Introduction
Walking through Best Buy as kid, I always remember seeing products made by Memorex, JVC, and Nintendo. Then I would see their competition: very similar specs, higher priced, and always cooler looking. I could have just as easily bought that other product (Memorex CD player, JVC headphones), but the Sony just always grabbed my attention, and I knew it would last longer. From what I can see, nothing has changed. On paper the Sony VAIO W Series netbook does not have anything that blows the competition out of the water, such as the HP 5102 or the ASUS netbook. The reason to pay for a Sony is what cannot be shown on a specs sheet.
Going online to see the options for the laptop lead to an interesting fact; the only customizable option on the laptop was the engraving on the front cover. That said two three things right away; that Sony is very confident that any consumer will not want to change anything about their configuration, and that this is not a netbook to be hidden away behind a plastic case; this is a computer for someone who wants to express yourself. For $50 more than the starting price, you can purchase the Billabong version sporting a flashy blue and green front cover. The first thing I would do after purchasing this computer would be to find out which kind of RAM it takes and upgrade it to 2GB.
The Outside
I’m kind of disappointed that this model only comes in pink, blue or white; I would have liked a black option. It is a nice looking laptop though. The large battery sticks out enough to put the entire machine an angle that makes it less convenient for sliding into tight spaces, but provides a nicer typing experience than every other laptop its size. Part of the reason for this is because each key is separated by a few millimeters, just like the Macbook lineup.
Looking at the front, it is nice to see that Sony not only included a memory stick port, but a Secure Digital card slot. I don’t personally use SD cards, but when every single consumer digital camera except for Sony uses SD cards along with countless other peripherals, it is nice to see that Sony is trying to expand its audience. The screen is awesome for a screen this size; nothing else in its class even compares.
The Inside
The Sony VAIO W comes with the usual standard features in this class: 1.6 Ghz processor, 1 GB RAM, etc. The biggest difference between this netbook and the HP mini would have to be the hard drive. The Sony comes standard with a 250 GB 5400 RPM. That has almost twice as much space as the HP; yet the HP will be somewhat faster at 7200 RPM and has multiple options. The 5400 RPM will consume less power, and will perform flawlessly except under heavy hard drive usage such as movie editing; personally I would not want to edit video on a setup this small anyway.
Bottom Line
This is not a laptop for someone looking for the best performance for this form factor. Sony is a company very similar to Apple in that you pay a little more for reliability and style. This laptop will last a long time, and will look great doing it. The large capacity battery will last a majority of the day and provide a very comfortable typing experience. The screen looks awesome, just like the rest of the computer. Buy this laptop if you want a well-designed netbook that is not as powerful or cheap as its competition, but makes up for it with great ergonomics and a beautiful screen.
