Sony Vaio FW13 – First Full HD Laptop? [Not Really]

Sony launched the FW13 GU/H laptop in the Indian market recently. The laptop boasts of features like Full HD and Blue Ray drive along with a powerful processor. Is it really worth the juice? Lets find out.

Configuration

Weighing at 3 kgs, and with a battery backup of a mere 2 hours, this seems to come under the category of Desktop Replacement laptops, and a pricey one at that. I do not know how Sony can call this a Full HD laptop when the screen has a maximum resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. You can surely call it HD ready. But definitly not Full HD (In case you are wondering why, read this).

The laptop does look good on the memory and storage side with full 4 GB RAM and a whooping 320 GB 5400 RPM disk drive. Although, the memory is the maximum the processor can address, the disk drive could have been bigger for this price. Also, a SSD option could have made things hotter.

Having a blu ray drive with a HDMI port does not justify the high price. The fact that the LCD is only HD Ready and that you will need a higher resolution screen to view the Blue Ray discs in Full HD, one would rather go for VAIO SR series at a much lower price and buy a separate Blue Ray player with much more features.

The few good things I can spot in the laptop include the true wide screen LCD. At exact 16:9 aspect ratio, you won’t see the 2 black strips in your wide screen HD videos when you play them on this laptop. Another thing to note is that the processor is one of the fastest currently available.

I am not sure what the Motion Eye camera would do, however, it has probably something to do with sensing motion and other kid stuff.

The laptop’s MRP is an insane 1,24,900 INR. At this price, I cannot imagine any sane person buying it, considering it doesn’t even stand on the USP (Full HD) that Sony is claiming.

First Look: Sony Vaio VGN SR13

Sony India recently launched the Vaio VGN SR 13 laptop in India. Sony is marketing it as “Excellence in mobility. Perfection in Performance” laptops. Here is a first look:

Configuration:

Weighing at 1.93 kgs, we cannot call this laptop an “ultra portable”. However, looking at other components, this does come under the category of “portable beast”. Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8400 is currently one of the fastest mobile processors available. Clubbed with an ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3470, this laptop will have enough juice to run processor and graphics hungry applications like Photoshop, Flash, CAD etc.

This is not a serious gaming machine. However, the configuration is good enough to play most new games at medium display settings. 250 GB of hard disk should provide enough space for your movies and songs. The laptop has Windows Vista Business preloaded and also features a fingerprint sensor for added security. The laptop has cylindrical design at the hinges and has an isolated (Macbook type) keyboard. There is also an in built 1 megapixel web cam.

The best part about this laptop is its screen size. The screen is neither too small nor too big. It is just perfect for a portable laptop. 13.3″ is the new 14.1″, thanks to Apple Macbook. And at a resolution of1280 x 800, it will be great for document editing, playing games and watching movies. Also, the wireless card supports “802.11 Draft n” networks. This means that it will be compatible with the upcoming high speed wireless networks (802.11n).

The 3 hour battery life seems to be low for a laptop in this category. Especially with a 13.3” screen and not so light weight. A battery life of 3.5 to 4 hours would have been good.

The laptop is available in 3 colors Black, Silver and Pink. The MRP of the laptop is 74990 INR. You can get it for approx 73k at shops in Nehru place. At this price, it is targeted at business professionals who are frequently on the move and need a portable powerhouse.

Review: Compaq Presario V3780TU Notebook

The Compaq Presario V3780TU Notebook is a well balanced mid range laptop aimed at home users and students. The configuration is more than enough for basic home usage and most students needs. Here is the detailed configuration:

The laptop fits well in the mid range section of the notebook market. I ran various applications ranging from different web browsers, media players, development tools etc. and they all worked pretty well. The laptop might not have the fastest processor, but the configuration is balanced enough to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

There are a plethora of wired and wireless connectivity options. A 250 GB hard drive gives enough space for storing movies and songs. 2 GB of RAM (and scope for expansion up to 4 GB) provides enough juice for memory intensive applications. The 5 in 1 card reader comes in handy when you have to transfer pictures from your phone’s or digital camera’s memory card. The laptop looks great, thanks to the 14.1” screen. This is probably one of the cheapest 14.1” laptops available in the market.

The only setbacks I could notice were that of weight (2.5 kgs) and the basic version of Windows Vista.

Price:
The laptop can be easily purchased for approx 43500 INR at most Compaq and HP dealers. However, you can get it for as low as 42000 INR (with free HP bag) at some shops in Nehru Place, Delhi. At this price, it is a great choice for college students and average home users.

Pros:

- 14.1” screen
- 250 GB HDD
- Number of connectivity options
- Good looks

Cons:

- Heavy at 2.5 kgs
- Basic version of Windows Vista bundled

Here is how I rate it:

Performance: 4
Features: 4
Value for money: 3.5
Build quality: 4
Looks: 4

Overall: 4

Note: In case your budget is tight, you can go for a lighter version – Compaq Presario C752TU available for approx 34000 INR. However, If you are an advanced user and can shell out some more cash, go for Sony Vaio CR35G, now available for approx 51000 INR.