The Centrino Mobile technology runs cool and quiet, while helping to keep the profile light and slim with enhanced battery performance. The VGN-A190 features fast 802.11g wireless connectivity, a 17-inch screen, large 80 GB hard drive, 1.5 GHz Pentium M processor, 512 MB of installed RAM, a DVD+/-RW drive, and a bevy of Sony multimedia software. It also comes preloaded with Sony's GigaPocket software, which enables you to watch and record TV programs right on your PC.

Sony Series A Display Sizes The VGN-A190 features a 17" screen.

The Basics Hard Drive: The spacious 80 GB hard drive offers more than enough storage for your work and home files, a well-stocked multimedia library, and hours of recorded TV programs. Processor: The 1.7 GHz Pentium M processor is at the top of the Centrino speed range. Because of its design, the Intel Pentium M gets more done per clock tick than a Mobile Intel Pentium 4, thus providing the discrepancy in GHz measurement (i.e., 1.7 versus 3.2). The Pentium M processor is designed specifically for low-power mobile usage, and it features the latest in power-saving technologies--ensuring you push your battery and productivity to the max. It also has an L2 cache of 1 MB and a front-side bus (FSB) speed of 400 MHz. Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory is a good start for power users. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 2 GB (2 x 1 GB). CD/DVD Drive: It is equipped with a combo DVD+/-RW and CD-RW drive. For DVD+R discs, it has a 2.4x write and 4x read speeds. For DVD-R discs, it has a 4x read/write speed. For CDs, it has a 16x write/8x rewrite/24x read speed. Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has an 86-key keyboard and electro-static touch pad.

Both the VGN-A150 and the VGN-A160 feature a 15.4" screen.

Sound and Graphics
With the 64 MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics card, the A190 delivers a dazzling visual experience optimized to support the most compelling next-generation 3D gaming environments of today and tomorrow. Sony's exclusive XBRITE LCD technology delivers ultra crisp and super bright graphics, and the Smart Display Sensor automatically adjusts to any projector or display resolution. It also has an AC'97 sound card that's integrated into the main board, and comes with two built-in stereo speakers.

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Preloaded System and Software
This A190 comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it features Microsoft Works 7.0 (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Sony's Giga Pocket built-in software converts TV signals to digital MPEG2 format and lets you watch and record TV programs right on the PCV-620G, watch while you record with the Slip Playback feature, and burn shows directly to DVD. It's also loaded with Sony's Vaio Creative suite of multimedia applications, which includes PictureGear Studio (digital photo), SonicStage (digital music), Sony MovieShaker, DVGate Plus (digital video), VAIO Media (network file sharing), and Click to DVD (for burning DVD discs). Other preloaded titles include a 60-day trial of Microsoft Office, Quicken 2004, Norton Internet Security (with 90-day trial subscription), InterVideo WinDVD, and a 90-day trial of AOL.

Dimensions and Weight
Measuring 16 x 1.7-1.8 x 11 inches and weighing 7.9 pounds (without battery), the A190 is best served as a desktop replacement.

Power
The A190 comes with the PCGA-BP2EA rechargeable lithium ion battery; it has an estimated battery life of 1.5 to 3.5 hours.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Sony Vaio VGN-A190 notebook, rechargeable battery, AC adapter, and printed instruction manual. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

the HDTV screen laptop... wow
I purchased a thinkpad last year for work (programming), but when I saw this Vaio I lost it and whipped out the credit card. Was a true impulse buy. The screen is breathtaking: bright and 19xx pixels across. That is a lot of pixels. Watching DVDs on this system is like watching a high end TV. The wide screen gives you a movie image size that's about what you'd get on a 25" conventional TV.

The thinkpad (T30) screen was just barely bright enough, but this screen is so bright I actually turned it down a few notches. You can use it in bright sunlight, which would be impossible with a lot of laptops out there. I now no longer need an external display. The keyboard is comfortably large.

Cool tip: go to display settings control panel. Set your desktop resolution to 120DPI to make the font size comfortably large. Change your icon size to 48 pixels. Tweak font and window sizes to your preference and you'll have the crispest looking desktop out there. Even your friends with powerbooks will do a doubletake.

The ONLY reason I gave the laptop 4 stars is because this thing weighs almost 10 pounds! Get a good case and don't drop it! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The mid-line HP Pavillion zv5450us is a great desktop replacement, adding mobility to its powerful multimedia and home office computing features. The large 15.4-inch screen is perfect for watching DVD movies, and the ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 IGP video/graphics card keeps 3D gaming smooth. You can also burn your own CDs and DVDs with the multifomat DVD+/-RW and CD-RW combo drive. The zv5450us features a strong, 3.2 GHz hyper-threaded Pentium 4 processor, 100 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, 54g wireless connectivity, and a multiformat memory card reader for easy access to pictures captured on your digital camera.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 100 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is one of the larger sizes you'll find in a notebook, and it's befitting of such an entertainment-centric PC. It offers more than enough capacity for storing documents and productivity software for road warriors. You'll also be able to store a good-sized digital audio library.
• Processor: The hyper-threaded 3.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system, helping to deliver faster transistors and increased performance. It also features a 512 KB L2 cache and a blazingly fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed, which measures how fast a processor and the main memory communicate. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.)

  A Hyper-Threading processor helps a PC to run multiple demanding applications at the same time. This technology enables the processor to execute two threads (a part of a program) in parallel, boosting performance during key high-drain procedures. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking.

• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, DDR SDRAM) is a good start for power users, and it offers a faster than average RAM speed (333 MHz). It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 1280 MB (1 x 1024 MB, 1 x 256 MB), which is a smaller maximum than other entertainment-centric laptops.
• CD/DVD Drive: The combo DVD+/-RW and CD-RW drive is compatible with a wide variety disc formats, including DVD+, DVD-, VCD, and SVCD discs. For DVD-RW discs, it has a 1x write/rewrite speed, while for DVD+RW discs it has a 2x write/rewrite speed (DVDs are read at 5x). For CDs, it has a 16x write/10x rewrite/40x read speed.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 101-key keyboard and two-button touchpad with on/off button and dedictated vertical scroll up/down pad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The zv5450us has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g networks. You get a good offering of connectivity options, including both USB 2.0 and Firewire:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video out
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 parallel port
• 1 headphone jack
• 1 microphone jack
• Multiformat memory card reader, compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, SmartMedia, and XD cards

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Symantec Norton Antivirus 2005 (with 60 days of LiveUpdate), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Sonic RecordNow, InterVideo WinDVD, InterVideo Home Theater, Apple iTunes and Apple iTunes Music Store, Adobe PhotoShop Album STE, Muvee autoProducer, Microsoft Money, MSN Encarta Plus, and Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition (60 Day Trial Version).

The included HP Image Zone Plus photo and imaging software makes it easy to organize, edit, share, print, protect, and store your photos and video clips. Organize and find your photos easily by timeline, keywords, and/or location using the unique photo-globe mapping tool. Remove red eye and fix other common problems. Share your photos quickly via e-mails that include thumbnails with links to the full-sized images--without downloading time-consuming attachments.

Dimensions and Weight
Best used as a replacement for your desktop PC, the zv5450us weighs 8.2 pounds. It measures 11.18 x 14.25 x 1.8 inches (LxWxH).

Power
This notebook is powered by a 12-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which offers an average of 3 hours of battery life (dependent upon computing conditions).

What's in the Box
This package contains the zv5450us notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty and 30-day free software support. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

great gaming machine
I am very happy with this computer. I have owned Toshiba and a Dell before and none of them have been as good to me as this one has.

Pros: fast, plays 3-D games like they were meant to be played (much better than a celeron processor), good sound for a laptop (best i've heard so far), very clear screen, plays cds and dvds fast, great multitasking capabilities, good battery life, and nice to look at.

Cons: not the quietest machine-but it is not loud at all-just not quiet and it's a little on the thick side but it's also not as heavy as it looks.

Overview: Great desktop replacement and good for taking it around sometimes (not ALL the time). It's fast, reliable, and sturdy and doesn't get too hot on the bottom so you can sit it in your lap without having to worry about it burning you.

Hope this helped! ^_^ ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Accenting portability and affordability rather than crushing power, the three-deep Gateway M405 series of notebooks is worthy of investigation by budget-conscious folks who need to keep their computer nearby wherever they go. This model, the M405XL, is the most expensive and certainly most capable of the M405 series, offering such goodies as wireless communication, CD burning, DVD playing and a comparatively large 40 GB hard disk.

Though not a true ultra-lightweight notebook such as those found in Gateway's slightly pricier 200 series, the M405XL is nevertheless comfortably portable at just 13.15 by 10.63 by 1.33 inches and 6.10 pounds As is typical for many of today's small-scale notebooks, the unit features Intel's new Centrino technology. Built upon a triad of interconnected elements -- an Intel Pentium M CPU (with 1 full GB of Level 2 cache), an Intel 855 chipset, and a cord-free network connection -- Centrino-equipped notebooks deliver more power and more perks than their size and rated processor speeds might otherwise indicate. In the case of the M405XL, that processor is a speedy 1.5 GHz Intel Pentium M. Gateway has also included 256 MB of DDR SDRAM memory and an Intel Extreme Graphics 2 video controller, thus giving users solid general computing capabilities but unspectacular multitasking, high-end business and 3-D performance.

The M405XL is crammed with impressive mobile features such as a 40 GB hard disk and an optical drive that permits CD playing and burning and DVD playing. The unit's display delivers a surprisingly generous 15 inches of viewing area and a sufficient maximum resolution of 1024 by 768. Communication options include not only a standard 56K dial-up modem and a 10/100 Ethernet network adapter, but also an integrated 802.11b wireless connection for those times when you can't or don't want to plug in. DVD writing is not supported.

Other important amenities include a pair of high-speed USB 2.0 ports for fast interaction with external peripherals such as scanners or digital cameras, a VGA port for external monitors, a parallel "printer" port, and an S-Video TV-out, a full size keyboard and a convenient EZ Pad pointing device. An IEEE 1394 FireWire port (typically used for digital camcorder downloads) is not included.

Bundled software includes Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition and a 90-day trial with Norton AntiVirus. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Take your digital entertainment with you in the sleek and stylish HP Pavilion zv5240us notebook. Powered by a 3.00 GHz Pentium 4 processor, it features Hyper-Threading technology for enhanced multitasking and improved performance. With a 60 GB hard drive and 512 MB of RAM, it has enough power to store and access all your programs and documents. And the pre-loaded software--including HP's Image Zone software, Apple iTunes, and Microsoft Media Player--is designed to help you organize, store, edit and share you digital photos, audio, and video clips.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: A 60 GB IDE hard drive (4200 RPM) has ample room to store your digital photos, audio, and video files, and handle all your day-to-day applications.
• Processor: The 3.00 GHz Pentium 4 processor features Hyper-Threading technology and it has a 512 KB L2 cache, so it's fast enough to run all your applications. Hyper-Threading helps a PC run multiple applications at the same time, which enables the processor to execute two threads (a part of a program) in parallel, boosting performance. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking.
• Memory: 512 MB DDR SDRAM (in two slots) speeds up the processing of applications--even games, digital audio, and digital video software.
• CD/DVD Drive: The 40x CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive can write to CDs at 16x, rewrite at 10x speeds, and read DVD-ROMs at speeds of 24x.
• Keyboard & Mouse: It has a 101-key compatible keyboard with a touchpad, an on/off button, and a dedicated vertical scroll up/down pad.
• Display: The 15.4 inch WXGA high-definition widescreen display, with a 1280 x 800 native resolution, gives you more than enough room for your everyday applications, and is ideal for watching DVDs.

Sound and Graphics
The Pavilion zv5240us features an ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 graphics card with 128 MB shared RAM to power all of your demanding applications and even 3-D games. There are internal Harman Kardon speakers, an AC audio link, and 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro-compatible audio, volume control buttons, and mute button.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
Get online quickly and easily with the integrated 54g 802.11b/g wireless LAN, or via the 10/100 Base-T Ethernet LAN. It also features the following external ports:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting to a wide range of peripherals, from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 parallel port for connecting to printers or cameras based on older technologies
• 1 S-video port to connect your laptop to your television
• 1 PC Card slot for adding a variety of upgrades, including memory, modems, portable disk drives, and more
• 1 VGA video out port for connecting to an external monitor
• 1 headphone out
• 1 microphone in
• 1 RJ-11 for connecting the modem
• 1 5-in-1 integrated digital media reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or SmartMedia cards

Preloaded System and Software
The HP Pavilion zv5240us notebook is powered by Windows XP Home Edition, which makes it easy for you to get up and running as quickly as possible. It's packed with multimedia features to help you get your creative juices flowing. Windows Media Player lets you burn and play CDs, in addition to playing and organizing digital audio files. Windows MovieMaker is a basic video editing tool that helps you capture and edit digital video to save your memories and share them with others.

It also comes loaded with the following software: Roxio Easy CD Creator Basic, InterVideo WinDVD, InterVideo WinDVD SE Player, HP Image Zone Plus photo and imaging software, Apple iTunes and Apple iTunes Music Store, Symantec Norton Antivirus, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Money, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Encarta Plus, Quicken New Users Edition, AOL Dial-up, MSN Dial-up, Earthlink Dial-up, and SBC Yahoo!.

Dimensions and Weight
It measures 14.25 x 11.18 x 1.8 inches (W x D x H) weighs 7.9 pounds.

What's in the Box
HP Pavilion zv5240us notebook, AC adapter, 8-cell lithium-ion battery, and phone cord. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

A true powerhouse in a portable package, the Compaq Presario R3230US notebook is powered by a 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor and has all the amenities you need to take everything with you on the road. A 60 GB hard drive and 512 MB RAM help you store files and run multiple applications efficiently, and the DVD/CD-RW combo drive means you can perform a variety of application like backing up files on CD media, making audio mix CDs, accessing CD- or DVD-ROMs, or watching DVD movies on the 15.0-inch LCD screen. It also features a built-in ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 IGP graphics card and integrated JBL Pro Performance speakers to take care of your multimedia needs.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 60 GB hard drive has ample room to store all your files, including digital audio, video, and photos.
• Processor: The 2.80 GHz Pentium 4 processor can handle the toughest applications and has a 512 KB L2 cache.
• Memory: It has 512 MB DDR SDRAM to help you multitask with ease and is upgradable to 1.25 GB.
• CD/DVD Drive: The DVD/CD-RW combo drive reads CDs at 40x, writes at 16x, and rewrites at 10x. It can also read DVD-ROMs at 16x.
• Keyboard & Mouse: It has a 101-key compatible keyboard and touch pad.
• Display: The 15.0-inch XGA LCD has resolutions up to 1024 x 768.

Sound and Graphics
A built-in ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 IGP graphics card with 128 MB video memory turns this notebook into a gaming machine. The integrated JBL Pro Performance speakers mean you can listen to crystal clear and bright audio right out of the box, whether you're listening to CDs or watching DVDs.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
An integrated 10/100 Base-T ethernet allows for convenient networking, and 54g 802.11b/g wireless LAN means you can get online quickly, easily, and without wires. It also has the following external ports:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting to a wide range of peripherals, from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 parallel port for connecting to printers or cameras based on older technologies
• 1 notebook expansion port (Type I/Type II) for adding a variety of upgrades, including memory, modems, portable disk drives, and more
• 1 VGA video out port to connect to an external monitor
• 1 S-video out to connect your laptop to a television
• 1 audio out for headphones or speakers
• 1 microphone in port

Preloaded System and Software
The Compaq Presario R3230US notebook is powered by Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition. Windows XP Home Edition is packed with multimedia features to help you get your creative juices flowing. Windows Media Player lets you burn and play CDs, in addition to playing and organizing digital audio files. Windows MovieMaker is a basic video editing tool that helps you capture and edit digital video to save your memories and share them with others.

It also comes bundled with Symantec Norton Antivirus (with a complementary 60 days Live Update subscription), Adobe Acrobat Reader, RecordNow, InterVideo WinDVD, Apple iTunes and Apple iTunes Music Store, Adobe PhotoShop Album Suite, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Money, Microsoft Encarta Plus, and Intuit Quicken New User Edition.

Dimensions and Weight
It weighs 7.8 pounds and measures 14.25 x 11.0 x 1.8 inches (W x D x H).

What's in the Box
Presario R3230US notebook,120 watt AC adapter, 8-cell Lithium-Ion battery, phone cord, user's manual, and warranty information. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Futuristically styled in a sleek silver chassis, the Toshiba Satellite M35-S320 Notebook PC is a nifty amalgamation of the features most important to the majority of portable computer users. Powerful but not at the expense of added weight and sporting such amenities as integrated wireless connectivity and a widescreen display, this is a great unit for personal, leisure and midlevel business applications.

Measuring 14.1 by 10.6 by 1.4 inches and weighing just 6.2 pounds, the Satellite M35-S320 Notebook is rather wide but comfortably slim and quite portable. Toshiba has based the system on Intel's Centrino technology, whereby three interconnected elements -- an Intel Pentium M CPU (with 1 full MB of Level 2 cache), an Intel 855 chipset, and a cord-free network connection -- work together to keep your notebook lightweight, wirelessly connected, power efficient, and faster than its rated CPU speed might indicate. Driven by a quick 1.5 GHz Pentium M CPU, 512 MB RAM memory (expandable to 2 full GB) and a nVidia GeForce FX graphics controller with 32 MB of dedicated video memory, the unit is ready for most typical 2-D and 3-D tasks, though it may have trouble smoothly displaying the sophisticated 3-D imaging of today's most complex three-dimensional games and graphic design suites.

The system's large 60 GB hard disk offers enough storage space for all your regular data and a substantial library of multimedia files too, and its CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive allows you to listen to and burn audio CDs, archive data to durable digital media, and play DVD movies. DVD burning is not supported. Other welcome amenities include a generous 15.4-inch display in DVD-friendly widescreen 16:9 format, an 85-key keyboard with 12 hotkeys, a TouchPad pointing device with scroll function, and integrated harman/kardon stereo speakers.

With the Satellite M35-S320 Notebook, communication options are virtually limitless. In environments with wired connections, you can select from a 56K dial-up modem or high-speed 10/100 Ethernet LAN. When hardwiring is a problem, you can stay in touch via integrated IntelPRO/Wireless 2100 LAN. Other key components include three fast USB 2.0 ports for fast interaction with external plug and play devices such as scanners and digital cameras, an S-Video TV--out, and an infrared port for wireless communication with PDAs and the like. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Oh lord!!
Toshiba Satellite M35-S320 doesn't dissapoint me at all. Centrino really works, allowing me to keep on working for hours. The battery can last up to 3.5 hrs and it can work well despite the heat that is building up!! have fun watching movies and playing games!!! the only bad thing: the volume is too soft whille watching movie and a bit too big and heavy!!!

I'm glad I went big
It was time to upgrade and I thought I wanted one of those mini laptops, you know the ones so small they don't even have an optical drive. Well I found one, the sony vaio v505, that did. However I ended up going for the toshiba machine because I realized that I would be using it as much or more at a central site than on the road. I am in med school and travel to different cities for weeks at a time for rotations. I need the portability of a laptop, but like the convenience of something nice to look at, enter the widescreeen. In a word it is magnificent. The notebook itself is very thin and although you feel the weight in your bag, it is not cumbersome. The things I like best about this laptop are its screen, sleek look, but more importantly great processor speed and good battery life. The utility config free is great and makes it a snap to connect to the internet, truly config free. The wifi is great too, my first run-in with them so no basis for comparison. I am rarely somewhere that I don't have an outlet, funny how most hospitals need electricity, so I carry the power cord, I wish they made a more portable version, and my travel mouse, I hate touch pads. The sound from the built in speakers is good, they don't sound tinny and don't break up at louder volumes, but don't forget they are less than an inch in diameter.

I do have a list of nit picky negatives, it's just the way my mind works, and I am also very wary of a review that has no negatives. First it could be lighter, but you could say that about any laptop. Secondly, I wish there were more usb ports, it has 3 all on the right side. You can buy one of those port splitters, but again its a laptop and too much bulk gets you away from the reason you bought one in the first place. Next, the IR port is on the front, and while I haven't needed to use it for a printer it seems an odd place to put it. Probably on either side near the back would be better. Finally, it doesn't come with Office 2003, you can buy it for $149, but then the value for the system comes down a little bit.

Overall, this computer is a do-it-all all-star. If you want to play games it handles them with ease, if you want to watch movies the widescreen is unusually good at it, if you want to write a research paper and have the accompanying PP presentation on the effects of lispro on gestational diabetes you can do that too. It works on the road and as a desktop too. I am very happy with it and am glad I went big!

Awesome Desktop Replacement
When it was time to replace my old Gateway desktop, I began the task of researching brands and products. As another reviewer said, I was drawn to Toshiba by their low repair history. I had horrible experience with resolution of any issue using Gateway support (their advice was always uninstall everything and see if it works), and immediately knocked them off my list. My old IBM laptop is also extinct and parts are so expensive ($250 for a battery???) so they were off the list as well.

I am very happy with this computer. I have eliminated my desktop and gained a better display, larger hard drive and overall great product.

Great package, reliable brand
Got this laptop a week ago and I just love it. Being a computer nut, and a computer programmer, I had to pick a machine that would work well with my tasks. So far this one is handling the processor-intensive tasks I need very well. After realizing that I had been working on my old Pentium III 900MHz 512MB desktop for more than three years and still not feeling the urgent need to upgrade that one, I concluded that I'll probably use this laptop as a full replacement for my old warrior and not need to upgrade laptops in a long time.
The main factor when I decided for the Toshiba after comparing different brands was the reliability and reputation of this brand. Seriously, everytime I take some equipment (TVs VCRs, etc) for service at the retail store I notice the high number of HP and Sony Vaio laptops piling up the shelves. After Compaq merger with HP, and seeing their models similiarities, I'm now scared of Compaqs too. I took Dell out of the contest because of a personal bad experience with tech support and bad drivers I got in the past. All this, combined with the great price and package made it almos a no-brainer for me.
One thing that would make this one even better would be a multi-card-format reader instead of the SD-only reader. But I can live without that with my USB flash drive.

Excellent laptop and reasonable price
The laptop is just too good. Excellent audio and video and makes up a good cinemascope screen and good theater like environment for watching DVDs.
Connects to wi-fi network with ease.
Portability also good but some may not like the 15" WXGA screen which makes the laptop look lil big but then if you go for a lesser screen you clearly lose the clarity.
Keyboard is springy and not hard like other laptops but I would buy an additional set of mouse and keyboard.
I found the DVD drive to be too gentle and sometimes fear if that would come out if I use a bit of force.
Overall it is my dream machine and hope it would be the same for you too.
Happy Toshiba-ing ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Affordability comes to mobile computing with the Toshiba Satellite M35X-S149 notebook PC. It features a 1.5 GHz Intel Centrino processor, known for its smart, power-saving battery for long life on the road and built-in 54g Wi-Fi connectivity. It also offers a large 15.4-inch screen, 60 GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, and 256 MB of installed RAM (with expansion up to 2 GB).

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 60 GB hard drive is becoming the average size for notebook PCs, enabling road warriors enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and productivity software.
• Processor: The 1.5 GHz Pentium M (Centrino) processor is in the middle range of the spectrum. It is well equipped for , office productivity software tasks, from complex spreadsheets to databases. The Pentium M processor is designed specifically for low-power mobile usage, and it features the latest in power-saving technologies--ensuring you push your battery and productivity to the max. It also has a 512 KB L2 cache and 400 MHz front-side bus (FSB).
• Memory: The M35X-S149 is very affordable due to low amount of installed RAM--just 256 MB, which just isn't enough for today's office producivity suites. You can expand this notebook up to 2 GB of memory
• CD/DVD Drive: The combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive has 40x read, 16x write, and rewrite at 10x speeds. It can read DVDs at 8x.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 85-key keyboard and electro-static two-button touchpad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
This M35X-S149 has an integrated 802.11g wireless LAN (which is compatible with the more widespread 802.11b and offers faster data transmission rates). You get a basic offering of connectivity options, which does include super-fast USB 2.0:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 Firewire (IEEE 1394) for connecting digital camcorders and external hard drives
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot
• 1 TV out (S-Video)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Other preloaded software includes Quicken New User Edition, Norton Antivirus 2004 (with 90-day LiveUpdate subscription), Adobe Acrobat Reader, ArcSoft ShowBiz DVD, and Sonic Solutions RecordNow.

Dimensions and Weight
This notebook measures 14.4 x 10.8 x 1.48 inches and weight 6.81 pounds--slightly heavier than other Centrino laptops.

Power
It is powered by an 8-cell lithium-ion battery that has an average battery life of 3.5 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the Toshiba Satellite M35X-S149 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited warranty for parts and labor. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Amazingly small and light, the Sony Vaio PCG-Z1WA notebook PC is ready to hit the road with its bright 14.1-inch screen, 1.7 GHz battery-saving Centrino processor (for a battery life of up to 6.5 hours), and built-in 54g wireless LAN for connecting to your e-mail and the Web as you roam the hotspots. This elegantly designed laptop also features a 60 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, integrated Bluetooth connectivity, and a combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: Though not world-beating in size, the 60 GB enhanced-IDE hard drive offers more than enough storage capacity for road warriors.
• Processor: The 1.7 GHz Pentium M processor is at the top of the Centrino speed range. Because of its design, the Intel Pentium M gets more done per clock tick than a Mobile Intel Pentium 4, thus providing the discrepancy in GHz measurement (i.e., 1.7 versus 3.2). The Pentium M processor is designed specifically for low-power mobile usage, and it features the latest in power-saving technologies--ensuring you push your battery and productivity to the max.
• Memory: The PCG-Z1WA comes with a 512 MB built-in memory (1 x 512 MB DDR SDRAM, 266 MHz)--a good start for power users. It has a maximum memory expansion up to 1 GB (2 x 512 MB), which is a bit smaller than other notebooks, but understandable due to the PCG-Z1WA's size. It also has an L2 cache of 1 MB and a front-side bus (FSB) speed of 400 MHz.
• CD/DVD Drive: It comes equipped with a combo DVD/CD-RW drive, which enables you to play DVD-ROM discs and DVD movies as well as burn data and record music to CD discs. You can read and burn CDs at 24x speed, rewrite at 10x, and read; it has an 8x DVD read speed.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has an 83-key QWERTY keyboard (with 2mm stroke and 18.5mm pitch) and electro-static touchpad. It features two programmable buttons (one pre-set as maximum brightness and the other as sound mute).

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The PCG-Z1WA has an Intel Pro-Wireless 2200BG integrated wireless LAN that connects using the 802.11g wireless standard. It also offers Bluetooth wireless connectivity, for communicating with peripherals like keyboards, mice, printers, and more. You get a smaller offering of connectivity options (due to the notebook's size):

• 2 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) ports for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 RGB monitor port
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
• Memory Stick memory card reader (compatible with Memory Stick Pro)

Preloaded System and Software
The PCG-TR3A comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). It also is loaded with a bevy of Sony multimedia software: PictureGear Studio and Network Smart Capture (digital photo), DVgate Plus (digital video), and SonicStage (digital music). Other preloaded software includes InterVideo WinDVD, Screenblast ACITD and SoundForge, and RealPlayer One.

Dimensions and Weight
At 12.4 x 9.7 x 1.5 inches (L x W x H), this is a seriously thin notebook. And it weighs just 4.7 pounds with the battery.

Power
The included rechargeable lithium-ion battery offers between 3 and 5.5 hours of life with typical usage. An optional larger-capacity battery will provide double that (between 6 and 11 hours of battery life).

What's in the Box
This package contains the Sony Vaio PCG-Z1WA notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Austin not quite right
While it's true that the Z1WA does not come with a recovery CD, and that Sony will supply you one for $25, it comes with a utility to create your own set of (9) recovery CDs. Unfortunately, the utility to make them is a little brain-damaged. It's supposed to keep a taskbar icon available until you create a set, but looking at it and cancelling makes it go away. Looking and cancelling is also enough to make it force you to reboot with no way to avoid it (beyond letting the "OK to Reboot" dialog languish in the background). It'd be more convenient, for sure, if Sony just spent the $2 to include a set of recovery CDs, but you don't have to spend $25 if you don't want to.

One of my main complaints so far is that the filesystem as shipped is horribly fragmented, making the computer quite slow. Make sure you defrag as soon as possible. It speeds up the computer tremendously. Again, I'm surprised Sony didn't fix this in the factory.

Another complaint is the keyboard. The keys are quite flat and a little hard to touch-type on. Also, the right shift key is the same size as a regular letter key, making it hard to use. Sony should have made the arrow keys smaller and extended the shift to be a double-wide key as it should be, but that's moot now.

Also, it comes with C: (14GB) and D: (37GB) drives from the factory, which seems silly. I suppose it might make it easier to recover, but I haven't tried that yet. But it'd make more sense to me to have the one hard drive have only one letter so that you had only one chance to run out of drive space, not two.

Also, it does come with a lot of utilities that aren't the most helpful. Norton Internet Security seems like too much of a mother hen. Norton Anti-Virus is a 3-month trial, as is Office. I'm sure there are more of these utilities that are doing nothing more than wasting drive space, but I've only had it for about 12 hours now.

The lid can be a little hard to open, too, especially with one hand. There's no latch, just a spring holding it closed and it's a litte tight. It might loosen up with use, though.

Having ClearType font smoothing on as default would probably have made sense, too, but it wasn't.

Other than these quibbles, though, I'm quite happy with the computer. It's quite light, has a nice high-resolution screen (which others with worse sight might find a detriment), looks sexy (especially after you take off the at least six stickers), and performs well. I'm happy.

Good, but not good enough
The laptop looks cool, and it is light enough to carry around for a long time. But I am very disappointed after I bought one and tried it. It generates too much heat too quickly compared to similar models from other vendors (e.g., IBM T41). In addition, I am not sure that SONY tested the port replicators thoroughly. The port replicators do not support fast Ethernet connection well. When you connect the replicator to a LCD monitor, you do not get video on the monitor when you play video files using real-player.

I won't not buy any VAIO laptop computers in the future. It sucks!

great body, poor saul
Great hardware but daddy sony pushes you around with its choices. It starts with a disk formatted only like they want, overflowing with sony useless utilities. It seems impossible to reconfigure it and if you ask them they tell you to keep quiet that they know better than you what you want. Don't even bother to ask to install win2000 you are so used to and know already, it's impossible, the needed drivers are not available.
The best is that it doesn't come with a recovery CD, if you want it you have to purchase it from sony at 25$

Great Price For The Technology
This Sony VAIO PCG-Z1WA Notebook PC with Intel Centrino 1.7 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, CD-RW & DVD-ROM Combo Drive is a great price. Most Centrino laptops come with a 1.3-1.5 GHz but this is top of the line with 1.7 GHz. Even so most laptops that even come with 1.7 GHz is probably $2,500.00 and up. I looked at a lot of manufactures for notebooks, such as Dell, HP, Toshiba, and more. All of them didn't come with the technology I needed for a good price. But this one stood out. For this price you can even buy some accessories to make it even better. I upgraded the Hard Drive to 80 GB. Now I can really enjoy this laptop and know that this technology will not become old. Also I saw another laptop from Sony which was a 1.5 GHz Centrino processor. It was $1,899.00. It is mostly the same but the processor is lower and the video card is 32 MB. And this one comes with a big 64 MB. If you purchase this laptop I would also recomend a new desktop for the home by Sony. They have the most powerful computers for the best price.

Fantastic, Elegant, and Mobile
What an incredible looking and feeling laptop! The screen is bright and the controls are very responsive. This is a very fast and efficient machine. I am setting it up for a client, and so far I am very impressed.

Like most name brand PC's the first thing you need to do is format the hard drive and install an operating system. The OS that is shipped with the laptop is a crippled version of Windows (Home edition). Formatting the hard drive also removes all the spyware and other junk that is pre-installed, such as trial versions of software that will expire and become useless. If you are a power-user who is capable of this kind of set-up, this Sony VAIO is the sweetest thing you can buy. If you are a basic user who is unfamiliar with formatting hard drives and OS installations be careful of all name brand PC's. The only way to have a reliable and solid PC is to build it yourself.

Nice job Sony! Next time hold back the marketing materials and just give us a usable machine out of the box. ... Read more