There's a lot to like about Sony's VAIO VPC-EG27FM/W ($779.99 at Best Buy), from its dimpled white finish to its Core i5 processor and Blu-ray drive. It may not be the most svelte 14-inch laptop, but it's light enough for frequent travel, and it'll give you a full day's worth of unplugged power. Unfortunately, the lack of high-speed ports, like USB 3.0 or ESATA, holds it back.
Design
The first thing you'll notice about the VPC-EG27FM/W is its cool dimpled white lid, which happens to be the same finish used on the VPC-EG16FM ($829.99 list, 4 stars). The plastic lid, which is impervious to smudging, sports a large VAIO logo in the center and a smaller Sony logo along the top edge. At 1.4-inches thick, the chassis is a bit bulkier than most 14-inch notebooks; the Dell Inspiron 14z ($750 direct, 4 stars) is only 1-inch thick, as are the Samsung QX411-W01UB ($699.99 list, 3.5 stars) and Asus U46E-BAL5 ($699.99 list, 4.5 stars). The VPC-EG27FM/W weighs 5.1 pounds and is certainly manageable for road travel.
The all-white keyboard has chiclet-style keys that are well-spaced and travel nicely when pressed. There's no backlighting like you get with the Inspiron 14z, however. The wrist rest has the same white dimpled finish as the lid and holds a recessed touchpad and mouse buttons, both of which are responsive. At the top of the keyboard deck is a power button, an Assist button that launches the VAIO Care diagnostics, recovery, system care, and troubleshooting application, a Web button that launches a browser, and the VAIO button that launches Sony's Media Gallery software for playing videos and music and displaying photos.
The VPC-EG27FM/W's 14-inch display has a maximum resolution of 1366-by-768, which is standard issue for this notebook class. Off-angle viewing is good and color quality is excellent, but the glossy anti-glare coating is reflective. There's a webcam embedded in the upper bezel alongside two microphones.
Features
A Blu-ray optical drive is a rarity for 14-inch laptops, but the VPC-EG27FM/W has one. It also has WiDi 2.0 (wireless display) technology that allows you to send high-definition video to an external display or HDTV without the need for cables, but you will need a Netgear Push2TV receiver ($99) to make that happen. Additionally, this model comes with WiMAX 4G broadband support and the ubiquitous 802.11 n Wi-Fi, but it doesn't have a Bluetooth radio.
The VPC-EG27FM/W has four USB ports, but all of them are USB 2.0, which is disappointing. In comparison, the Dell Inspiron 14z has two USB 3.0 ports, while one of the Asus U46E-BAL5's three USB ports supports the faster USB 3.0 technology. Other ports include HDMI and VGA video outputs, an Ethernet port, and headphone and microphone jacks, but an eSATA port is nowhere to be found. Two card reader slots on the notebook's front edge support MemoryStick and SD media formats.
Windows 7 Home Premium is loaded on the 640GB drive along with the usual assortment of Sony media-centric software including Media Gallery, PMB (a media file management program for importing photos and videos), PlayStation Tools (allows you to play and control your PlayStation from the VAIO), and VAIO Gate (a popup toolbar that offers quick access to all of the above mentioned applications). Sony's parts and labor warranty covers the VPC-EG27FM/W for one year but you can opt for one of Best Buy's two year plans. Their Two Year Protection Plan covers you against damage from natural wear and tear and power surges and also covers the battery. The Two Year Accidental Protection Plan ($269.99) includes coverage for spills and drops.
Performance
The VPC-EG27FM/W's multimedia performance was quite good. It finished the Handbrake multimedia test in 1 minute 52 seconds, which was 6 seconds faster than the 14z (1:58) and one second ahead of the QX411-W01UB (1:53). Its Photoshop CS5 time of 4 minutes 14 seconds was only 4 seconds behind the 14z and U46E-BAL5 (4:10), but was 14 seconds slower than the QX411-W01UB (4:00).
The VPC-EG27FM/W's integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 performed as expected, which is to say that it can handle your everyday video and light graphics workload, but falls short when it comes to running complex games and the like. The VPC-EG27FM/W's score of 3,340 on 3DMark 06 in native (1600-by-900) mode was the lowest of the bunch by as much as 700 points. It managed just 14.8 fps on the Lost Planet 2 (DirectX 10) gaming test, which is virtually unplayable.
Battery life was superb; the VPC-EG27FM/W lasted 8 hours and 48 minutes on MobileMark 2007, a time that was only 10 minutes shy of the leader, the QX411-W01UB (8:58). The 14z was next with a time of 8:38, and the U46E-BAL5 gave us 7 hours and 19 minutes.
Pleasing aesthetics, outstanding battery life, and a Blu-ray drive are all good reasons to consider the Sony VAIO VPC-EG27FM/W for your next 14-inch laptop. And, don't forget its generous wireless feature set and solid Core i5 performance. The lack of the latest high speed transfer technologies leaves a gaping hole in an otherwise solid offering by Sony. That said, the Dell Inspiron 14z, with its lighter, slimmer chassis, robust feature set, and backlit keyboard, remains our Editors' Choice for 14-inch mainstream laptops.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:
COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Sony VAIO VPC-EG27FM/W with several other laptops side by side.
More laptop reviews:
??? Sony VAIO VPC-F236FM
??? HP Pavilion dm4-2165dx
??? Sony VAIO VPC-EG27FM/W
??? HP Pavilion dv6-6145dx
??? HP Pavilion dm4-2180us (Staples)
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/n7GpEm6d1d8/0,2817,2394846,00.asp
charlie daniels band charlie daniels band the thing carrie steve wozniak steve wozniak legarrette blount
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন