Sony Vaio
Here is one cool gizmo that 650$ can buy - Sony Vaio NS140E/W
What's great about it? - Look & Feel
What's not so great? - Some problems with the audio, no multimedia controls.
Having used Compaq & HP laptops before and being unsatisfied with both, I wanted to try a Dell this time. The same configuration (NS140E) on Dell would have costed me about 100 bucks more. Plus, there's this inherent problem of lap-burning with most laptops that have their fans underneath. Dell's a victim too. That left me with no choice, but Sony, Toshiba or Lenovo. The other two were kind of boxy and not visually appealing, atleast to girls :). I was kind of skeptical about Sony as a laptop manufacturer. But then, having weighed all the pros and cons, I decided to try a Vaio this time. And now, after using it for a month, I couldn't have asked for more.
Firstly, the laptop is sleek and weighs less. Even though its a 15.4" one, it can be carried around effortlessly. Its got a macbook-feel for half the price! Runs on battery for about 2hr 40min while in use. I haven't played any DVDs yet. But I should say it's got an amazing sound quality. But, when the volume is set to maximum, the sound kind of gets screechy and noisy. The microphone is great too. Voip calls made on this machine sound crystal clear at the other end. There are no multimedia controls on the keypad. I'm not a big fan of them, all I need is a mute button and that's there. I would be happier if there was a volume control too. For specifications, click this.
Hardly takes 5 seconds to come up from standby mode, the wireless radio might take upto a minute though. My other HP laptop would take upto 2 minutes just to switch on the display from standby. Forgot to mention, the power cord is too short, hardly 1.5 meters long. No big deal, I can always get a longer one for few $$$.
What I love most about this laptop is, it neither heats up my lap nor the keypad. That's because its got a fan on the side. So, there's no need for an external laptop fan which has sort of become an essential laptop accessory these days.
We love this laptop so much that my husband wants to trade his 1100$ worth HP entertainment notebook for my 650$ Vaio. OMG!!! Vaio!!! You simply rock!
What's great about it? - Look & Feel
What's not so great? - Some problems with the audio, no multimedia controls.
Having used Compaq & HP laptops before and being unsatisfied with both, I wanted to try a Dell this time. The same configuration (NS140E) on Dell would have costed me about 100 bucks more. Plus, there's this inherent problem of lap-burning with most laptops that have their fans underneath. Dell's a victim too. That left me with no choice, but Sony, Toshiba or Lenovo. The other two were kind of boxy and not visually appealing, atleast to girls :). I was kind of skeptical about Sony as a laptop manufacturer. But then, having weighed all the pros and cons, I decided to try a Vaio this time. And now, after using it for a month, I couldn't have asked for more.
Firstly, the laptop is sleek and weighs less. Even though its a 15.4" one, it can be carried around effortlessly. Its got a macbook-feel for half the price! Runs on battery for about 2hr 40min while in use. I haven't played any DVDs yet. But I should say it's got an amazing sound quality. But, when the volume is set to maximum, the sound kind of gets screechy and noisy. The microphone is great too. Voip calls made on this machine sound crystal clear at the other end. There are no multimedia controls on the keypad. I'm not a big fan of them, all I need is a mute button and that's there. I would be happier if there was a volume control too. For specifications, click this.
Hardly takes 5 seconds to come up from standby mode, the wireless radio might take upto a minute though. My other HP laptop would take upto 2 minutes just to switch on the display from standby. Forgot to mention, the power cord is too short, hardly 1.5 meters long. No big deal, I can always get a longer one for few $$$.
What I love most about this laptop is, it neither heats up my lap nor the keypad. That's because its got a fan on the side. So, there's no need for an external laptop fan which has sort of become an essential laptop accessory these days.
We love this laptop so much that my husband wants to trade his 1100$ worth HP entertainment notebook for my 650$ Vaio. OMG!!! Vaio!!! You simply rock!
