Product Description

Complement your home decor or impress from the road with the cool colors and smooth lines of the VAIO N Series Notebook. In addition to its Intel processor and elegant form factor, this easy-to-use notebook features a suite of multimedia software and a stunning 15.4" widescreen LCD display with XBRITE-ECO technology.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2429 in Personal Computers
• Color: White
• Brand: Sony
• Model: VGN-N250E/W
• Dimensions: 1.60" h x 14.40" w x 10.50" l, 6.50 pounds
• CPU: Intel Core Duo 1.73 GHz
• Memory: 1000MB DDR2 SDRAM
• Hard Disk: 120GB
• Processors: 2
• Display size: 15.4

Features

• Laptop with modern looks in white/silver and 15.4-inch LCD; 1.73 GHz Intel Core Duo T2250 processor
• 120 GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM (2 GB max), multi-format/dual-layer DVD/CD burner
• Connectivity: 2 USB, 1 FireWire, 1 VGA, ExpressCard 34, multi-format Memory Stick reader
• Tri-mode Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g), 10/100 Ethernet, Intel GMA 950 (up to 224 MB of shared RAM)
• Pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium (with Media Center capabilities)

Amazon.com Product Description
Designed to complement your modern design aesthetic, the Sony VAIO VGN-N250E/B balances beautiful form with highly functional computing features. It features a white-and-silver case for a cool, contemporary accent. Beyond its eye-catching good looks, this laptop offers a bright 15.4-inch XBRITE-ECO LCD screen that provides brilliant colors from photos and videos while helping to save drain on the battery. This affordable notebook PC is powered by Intel's powerful Core Duo T2250, which provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved gaming and multitasking performance and a more efficient power consumption. The dual execution core T2250 has a 1.73 GHz processor speed, fast 533 MHz system bus, and a large 2 MB L2 cache. It features an 120 GB hard drive, 1 GB of installed RAM (2 GB maximum), dual-layer multiformat DVD drive that also burns CDs, tri-mode Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11a/b/g), Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with up to 224 MB of shared video memory, an ExpressCard slot, and Memory Stick slot.

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.

The Basics

• Processor: The Intel Core Duo T2250 processor is built with the Mobile Intel 945PM Express chipset, and it has a 1.73 GHz processor speed, fast 533 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and large 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 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 next version of Microsoft Windows, code-named Vista. 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. It's more efficient, thanks to Intel's Power Coordination and Deeper Sleep, which help to transfer power only to those areas of the processor that need it. It also features Intel's Digital Media Boost, which delivers enhanced performance on floating point-intensive applications such as CAD tools, 3-D and 2-D modeling, video editing, digital music, digital photography and gaming.

• Hard Drive: The 120 GB hard drive (5400 RPM) offers enough to room to hold a digital audio library of over 20,000 songs and still have room left over for movies, games, and a large collection of software. This Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.
  
• Memory: The 1 GB of built-in memory (PC4200, 533 MHz, DDR2 SDRAM, 2 x 512 MB) is a good start out of the box, but you'll want to maximize the 2 GB capacity of this machine to make your multimedia hum along.
  
• DVD/CD Drive: The double-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 86-key keyboard (2.5mm 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 resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The widescreen display gives increases the width of the notebook's display while giving the computer the form factor of a smaller computer, so it takes up less space on your desk or in your briefcase Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, which uses Intel Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT) and provides up to 224 MB of total graphics memory from the system memory. Audio is powered by Sony's Sound Reality audio enhancer.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
This notebook features an integrated PRO/Wireless 3915ABG wireless LAN that's 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). It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard/34 card slot (though no PCMCIA card 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 connection options:

• 2 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 ExpressCard/34 slot
• 1 VGA monitor out
• Stereo headphones/speakers/line-out
• Microphone/line-in
• Memory Stick slot (supports optional Memory Stick and Memory Stick DUO media with MagicGate functionality)
• Secure Digital memory card slot (also compatible with MMC cards)

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 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 to your favorite WiFi hotspot.

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 14.4 x 10.5 x 1.6 inches (WxDxH) and weighs 6.8 pounds.

Power
It's powered by the VGP-BPS2A/S rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 3.5 and 5.5 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGN-N250E/W 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.

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Customer Reviews

This is a unit for fun, not for work
I bought this for my 4 year old. He does not like it, so it is mine.

1. At first, it reminds me of my 1999 Camry that my friends 'complained' about: has the car started? I don't hear any noise. Yes, this computer is very elegant in every step on its way towards the desktop. Sometimes it is confusing: has it shut down or not? it would be nice if you just beep once. Several times I got up in the next morning and turned it on and it jumped right back from standby.

2. There is no MS office productivity suite loaded. Not even outlook express of any kind. But I have been using web based email for a long time. I don't care.

3. The sound is very very good. I output DVD to my big screen. The picture looks much better on plasma than on the unit's monitor.

4. But the default Windows Media Player still...sucks. I quickly added my Cyberlink to make the DVD software decoder more bearable. Windoes Media Player remains a dummy and joke.

5. The most nagging thing is its internet connection. I am using Verizon Fiber Vois. Everytime the unit boots up to its desktop, the internet is not connected (which makes me feel safe). But to connect, I have to go to control panel,.... device manager to change default setting of Wireless from a.802a to 3 or 4 to enable abg. This is very painful, because the change does not stick. I have to do it every time manually. I think this is Vista problem. I tested on DSL line/dlink router. It works fine.

6. The unit has a very big screen. Video card is very good.

7. Adding Chess to its game collection is very nice. I like inkball better. Now you also have Majone. These are about OS, though.

8. One thing odd is that I have not installed anything yet, but it alreadys says 72 GB of 105 GB free. Sounds like I used 33 GB already, for what? It is advertised to have 120GB hard drive. I know the math. So 105 GB sounds right.

9. Sony phone support was pretty good. Figured out the internet connection problem in about 10 minutes. Not bad.

10. The unit has a nice hard ware switch that you can switch on and off wireless connection.

11. Not sure why default Explorer connects to AOL all the time.

12. Norton Antivirus works quietly and much less intrusively than XP. Annoying is Corel picture software. Finding my old Painting program took me some time. I am still getting used to it.

13. DVD writer shakes a little more when spinning up. Same thing when a DVD is running. Affect sound purity a little, but still normal among all the notebooks I have had: Thinkpad, Dell...

14. By the way, it is kind of heavy. May need a big carry case.

15. Last, but not least, the touchpad sometimes does not respond as well as I point it to.

I will test applications running duo-core to see what happens.

Update: the internet connection thing is totally fixed. I also discoverd that it has a SD slot. I plug in SD adaptor bought from Verizon and easily loaded off pictures taken using my cell phone. It just looks like a hard drive.

The DVD writer's tray was broken once. Sony sent a customerized box for me to ship it back. The turn around was about 2 weeks. Phone support remains very good and email communication is very good. They did try to fix something extra by charging more $, but I declined.

One thing odd, very odd since day 1: the keyboard is like trapped if using Yahoo.com's Map. But typing to do anything else, Word, google.com..or surfing at elsewhere in yahoo.com is FINE. Just don't use yahoo.com's map.

BE WARNED - BIG FLAW
WARNING: Do not buy a new Sony Vaio of any kind with Vista if you want to record any audio off of your sound card - meaning the internet. Sony has permanently disabled the "wave" or "stereo out" abilities of they're new computers. On all other major brands there is a simple two click solution, but Sony has deemed it in their best interests to make it impossible to reverse. This is a serious and deliberate flaw that they've built into their computers with bigger "corporate interests" in mind, not the usefulness of their computers to the average consumer. And they're customer service (what a joke) could care less! Be warned. See this forum for more information.
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/showpost.aspx?postid=1816948&siteid=1

Solid Laptop for the Money
I originally planned to buy this laptop to upgrade my obselete Sony pentium 4 laptop. I was shopping at Frys and they were out of stock, but they had the HP 6225 laptop for the same price. The HP had a better processor (Amd 64 x2 tl50), it was in stock, and I really needed a new laptop so I pulled the trigger and bought it. Unfortunately, although it was great while it lasted, the HP had all kinds of problems and eventually crapped out (during my college finals) after only 6 days. I returned the HP and got the Sony N250e and am very happy with it.

If you are someone that values quality and durability over technological statistics, then this model is for you. It's sleek, durable, and easy to use. I've had absolutely no problems with it. You can probably get another laptop with a faster processor for the price, but if you are like me, and a new laptop is a major purchase, buying a Sony and not having to worry about quality and reliability is worth it. Like I said, it may not be the fasted, but it's fast enough, it works, and it gets does job done nicely. I'd rather have a slower computer that performs great consistently, than a faster computer that doesn't.