Sony Vaio VGN-FE41E

...saw this laptop in the Sony centre when he was walking past. We have never had a Sony computer but we new they were a good reliable company so he decided to go in and have a look. He realised that it had loads of memory that was perfect for him and supported wireless networks. His two main points were now covered. It also looked nice and had a 15.4-inch screen, it also has wide screen. He thought it had everything he wanted plus more so he got it.
...board box that shows the Sony Viao logo and a picture of the laptop its self. The box is quite nice and also tell you some of the specifications of the laptop.

-Instructions-
The instruction manual is quite big and includes many languages. It tells you everything you need to know plus extra stuff on what to do if it doesn't work. It displays all the information in clear easy to understand language (not all the computer talk) ... more

Ok My dad was looking for a new laptop, so he could use it at work and them work at home. He was browsing lots of different laptops in his price range but was mainly looking at Dell as he knew the brand and he had never had any problems with them. Then he saw this laptop in the Sony centre when he was walking past. We have never had a Sony computer but we new they were a good reliable company so he decided to go in and have a look. He realised that it had loads of memory that was perfect for him and supported wireless networks. His two main points were now covered. It also looked nice and had a 15.4-inch screen, it also has wide screen. He thought it had everything he wanted plus more so he got it.

This was around December last year and he has used it none stop ever since. In the review I will give some of the main features and the opinions will be those of mine. (From the few times he's let me have a shot) and my dads.

-The box-
Included in the box is the laptop, a charger and instructions. They are all packaged up into a nice card board box that shows the Sony Viao logo and a picture of the laptop its self. The box is quite nice and also tell you some of the specifications of the laptop.

-Instructions-
The instruction manual is quite big and includes many languages. It tells you everything you need to know plus extra stuff on what to do if it doesn't work. It displays all the information in clear easy to understand language (not all the computer talk) and it even uses pictures and diagrams to display the points they are getting across. In the instructions there is a bit on getting started and the basics like charging your laptop all the way to the more complex features like the built in camera that I will talk about later. Over all the instructions are clear and easy to follow and the pictures and diagrams really help.

-Charger-
The charger is like most laptop chargers in the way that it plugs easily into the back of the laptop and then into the mains at the other. It uses a British pug (unless you buy it abroad) and is really straightforward. The cable is quite long so you can plug it in some where and work at a desk a few meters away with out any problems. You can run the laptop when it is charging so it will just run straight off of the mains.

-Laptop style-
The laptop is in a black finish and bears the VIAO logo in big silver letters on the back of the screen. It is almost 40cm wide and 30cm deep so it isn't at all bulky. It weighs less than 3 KG so it is easy to transport and carry around with you, providing you have a bag for it. It has a 15.4 inch screen so it is quite big for a small laptop so it doesn't mean you have to screw your eyes up to look at it. It is also very slim and it has a touch keyboard and a touch pad for use without a mouse. Under the touch pad are 2 buttons for left and right click and is like most laptops. It is easy to use the touch pad and the keyboard. The keys aren't too small, it's just perfect.

-Operating system-
This laptop operates on the new Windows vista home edition. It is amazing. It comes with home edition as standard but would easily run business or pro for those who need the extra package. I have never used the others and cant say much about the system as my dad hardly lets me use his laptop but I will tell you it is worth it and its better than Windows XP.

-Integrated camera-
This laptop comes with a built in "motion eye" digital camera. This camera can take 30 frames per second (0.3 Mega Pixels) with Motion Picture function. It is quite a good little camera for a built in camera on a laptop. I was quite surprised by it when my dad first showed me because I had never seen anything like it built into a laptop. It really is a good feature for a laptop to have and I want one of these now!!!

-Sound quality-
Most laptops I have used have terrible sound quality, They sound dull and almost like there are is no EQ on it atall and its just an echo of sound from within the laptop its self. This is different with a soundcard already installed this is unlike any other laptops speakers. It sounds great. There is also a microphone input, so you can use a mic for IM. The sound is great wither it is from the in-built speakers or my pro audio speakers.

-Technical stuff-
Ok I'm not a technical whiz. Im ok when it comes to music but when its computers I do brain dead. But I have tried to come up with some specs for your benefit so bear with me here.* the following is copied*
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 / 1.66 GHz
Multi-Core Technology: Dual-Core
64-bit Computing: Yes
Data Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Features: Enhanced SpeedStep technology
Chipset Type: Mobile Intel 945PM Express

RAM
Installed Size: 1 GB / 2 GB (max)
Technology: DDR II SDRAM - 667 MHz
Memory Specification Compliance: PC2-5300
Configuration Features: 2 x 512 MB

Ok I don't know if that is all you need but if you need more you can find it on the over view of this product.

-Network-
There is a built in wireless network card and will work with any network provider. Download speeds and browsing speeds are good but can slow if there is a low network connection. Most busy business places are getting wireless hot spots put in so it will be easy to download on the go soon.

-Drives-
There is 1 drive on the side of it and this includes DVD/CD/DVDR/CDR basically most disks. It does everything. It also includes USB ports at the back so you can upload files from USB sticks or floppy/ZIP disks via a USB connection..

-Price-
Ok this laptop retails for around £850, which is quite expensive, but there are more expensive models around. In my mind it is worth it as there are loads of features included and it is truly amazing. I would buy one myself if I had the money. If you are looking for one I would shop around and see if you could get a good price.

-Conclusion-
There is a lot in this laptop and it is so small and weightless! I couldn't believe it at first. The camera is amazing and from the specs that I understand it is great. There is more that I haven't even begun to talk about in this review basically because im not smart enough to understand it myself. It is a very good-looking computer too.
If you get the chance to get one go for it as it is a great piece of technology.

 

...less