Tag : t7100 2, hard drive, gb ram, vista premium, 200 gb, core 2

Company : Sony List Price : $1,399.99 Amazon Price : $1,199.99 Used Price : Average customer review :

Features

• 5.75-pound laptop with magnesium body, dedicated multimedia controls above keyboard, and 15.4-inch LCD
• 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 processor, 200 GB Serial ATA hard drive, 2 GB RAM (4 GB max), 8x LightScribe DVD-/+RW drive
• Connectivity: 3 USB, 1 FireWire, 1 VGA, 1 S-Video, ExpressCard 34, Memory Stick/SD card slots
• Intel 4965 AGN wireless LAN connects to draft 802.11n routers (as well as 802.11a/b/g)
• Pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium (with Media Center capabilities); integrated WebCam

Amazon.com Product Description

With subtle sophistication and undeniable elegance, the lightweight Sony VAIO VGN-FZ140E/B notebook PC is crafted with an aesthetic touch and careful attention to detail. Offering a brilliantly colorful 15.4-inch XBRITE-ECO display, this 5.75-pound laptop maximizes LCD space with advanced space-saving engineering techniques, including a reconfigured battery and motherboard design. It’s packed with entertainment features, including embedded A/V controls for one-touch access to your music, movies and pictures. A built-in camera and microphone is seamlessly integrated into the durable silver magnesium chassis so you can video chat with friends, family and co-workers.

This notebook is powered by the 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 processor, which offers a 20 percent performance boost over its predecessor while using 28 percent less power–so you get the benefit of a powerful dual-core PC plus all the benefits of mobility. It provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved gaming and multitasking performance. It includes Intel’s 4965 AGN wireless LAN, which will connect to draft 802.11n routers and offers compatibility with 802.11a/b/g networks as well. Other features include a 200 GB hard drive, 2 GB of installed RAM (4 GB maximum capacity), multi-format/dual-layer DVD+/-RW drive (which also burns CDs), ExpressCard slot, and Intel GMA X3100 graphics card.

This laptop also comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. In addition to easily playing your DVD movies and managing your digital audio library, you’ll be able to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV). Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.

Entertainment Features
Imagine having the ability to enjoy your entertainment on your notebook without ever booting up. The VAIO FZ notebook with A/V Instant Mode lets you kick off your entertainment with a single push of a button. Go straight to watching a movie, playing music, or viewing photos without ever booting-up the operating system, thereby conserving a significant amount of battery life. The VAIO FZ notebook also includes a full set of dedicated multimedia controls just above the keyboard. A round A/V interface jumps out of the clean design of the VAIO FZ, adding a unique and practical touch to its sophisticated appearance. These intuitive music and video controls are user-friendly, so you can easily control your CDs, DVDs, pictures and home movies with the push of a button.

The Basics

• Processor: The Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 processor has a 1.8 GHz processor speed, speedy 667 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and a 2 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.)

  The Intel Core 2 Duo processor has two computational execution cores in a single processor, providing greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It’s optimized for multitasking and is ready to support the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. It can simultaneously run multiple demanding applications–such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications–while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background. Some of the advanced Intel innovations of the Core 2 Duo processor include:

  • Smart Memory Access: Improves system performance by hiding memory latency, thus optimizing the use of available computer data bandwidth to provide data to the processor when and where it is needed.
  • Advanced Digital Media Boost: Effectively doubles the execution speed for instructions used widely in multimedia and graphics applications.
  • Dynamic Power Coordination: Coordinates Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology and idle power-management state (C-states) transitions independently per core to help save power.
  • Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing: Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory during periods of inactivity to lower CPU voltage.

• Hard Drive: The 200 GB Serial ATA hard drive is about double the average size for notebook PCs, however its 4200 RPM speed is a bit slower than current standard hard drives. It provides more than enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and video editing software. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data–akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.
• Memory: The 2 GB of installed RAM (2 x 1 GB DDR2, PC5300) is an excellent start, but you’ll want to add more RAM to handle today’s demanding multimedia and productivity suites. It provides two DIMM slots and has a large 4 GB maximum RAM capacity. It also offers a top-of-class 667 MHz speed. To receive the faster data transfer benefits of the dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity and clockspeed.
• DVD/CD Drive: The dual-layer DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data–great for backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x for DVD+R DL, 4x for DVD-R DL, 8x for both single layer DVD+R/-R, 8x for single layer DVD+RW, 6x for single layer DVD-RW, and 24x/16x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 82-key keyboard (2.0mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch) and electro-static two-button touchpad.

Screen, Video & Audio
The 15.4-inch WXGA LCD offers Sony’s XBRITE-ECO display technology and has a widescreen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. 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 Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, which uses shared video memory (up to 358 MB allocated from the system memory) and provides Windows Vista Aero interface support.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
Be ready for the next platform in wireless connectivity with the integrated Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965 AGN LAN 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).

This notebook also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 34 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. Here’s the full list of connectivity options:

• 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 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video out
• 1 ExpressCard 34
• 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
• Memory Stick slot (supports optional Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, and Memory Stick DUO media)
• Secure Digital memory card slot (also compatible with MMC cards)

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.92) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Fast Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.

Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family’s use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

Preloaded Software
Includes Sony Click to DVD (for easy DVD creation), Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office 2007 Student and Teacher Edition (60-day trial), Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 (with 60 days of Live Update).

Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 14 x 10.02 x 1.4 inches (WxHxD) and weighs 5.75 pounds.

Power
It’s powered by the VGP-BPS8 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 2 and 4 hours (depending on usage).

What’s in the Box
This package contains the VGN-FZ140E/B notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty, and Sony offers 1-year of toll-free telephone technical assistance.

Customer reviews

Awful
I loved my last Vaio, so had to buy another. My music collection maxed out the hard drive, so the thought of a new, faster, Vaio with tons more memory had me all excited!

And then I started using it.

Other comments are correct: too much crap already installed — I’ve deleted about 3 gig so far! (but some items won’t let you uninstall), problems w/ the wireless connection suddenly going dead, saying no network available (when folks sitting next to me still have the same connection — several times I’ve had to reboot in order to re-find the network connections), etc.

But my biggest complaint is Vistas Media Player: transferring my old library from my XP Media Player left many tracks mislabled (Beatles tunes became listed under Ray Charles) — AND YOU CAN’T CORRECT IT! I had to delete and recopy. Then I learned that trying to rip my cds is another nightmare. If you’re online, the info is filled in automatically. Nice, right? Well, only if the info is right: and while is usually is, it’s wrong too damn often for the amount I’ve paid. Several times it simply won’t allow you to rip the CD: “Windows can’t download the info”-type of message, and the CD is ejected. Other times, it says it can’t find the info — and you see the info already filled in! It won’t let you rip… I’ve had to copy onto my old computer, then transfer with a flash drive.

I’m now ready to join that group I called a satanic cult for so long — Apple. Vistas sucks, and the Windows Support site says you have to get support from the computer company (no, I’m not kidding!). Sony web page offers no help: says to get help from where you bought it, and I bought it on Amazon.

Of course, the week I bought the Vaio, Consumer Reports rates laptops… and Sony Vaio comes in 5th or 6th. Ladies and gents - save yourself some agony: check out this month’s Consumer Reports.

Awesome Laptop, poor content
I love the laptop but I agree with other people: SONY should allow XP downgrade and also should NOT load all of those unneccessary software. It takes forever to unistall them.

Very nice
I’m so happy with my new Vaio. Every thing works great and it’s really nice looking. I’ve deleted a lot of this stupit programs which was installed but they will be installed to every new computer. Everything is fine with Sony Vaio FZ140.

Great laptop for this price
I did some pretty decent research before buying this laptop in June (2007). So far, the only thing that got on my nerves is that sometimes, when I reset my IM application, the WebCam would lock and never come back until the next reboot.

The harddrive is obviously slower than expected, but I can get through with it because my applications usually need more memory than disk.

It’s trully lightweight for a 15.4″ and it’s beautiful. I don’t think the keyboard is cheap like was said in some other post, and it feels really good (specially considering my carpal tunnel issues.)

Sony does not openly inform about its ability to do 802.11n networking, and I have so far not tested it. I fear that maybe when I got it the WiFi drivers did not support it, and the updates haven’t fixed this yet.

All-in-all it’s a pretty nice laptop, but if I were Sony I would add a Bluetooth device and a faster HD to it. Blue-ray would be overkill for this line (140), and a major price bumper.

Crap - stay away
Looking at the parameters it is really a nice machine. Visually - same thing.

What makes it useless is that the keyboard stops functioning in BRAND NEW OUT OF THE BOX machines. Search the web and you will find many examples. My laptop was alive 2 weeks - now Icannot use it as some of the keys do not work.

What happens next you call the customer service and they say they send you the return box. And then they have 10 business days to repair the useless piece of junk that your $1300 just turned into.

I had many IBMs and DELLs, for periods of couple of years long. None of that laptops broke in 3 weeks, no even in a couple of years. My last laptop, also a VAIO burned after a year and 2 months. The truth is - Sony makes crappy laptops and has a really poor customer service. If you want waste time and money - GO FOR THAT VAIO.