Nick Race29 February 2008, 3:57 PM
Our only minor gripe is that this VAIO only sports two USB 2.0 ports — a pretty limiting factor.
Both Toshiba and Sony have jumped on board the solid-state hard disk train, selling notebooks that only have solid-state hard disk drives. This Sony VAIO is their first in line, an 11.1in model weighing in at less than 1.2kg, including an optical drive (and battery). It includes an ultra-thin LED-lit LCD panel, running at 1,366 x 768. It’s bright, clear and crisp with a reflective coating that attracts fingerprints.
It has an Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 running at 1.2GHz, so it’s no speed demon. The default model only includes 1GB of RAM, which in our opinion is a little lean. It uses Intel’s GMA 950 for graphics, providing basic 3D for Vista. 802.11a/b/g is supported as well as Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, Ethernet, a 56K modem and DVD+-RW DL optical drive. There’s ExpressCard and a Memory Stick Pro/Duo slot, as well as a built in webcam, all in a package 227 x 30 x 192mm.
Most importantly, the system uses a 32GB solid-state hard disk drive. After a recovery partition, OS and software, there’s only 11GB free. It’s pre-installed with Microsoft Windows Vista Business, VAIO Video and Photo Suite, Click2DVD, Adobe Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements, plus WinDVD. It’s a solid start.
The big thing with this VAIO is the battery life. In battery-saving mode, we got over 8.5 hours of ‘real work’ done during a flight (with Wi-Fi off, of course). DVD playback sat at 5.5 hours, while in an office it easily lasted a full day’s work with Wi-Fi on.