Sony VAIO VGN-CR490EBW (Thin & Light Intel Core 2 Duo 14.1" Display)
Quick Facts:
Processor: 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM: 2GB DDR2 - 667 MHz
Display: 14.1" WXGA LCD
Hard drive: 250GB 5400RPM Serial ATA
Battery life: 3.5 Hours
Weight: 5.5 Pounds
The Great: Lots of color choice, multimedia AV Mode, excellent performance.
The Not So Great: No dedicated graphics, high price for what you get, bloatware, bad vertical viewing angles.
The Verdict: Designed for users who want to turn heads, but the very similar, more affordable VAIO N model is still a better choice.
The outside of the VAIO CR is glossy, with a sturdy case reinforced with metal. There is no latch to hold the VAIO CR closed, but the hinge is firm enough to keep it in place. The VAIO CR is not overly light at 5.5 pounds, and at 1.67” at the thickest point, it's not impressively thin either. As a media laptop for home use, many consumers won't care, but it is sneaky of Sony to advertise it as a thin and light notebook when it's truly not.
Users can stick with the 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo processor configuration, or upgrade to the 2.4GHz T7700. You can configure the VAIO CR online, or choose a stock model from stores. There is no dedicated graphics option, but instead the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100. There is a separate reader for the SD card and MemoryStick Pro card, which is a bit puzzling, as most laptops in its class have a 5-in-1 memory card slot.
The VAIO CR screen is a WXGA 1280x800, 14.1” glossy, and the horizontal viewing angles are nearly perfect. However, the vertical viewing angles leave a lot to be desired when the screen is tilted. Users can choose between eight levels of brightness, with bright backlighting for sharp color and contrast.
The VAIO CR keyboard has flat keys similar to the MacBook, and are responsive to light touch. The touchpad is extremely responsive, and a decent size for comfortable use. You can launch the media player functions without having to boot Windows by using the “AV Mode” button.
The speakers sound better than a lot of notebooks in the VAIO CR's class, even though they aren't excellent by any means. The unit as a whole runs very quietly, and heat is kept under control although the left side does get a bit warm after use.
You'll get about 3 hours of battery life with wireless off, brightness at half setting, and light Word use. You can choose a larger capacity battery, but it will add more weight to the laptop.
What else adds “weight” to the VAIO CR? All of the bloatware that comes on it – from trial versions of Microsoft Office 2003 and Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI, to Napster – users who don't want or need any of these added features won't appreciate the system resources they take up, or having to spend the time to uninstall them.
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User Buying Guide - Terms
There's more to consider when buying a laptop than just style and screen size. What features are important to you? How much memory do you need? Here are some laptop terms to help you understand more before you go notebook shopping.
The Basics:
Processor: All computers require a processor to run programs, but laptop processors are much more power-efficient. A laptop that uses a dual-core processor performs more quickly than a laptop with a single-core processor. Lower end laptops use the Intel Celeron M processor, which won't be as quick as the Core Duo processors.
Recommended:
Desktop Replacement - Intel Core 2 Duo T7400/T7500
Medium Models - Intel Core 2 Duo T7200/7300
Light Models - Intel Core 2 Duo L7400/7500
Ultra-Light Laptops - Intel Core 2 Duo U7600
Processor Speed: Measured in hertz, the rate at which a computer performs basic operations. To be accurate, this speed must be measured between two computer chips in the same family of processors, rather than using different computers or processor families.
Operating System: The software that manages resource sharing on the laptop, processes input and data and controls memory. The operating system also controls input and output devices, and facilitates networking and file management. The most popular operating systems are Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows and Solaris.
Data Bus Speed: The bus is a data transfer system that connects many peripherals using the same set of wires. This reduces the number of devices, cables or cards the user will need to access programs. The speed of the data bus determines how quickly this transfer will take place.
System Memory: Most laptops include 1GB of system memory. A number of laptops today come with 2GB of RAM. RAM stands for Random access memory and is simply a type of data storage. Someone who wants to store lots of photos or music on their laptop will need more memory (RAM) than someone who just wants to check email and do basic word processing.
Recommended RAM: 2 GB DDR2 667MHz
Graphics Memory: Look for 128MB of dedicated video RAM that is dedicated for graphics use, not just shared memory (pulled from the laptop's main memory). For more advanced gaming or graphics use, choose 256MB to 512MB of dedicated memory.
Graphics Processor: A graphics device that displays computer graphics; may be integrated (in the motherboard) or dedicated (using an expansion slot).
Memory Cache: The CPU of the laptop uses this cache to reduce the time it takes to access computer memory. The memory cache is a smaller and faster version of the main memory, and it stores data from the most recent main memory locations. The size and type of memory cache varies depending on the model of laptop.
Chip Set: A group of circuits (chips) that work together to integrate peripherals; for example, Ethernet and audio.
Keyboard: Keyboards are getting lighter and thinner as new models come out, but some users find that the lighter models have keys that are too close together, and the layouts vary. Try before you decide on a model to find the perfect fit.
Battery Type: The battery allows you to work on your laptop anywhere without having to plug into an outlet. Some laptops can run up to 7 hours on battery power, while others require more frequent recharging.
Recommended: Lithium Ion battery with and an additional component battery.
Imaging:
Screen: While other parts of today's laptops get smaller, screens continue to get bigger - and wider. This allows consumers to view movies or documents in high-resolution color. Standard screen size is 14 or 15 inches, but it's becoming more common to see up to 17 inch widescreens in some models.
Recommended:
Desktop Replacement - 17" LCD screen
Medium/Light - 14" LCD screen
Ultralight - 12.1" LCD screen
Display Type: Depending on how much you want to spend and what you want to use your laptop for, you may consider different display types before purchasing. For example, display types include dual-scan (budget option), active-matrix (fast response, suitable for multiple users) and high-performance addressing (extends battery life, better for viewing on the go).
Display Features: Refers to features that enhance the display, such as LED-backlighting or X BRITE-HiColor.
Native Screen Resolution: Refers to the number of distinct pixels that can be displayed in each dimension. Whether the display is plasma, liquid crystal or digital light processing, it is the number of columns and rows of pixels that create the display (for example, 1024x768).
Video: The higher resolution screen you choose, the better your video should be. Video can be anywhere from 128-512 MB, or even more. Most laptops come with integrated video, which are lower quality and use part of your main memory.
Recommended:
NVIDIA GeForce 8000 series
ATI Mobility Radeon 1250
Storage:
Hard Drive: The size of your hard drive depends on the amount of space you need for data and programs. Some users opt for 60GB models for the basics, while others need 100GB or 120GB for advanced spreadsheets or video applications. Laptop hard drives are easily removed, but it can be expensive to add on later, so opt for more rather than less if you aren't sure.
Recommended: 160 GB 7200RPM hard drive
Hard Drive Capacity: How many GB's of storage a laptop has; ranges from notebook to notebook.
Hard Drive Speed: How many RPM's a laptop has; ranges from notebook to notebook.
Hard Drive Interface: Hard disk drives can be accessed over a number of bus types; varies from notebook to notebook. Some examples of hard drive interfaces: SASI, SATA and SCSI.
SSD: Stands for solid-state drive, based on solid state physics. It's another type of data storage device, and although it emulates a hard disk drive it lacks the moving parts of a conventional hard drive. As a result, it is quieter, finds data more quickly and has less tendency to break down.
Optical Drives: You'll find most laptops now have rewritable DVD drives, although it's possible to get a laptop with a combination DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. It's rare to see just a DVD-ROM or CD-RW drive, and most users who really want a floppy drive buy an inexpensive USB add-on.
Recommended: DVD+/-RW drive internally
USB Drives: USB drives have replaced the floppy disk drive, and have a number of different uses - storing backup files, digital photos, MP3's and more. It's your choice whether you want a USB flash drive or writable CD/DVD media. However, a 2 GB flash drive is only about $20 or $30, so many consumers opt for both as modern laptops will boot off either.
Recommended: 2 GB USB flash drive
Sound:
Sound: Any laptop you buy will come with sound, and most have a built-in microphone. Many laptops come only with a headphone jack, so if you want to connect to your home stereo or do any type of sound editing, get line output and line input jacks. FireWire and USB ports can also eliminate the need for additional audio ports.
Recommended: Built-in sound with microphone, line inputs, and line outputs
Speakers: Your laptop will usually come with built-in stereo speakers. Some users prefer to have a thinner laptop without a microphone or speakers and install jacks, while others opt for a slightly heavier laptop with built-in speakers.
Recommended: Built-in stereo speakers
Networking: Relates to connectivity options for the laptop, including:
Ethernet/LAN: Allows you to connect to broadband modems and local area networks.
Modem: A device that allows an analog carrier signal to decode digital information; cable or ADSL modems are used to connect users to the Internet.
WiFi: Short for wireless fidelity, provides wireless Internet access to users; used to describe any type of 802.11 network.
Bluetooth: A way for users to exchange information between laptops - and other devices - over a short-range radio frequency.
Ports:
USB Port: Allows you to connect to mice, printers, cameras and scanners quickly and easily. Most laptops have two USB 2.0 ports, although some have four or even six.
Recommended: Express Card slot, 6 USB 2.0 ports, 1 FireWire port, DVI, VGA, S-Video ports, RJ-45, RJ-11, Cable Lock Slot, Docking station slot, media bay
FireWire: The brand name for the IEEE 1394 interface by Apple. Used for high-speed communications and data transfer, it is a serial bus interface standard. Connects features like the external drive, MP3 player, or a digital camcorder.
Expansion Slots: The more expansion bays your laptop has, the more optical and storage drives you can plug into. Some expansion ports that can help you do more with your laptop are:
Cable Lock Slot: A security measure for your laptop that allows you to use a cable to anchor your laptop so that it won't be stolen.
Docking Station Port: used to plug your laptop into a docking station.
Docking Port Replicator: May also be called a "passthrough." Similar to extension cables, the docking port replicator can be plugged in and unplugged all at once.
DVI: Allows to connect to an external digital display.
Card Reader: A device on the laptop that is used for communication with a flash memory card or a smart card. Examples include the Memory Stick, SD Memory Card, and Memory Stick Pro.
ExpressCard Slot: This is the biggest standard slot on the laptop, for everything from micro hard drives to wireless cellular modems.
Media Bays: Used to plug in extra hard drives, CD/DVD drives, and additional batteries.
PC Card slot: For things like hard disks, ethernet cards, memory sticks and wireless lan cards.
RJ-45 Port: You can plug in an Ethernet network cable (10Mbit, 100 Mbit, or Gigabit).
RJ-11 Port: smaller than an RJ-45 with 4 connections on it, used to plug in an analog modem line.
S-video: You can run home analog video both in and out of your laptop, although you can view your video better with a DVI slot.
Battery: The standard nowadays is Lithium-ion and the number of cells it carries will determine how long your battery will power your notebook. Normally, manufacturers will include a 6-cell battery.
Recommended: 6-cells is the norm and it typically lasts for 2 to 3 hours. Anything more than 6-cells will give you longer-lasting power.
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