Blu-ray and decent gaming graphics for less than a grand: Vaio FW560F/T
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)Several months ago, one of our favorite retail laptops was the Sony Vaio FW480J/T. Besides offering no-hassle Blu-ray playback and a large if not full-HD 1,600x900-pixel resolution, 16.4-inch screen, it had decent discrete graphics that could handle many mainstream games. At the time, its $1,199 price was a little high, but very good when compared with traditional "gaming" laptops.
Just a few months later, the Sony Vaio FW560F/T has found itself at the top of our Holiday 2009 retail laptop roundup, a high-end system by definition of its price and features. At $999, however, this Vaio slips right under that psychological $1,000 line, while keeping Blu-ray and slightly improving the processor speed--and now it has Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled instead of Windows Vista.
This has jumped from a good deal to a great deal for anyone looking for a Blu-ray-ready multimedia laptop. The package offered is a big improvement over the Vaio FW351J/H, which cost nearly the same amount of money early this summer.
On the other hand, gaming laptops have changed the landscape recently with the release of the Intel Core i7 processor. High-end laptops have never been faster, and going with a Core 2 Duo is now a significant step down from that new plateau. We can't really call the Vaio FW560F/T a gaming laptop, but it's certainly affordable, and can handle many games better than you think.
Read our review of the Sony Vaio FW560F/T.
On Sale Now: $999.99
View the latest prices for Sony Vaio FW560F/T (brown)
On Sale Now: $949.95
View the latest prices for Sony Vaio FW480J/T
(Credit:
Sony)
Feeling a little spaced out? Sony has a limited-edition Vaio that may suit your mood. The Nebula FW, part of Sony's Signature Collection, features an intergalactic theme that really makes us want to curl up in a space quilt and play some Spore. For a starting price of $810, you get a 6.9-pound Windows 7 machine with a 16.4-inch display featuring a 16:9 aspect ratio. You have a choice of Intel Core 2 Duo processors, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 500GB of storage. Plus a Blu-ray drive. Battery life runs up to 3.5 hours, according to Sony.
CNET reviewers have positive things to say about another Vaio FW, the Sony Vaio FW480, calling it a "an above-average Blu-ray-playing laptop with impressive looks and good under-the-hood power."
"Sound Waves," by Crimsonjassic, aka Transfuse
(Credit: Crimsonjassic, aka Transfuse, via Sony)Sony has revealed the winners of its Vaio My Contest Graphic Splash PC Design Contest, and the resulting creations, titled Sound Waves, Kaleidoscope, and Colorful, are far from monochromatic.
"Kaleidoscopes," by Crea8anim8
(Credit: Crea8anim8, via Sony)
"Colorful," by starfantazy
(Credit: starfantazy, via Sony)The latter, as its name suggests, features a swirl of, well, color--vibrant green, yellow, orange, red, pink, and blue. Artist "starfantazy," who submitted the design, said she loves how colors seem to flow together: "I think they represent life and all that is so diverse in it."
"Crea8anim8" was similarly inspired by color in creating the muted, jungle-evoking "Kaleidoscopes." The way those instruments "catch the light and the way the turning motion creates the interweaving of colors always mesmerizes me," she said.
For "Sound Waves," meanwhile," Crimsonjassic, aka Transfuse," looked to waves, koi, and the description of the Vaio FW series at the center of the competition as "reminiscent of a rolling wave." His laptop shell features a graceful mermaid--wearing headphones.
For the contest, which kicked off in July, Sony solicited cover designs for its wide-screen, entertainment-friendly FW line and used a process called dye sublimation to infuse colors and patterns into the notebooks' exterior.
Three judges, including MTV reality staple and budding designer Lauren Conrad, artist Maya Hayuk, and fashion designer Kelly Nishimoto, chose the top 10 finalists, with the American public voting on the top three winners. Finalists get a free Vaio FW Graphic Splash computer with their design on the front. The winners got a trip to New York to attend the press event announcing the victors, plus a little pocket money.
Probably most exciting for the winning artists, their limited-edition designs will be available for preorder online at the Sony Style store starting Wednesday. So, which of the three, if any, would you buy? Or maybe you'll spot a favorite in this gallery of all submissions.
The Gateway notebook roll-out is official. Sony's is not. Gateway Computer announced three lines of notebook PCs on Monday with 64-bit Windows, while Circuit City prematurely posted images of upcoming Sony notebooks.
Gateway 14-inch T6836
(Credit: Gateway )Gateway rolled out three notebooks targeted at students. The P series desktop replacement comes with a 17-inch widescreen, the M series with a 15.4-inch screen, and the T series uses a 14.1-inch screen.
All systems come with 64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium and pack 4GB of memory--the minimum for acceptable performance in 64-bit Windows.
(See Gateway goes all 64-bit in back-to-school desktops.)
The 15-inch "Garnet Red" Gateway M-6848 is spec'd with an Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 processor, 4GB of memory, a 250GB hard disk drive, 802.11a/b/g,a wireless, DVD-R/RW drive, and Vista Home Premium 64-bit with SP1. It retails for $799.99.
The 14-inch "Pacific Blue" Gateway T-6836 notebook has virtually the same specifications. It also retails for $799.99.
Other features include a multimedia panel integrated into the keyboard, DVD burner with LabelFlash technology, and an integrated Webcam.
Upcoming Sony retail notebook
Meanwhile, details about upcoming Sony notebooks continue to seep out.
Circuit City prematurely posted photos of the upcoming Sony portables. (Though Circuit City has pulled the links, cached images are still accessible.)
Last week, less colorful user-manual images appeared at Notebookreview.com as well as tidbits about various models. Apparently, models will use Intel's next-generation Centrino 2 "Montevina" processor, graphics chips from Advance Micro Devices' ATI unit, and sport 13- and 16-inch screens.
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