From the very beginning I have been impressed with
Sony's Vaio CR Series. I absolutely love the way it looks, it’s so stylish and it comes in six different colors. The one I picked to review is sleek, red and shiny like my car and purse. The trim is silver and a pulsing LED ground effect emanates and glows under the silver trim. There are optional matching mice and bags with custom engravings, a perfect match! Weighing in at a mere 5.5 pounds it is lightweight and easy to tote around. After seeing the
Vaio CR in
Sangria Red I knew this was the one for me.
Matching Carrying Case and Mouse
The
Sony Vaio CR Series is a fast machine operating with
Intel's fresh
Centrino Pro platform and a 1.8GHz to 2.4GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and 802.11a/g/n Wi-Fi built in. It also has a 5,400rpm hard drive, in capacities up to 200GB, and 1GB of 667MHz RAM (expandable up to 4GB). Equipped with 14.1 inch screen and a widescreen display of 1280 by 800 pixels, the
SonyCR‘s screen is easy to look at for long periods of time. The screen also uses an energy-efficient XBRITE-ECO™ LCD technology and integrated
Intel GMA X3100 graphics for dazzling colors and incredible picture clarity.
Screen
I like the keyboard, the keys are small and there is space between them which makes it really comfortable and easy to type on. I also like the springy quality of the keys. The touch pad is equally responsive. I was not as impressed with the right and left clickers though, as they are not quite as responsive and seemed to stick. There is a built in 1.3-megapixel MOTION EYE® digital web cam and microphone which lets you quickly snap photos and makes conferencing or chatting with family and friends easy. This would have been handy when I was a student. It also has built-in
Bluetooth® technology allowing quick and easy connection to compatible
Bluetooth peripherals like speakers, headphones or mice.
Keyboard
The
CR series comes stocked with all the latest components, making it an all in one computer at a competitive price. It runs quietly and doesn’t heat up too much, can so you can use it on your lap without getting burned. The cooling system is extremely efficient. I like to listen to music and watch movies.
Sony has provided an instant mode & A/V controls are able to provide on-demand access to your entertainment without booting-up. There are several action buttons on the computer that bypass the entire setup and let the computer run in AV mode. It’s so cool because you don’t even have to turn the computer on. You just use the music function buttons on top and bottom to begin watching or listening. I am a fan of this spectacular feature because so often I simply want to listen to music. Now I can do that without waiting for everything to boot up. In AV mode you can play movies, upload pictures, and listen to music. To top it off, there are two large speakers on either side of the keyboard powered by
Realtek Audio Sound System which are good quality for notebook speakers.
Action Buttons and Disc Drive
Overall I think this is a fun computer to use, it looks stunning and has everything I need. For more information click here.
Ports, Slots, and Drives
Specifications
General
Computer Type: Notebook
Type of Use: Thin-and-light
Action Buttons: Play/Pause, Stop, FF, and
Rewind, AV Mode, Mute, Volume-+, Capture
and Display off
Pointing Device: Electro-Static touch pad
Security: Biometric Fingerprint Sensor
Hardware
Keyboard: QWERTY, 82 keys with 2mm stroke
and 19.05mm pitch
Camera: Built-in 1.3 megapixel MOTION EYE®
camera and microphone
Processor
Type: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7100
Speed: 1.8GHz
Front Side Bus Speed: 800MHz
L2 Cache: 2MB
Technology: Intel Centrino Duo Processor Technology
Hard Drive
Capacity: 200GB
Speed: 4200rpm
Interface: Serial ATA
Optical Drive #1
DVD+R DL Write: 4x max
DVD+R Write: 8x max
DVD+RW Write: 8x max
DVD-R Write: 8x max
DVD-RW Write: 6x max
CD-R Write: 24x max
CD-RW Write: 16x max
DVD±RW: Yes (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/DVD-RAM)
CD Read: 24x max
DVD Read: 8x max
DVD-RAM Write: 5x max
DVD-R DL Write: 4x max
DVD-RAM Read: 5x max
Expansion Slots
Multimedia Card Reader: One Memory Stick
Duo media with MagicGate functionality
One ExpressCard /34 Slot
One Secure Digital Media (SD)
Audio
Sound System: Sony Sound Reality - Audio Enhancer
Graphics
Processor: Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Video RAM: 358MB (Total Available Graphics Memory)
Interface: VGA and S-Video Out with Smart
Display Sensor
Power
Battery Type: VGP-BPS9/S
Estimated Battery Life: TBD
Power Requirements: 86W + 10%
Software
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
Internet Services: AOL 90-Day Risk Free Trial -New Users Only
Supplied Software: Microsoft Works 8.5, 60-Day Trial Version of Microsoft Office 2007
Sony Original Software: Click to DVD - DVD
Creation, LocationFree Player
Security and Anti-Virus Software: Norton
Internet Security 2007 60-Day trial with spyware protection
Service and Warranty Information
Telephone Support: 1 year toll-free technical
telephone assistance, available 24/7
Limited Warranty and Onsite Service: 1 Year
Limited Warranty with Onsite Service
Online and Email Support: Support available from http://www.esupport.sony.com/EN/VAIO
Dimensions
Weight: TBD
Measurements: 13.2"(W) x 1.25-1.67"(H) x 9.8"(D)
Supplied Accessories
Standard Lithium-ion battery (VGP-BPS9A/S)
AC Adapter (VGP-AC19V25)
Power Cable
