|
LASplash.com: Tech Talk Sony Vaio CR Series Review - The Sleek, New, Stylish Way to Compute By Cassandra Holmes
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.
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 Sony CR‘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.
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.
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.
Overall I think this is a fun computer to use, it looks stunning and has everything I need. For more information click here.
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 Memory Type: DDR2 Installed: 2GB (1GBx2) PC2-5300 Maximum: 4GB Speed: 667MHz 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 Display Screen Size: 14.1" Resolution: 1280 x 800 Technology: WXGA LCD 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 Inputs and Outputs Ethernet Port: 1 Headphone Jack: 1 Modem Jack: 1 Microphone Input: 1 S-Video Output(s): 1 USB Port(s): 3 (2.0 compliant) VGA Output(s): 1 DC-In: 1 Express Card Slot: 1 type /34 i.LINK Connection: 1 (4pin) i.LINK connector (IEEE 1394) Networking/Modem Ethernet Protocol: Fast Ethernet (RJ-45) Ethernet Speed: 10Base-T/100Base-TX Modem Type: Integrated V92/V.90 Modem (RJ-11) Wireless LAN: Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection (802.11a/b/g/n) 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 Published Mar 8, 2008 © Copyright 2003-2004 by LA Splash.com |
