Sony VAIO VGN-FW520F/B 16.4-Inch Black Laptop Review
February 9, 2010 by admin
Filed under Cheap Laptop Reviews
I am a PC guy, but I am also familiar with Macs. I love the Sony VAIO…this is my third one since 2001 and they are all still working great. This new one though is the best. My favorite aspects are the beautiful screen, Windows 7, and the Blu-ray player. I have used it for a couple weeks now, and it really is a laptop I just love to work on. The new graphical items in Windows 7 are awesome, which makes the user experience much more fun. The VAIO also comes with pre-installed software, but it’s all stuff you want to keep on it–like the Sony audio/video applications. And again, I just can’t stress enough how wonderful the screen is. My wife is a photographer, and she has taken some photos that just have that “so real” look to them on the screen…kind of like viewing a Blu-ray moview on a great TV. I am very pleased with this purchase.
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Product Description:
Inspired by theater screens, the Sony VAIO VGN-FW520F/B in black broadens your entertainment horizons with a brilliantly colorful 16.4-inch high-definition LCD, dedicated AV controls, HDMI output to your HDTV, and more. Great for watching widescreen movies or viewing two web sites side-by-side, the 16.4-inch screen also minimizes the annoying black bars you see when playing widescreen movies. The Blu-ray Disc optical drive (read-only) lets you play high-definition Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal-clear resolution. You’ll also enjoy the Dolby Sound Room suite of audio technologies for immersive surround sound pumped through a home theater speaker system or just a pair of headphones. And with the HDMI A/V output, you can connect the VAIO FW to a compatible HDTV to display your creations to a larger audience.
The Sony VAIO FW with 16.4-inch high-definition display in black.
Enjoy high-definition Blu-ray Disc playback as well as burn CDs and DVDs using the integrated DVD±RW drive.
Handy, built-in A/V control buttons also let you play, pause, rewind, stop, eject and control volume, all with one-touch ease (see larger image). Reminiscent of a rolling wave, the smooth, curved lines of are as functional as they are attractive–from the iconic new cylindrical hinge to the sloping bend where the keyboard meets the display. Striking, yet sophisticated, this deep black VAIO FW notebook utilizes advanced paint technology that’s applied to the magnesium chassis, making the color appear to shift in tint at different angles.
It comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), supporting office applications and all the software programs routinely found in full-size notebooks. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to. (Learn more about Windows 7 Home Premium below.)
It’s powered by the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor–with Centrino 2 technology–which boosts speed, reduces power requirements, and saves on battery life. The 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 includes a quick 1066 MHz front-side bus and 3 MB of L2 cache, providing an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multimedia and multitasking performance. It also offers a fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed and 2 MB L2 cache. It also includes Intel’s 5100AGN wireless LAN, which will connect to draft 802.11n routers and offers compatibility with 802.11a/b/g networks as well. And you can use wireless headsets for video chats and stream music to compatible speakers using the embedded Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity (featuring the A2DP music streaming profile).
You’ll be able to tackle virtually any graphics requirement with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD4650 graphics card and 512 MB of dedicated video RAM (and up to 2280 MB of total available memory). Making your own movies is also easy with the dual-layer DVD±RW drive integrated into the Blu-ray Disc drive and the included Sony Movie Story software–just choose the supplied template and professional-looking cutaways, cross-fades and soundtrack syncing are automatically done for you.
A built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam (with integrated microphone) lets you join in on video conferences as well as make long-distance VoIP calls. Other features include a 500 GB hard drive (5400 RPM), 4 GB of installed RAM (8 GB maximum), ExpressCard 34 slot, Gigabit Ethernet, and both Memory Stick and SD card readers.
This Sony notebook is Energy Star 5.0 certified, and has received a Silver EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact. Additionally, it is RoHS-compliant, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances.
Key Features
Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
Be ready for the next platform in wireless connectivity with the integrated quad-mode Intel Wireless 5100AGN Wi-Fi chip. Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It’s also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and Wi-Fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range–great for closed office environments).
It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard card slot (replacing the PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. It comes with the following external connectors:
- 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals–from digital cameras to MP3 players
- 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
- 1 HDMI output (for connecting to a compatible HDTV or home theater receiver for uncompressed digital audio and video via a single cable)
- Analog video output: 1 VGA
- 1 ExpressCard/34 slot
- Memory Stick/Memory Stick DUO slot (with MagicGate functionality)
- Secure Digital memory card slot (compatible with MMC cards)
- 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
- 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
- 56K modem (V.90)
What’s in the box
This package contains the Sony VAIO VGN-FW520F/B laptop, standard capacity rechargeable battery, AC adapter, power cord, printed user manual
It also comes with the following software: Norton Internet Security 2009 (30-day trial); Microsoft Works SE 9.0; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 (60-day trial); VAIO Multimedia Suite includes VAIO Care for system diagnostics and maintenance, VAIO Movie Story for video creation, and VAIO Media plus for multimedia streaming
Learn More
16.4-Inch High-Definition Display
This Sony VAIO has a 16.4-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels (native 720p for high-definition viewing). The 16:9 aspect ratio ensures that you won’t miss an inch of the original picture from your favorite movie while also providing valuable extra workspace. The XBRITE-ECO technology delivers brilliant colors and stunning clarity with efficient power usage, and it features an anti-reflective coating to minimize reflection and ensure a beautifully clear image from any viewing angle.
Video is powered by the ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics card, which provides 512 MB dedicated graphics memory and up to 2287 MB as allocated by the Windows 7 operating system. ATI Radeon HD 4600 Series GPUs help redefine the way you play HD games and enjoy unprecedented levels of graphics realism powered by 320 stream processing units. It also offers support for Microsoft DirectX 10.1 games. The intelligent power management delivers the power needed to run the most intense applications while intuitively conserving energy at idle or when demand is low.
Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. You can even watch, pause, rewind, and record TV. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
Simplify everyday tasks Work the way you want Make new things possible
- Simplify your PC with new navigation features like Aero Shake, Jump Lists, and Snap.
- Customize Windows to look and feel the way you like by changing themes and taskbar programs.
- Setting up a home network and connecting to printers and devices is easier than ever.
- Windows 7 Home Premium supports the latest hardware and software.
- Designed to make your PC sleep and resume quicker.
- Takes full advantage of 64-bit PC hardware and memory.
- Connecting to wireless networks is fast and easy.
- Watch, pause, rewind, and record TV with Windows Media Center.
- Watch your favorite DVD movies.
- Includes integrated video and Dolby audio codecs.
Jump Lists
New in Windows 7, Jump Lists take you right to the documents, pictures, songs, or websites you turn to each day. To open a Jump List, just right-click a program icon on the Windows 7 taskbar. (You’ll also find them on the Start menu.) What you see in a Jump List depends entirely on the program. The Jump List for Internet Explorer 8 shows frequently-viewed websites. Windows Media Player 12 lists commonly-played tunes. Your Jump List missing a favorite? You can “pin” whatever files you like there. Jump Lists don’t just show shortcuts to files. Sometimes they also provide quick access to commands for things like composing new e‑mail messages or playing music.
Improved Windows Taskbar
In Windows 7 you can “pin” favorite programs anywhere on the taskbar for easy access. Not crazy about the icon lineup? Now you can rearrange them any way you like by clicking and dragging. Finally, there are new ways to preview windows. Point to a taskbar icon to see a thumbnail preview of open files or programs. Then, move your mouse over a thumbnail to preview the window full-screen. You can even close windows from the thumbnail previews–a big time saver.
Snap
Ever need to cut through a cluttered desktop and quickly focus on a single window? Just click a pane and give your mouse a shake. Every open window except that one instantly disappears. Jiggle again–and your windows are back.
Intel Core 2 Duo Processing Power with Centrino 2
Experience improved energy efficiency, expanded wireless connectivity, and amazing battery life with the 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 processor featuring Intel Centrino 2 technology–which also helps provide faster draft 802.11n wireless connectivity and new business-class manageability capabilities. This processor has a 2.13 GHz processor speed, super-sized 1066 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and a extra-large 3 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system’s performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor: The Dual-Core that Delivers Impressive Power While Saving Energy
Featuring dual cores that power through the most intensive tasks, the Intel Core 2 Duo processor lets you surf the web, download content, connect with friends–and do it all with ease. Intel Advanced Smart Cache technology minimizes wait times by allocating more access to frequently used data to the processing core that needs it most. Intel’s power-saving capabilities enable fast, cool-running performance even in a compact form factor.
Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology: Breakthrough Technology for Mobile Creativity
With dual-core processing, ultra-fast wireless and exclusive energy conservation features, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology lets you achieve more, aspire higher, and log many more miles between battery charges. Optimized wireless capabilities provide up to 2x greater range and up to 5x better Wi-Fi performance1. Intel Clear Video Technology combines hardware- and software-based video processing features to deliver sharper image quality, improved clarity and customizable color control.
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