Product Description

This notebook features Microsoft Windows Vista Business, a version of Microsoft's latest operating system that is geared towards fulfilling the needs of small to mid-sized organizations. Business provides robust networking features that makes life a lot easier for IT staff. They can more easily setup wired and wireless networks, provide data security, network protection, and off-site network access. If something does go wrong, fixing it is easy with Remote Desktop. It allows an IT person to easily access the machine over the network, take control of it, and fix the problem. Vista Business also provides Windows Meeting Space, which allows you to simultaneously collaborate on files from anywhere. 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM (not expandable) 160GB 5400RPM SATA HDD with G-Sensor Shock Protection Dual Layer DVD Writer - (write speeds) up to 4x DL DVD-R, 4x DL DVD+R, 2x DVD-RAM, 8x DVD-/+R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 24x CD-R, & 16x CD-RW Dual Layer DVD Writer - (read speeds) up to 8x DVD-ROM & 24x CD-ROM Multimedia Card Reader - supports Memory Stick(R) DUO with MagicGate ExpressCard 34 Slot - 5-in-1 memory card adapter that supports Memory Stick, Memory Stick(R) PRO, Secure Digital (SD), xD-Picture Card, and MultiMediaCard (MMC) Type I/II PCMCIA Card Slot with CardBus support 13.3 Razorthin LCD with XBRITE(TM) Technology Native Resolution - 1280x800 NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 Graphics and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 335MB of shared memory (memory is shared with the main system) Ports - 10/100 Ethernet, 1 VGA Out, 1 Headphone Out, 1 4-pin Firewire, 1 Microphone In, & 2 USB 2.0 Integrated 56k Fax Modem Integrated 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi Wireless LAN Adapter Integrated Bluetooth Technology Unit Dimensions - 12.5 (w) x 1.3 (h) x 9.3 (d) Unit Weight - 3.72 lbs. Color - Black Carbon Fiber Note - When you first turn this machine on, you will have to wait ONLY 5-6 minutes before you use Windows Vist

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1636 in Personal Computers
• Brand: Sony
• Model: VGN-SZ450N/C
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.30" h x 12.50" w x 9.30" l, 3.72 pounds
• CPU: Intel Core Duo 2 GHz
• Memory: 2000MB DDR2 SDRAM
• Hard Disk: 160GB
• Processors: 2
• Display size: 13.3

Features

• Sleekly designed, lightweight notebook with 13.3-inch screen and 3.75-pound black carbon fiber case
• 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 processor 160 GB hard drive, 2 GB installed RAM (max), multi-format/dual-layer DVD drive (8x DVD+/-R)
• Connectivity: 2 USB, 1 FireWire, 1 VGA, tri-mode wireless LAN (802.11a/b/g), Bluetooth, multi-format memory card reader
• Hybrid Graphics System lets toggle between NVidia GeForce Go 7400 (up to 335 MB shared) and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (224 MB shared)
• Pre-installed with Windows Vista Business

Amazon.com Product Description
The sleekly designed, lightweight Sony VAIO VGN-SZ450N/C notebook PC delivers intelligent mobile design while placing a priority on usability and performance. Coolly contemporary, it has a black carbon fiber case for a fashionable look, which also helps to bring the weight down to 3.75 pounds. This ultra-durable housing is made of multi-layered carbon fiber, which is much lighter and stronger than the magnesium alloy used for most notebooks. Sony's VAIO SZ notebooks also take security seriously, employing a biometric fingerprint sensor and proprietary hard disk drive protection software to ensure your data is protected from unauthorized use as well as accidental damage. It also stores passwords to secure web sites you visit, so authentication and access are quick and easy--you only need your fingerprint.

It's powered by the 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 processor, which offers a 20 percent performance boost over its predecessor while using 28 percent less power--so you get the benefit of a powerful dual-core PC plus all the benefits of mobility. It also offers the revolutionary Hybrid Graphics System lets toggle between internal and external graphics chips, enabling you to choose lighter battery consumption or better performance depending on the situation. Other features include a 160 GB Serial ATA hard drive, 2 GB of installed RAM (maxing out capacity), tri-mode 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN, Bluetooth wireless capability, long battery life (up to 4 hours with included standard battery), an ExpressCard/34 slot, a multi-format memory card reader, and an integrated camera with a microphone for easy video chatting over VoIP connections.

This laptop also comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Business, which has a new user interface, named Windows Aero, that makes it easy to navigate through the operating system and from application to application. For instance, Windows Aero helps you juggle multiple tasks at once by providing a three-dimensional, real-time, animated view of all your open applications and documents. 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 2 Duo T7200 processor has a 2.0 GHz processor speed, super-fast 667 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and an enormous 4 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 2 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 Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. 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. Some of the advanced Intel innovations of the Core 2 Duo processor include:

  • Smart Memory Access: Improves system performance by hiding memory latency, thus optimizing the use of available computer data bandwidth to provide data to the processor when and where it is needed.
  • Advanced Digital Media Boost: Effectively doubles the execution speed for instructions used widely in multimedia and graphics applications.
  • Dynamic Power Coordination: Coordinates Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology and idle power-management state (C-states) transitions independently per core to help save power.
  • Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing: Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory during periods of inactivity to lower CPU voltage.
• Hard Drive: The 160 GB hard drive (5400 RPM) offers enough to room to hold a digital audio library of over 26,000 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.

  The G-Sensor Shock Protection feature makes your data even less vulnerable to loss or damage. When the built-in 3-D acceleration sensor detects a risky movement like being dropped, the HDD-head will lock up to secure its position and protect the disc from scratching. An intelligent algorithm, unique to VAIO PCs, judges whether or not a movement is risky, activating disk drive protection only when your hardware is at risk.
  

• Memory: The 2 GB of built-in memory (PC4200, 533 MHz, DDR2 SDRAM, 2 x 1 GB) maximizes the capacity for this machine, enabling you to effortlessly handle a wide variety of multimedia tasks right out of the box.
  
• 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 (3mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch) and electro-static two-button touchpad.

Screen, Video & Audio
This notebook has a 13.3-inch LCD screen with anti-reflective coating has a widescreen 1280 x 800-pixel resolution. This XBRITE LCD provides higher brightness levels than standard displays, resulting in deeper blacks, brighter whites, true-to-life color, and razor-sharp detail. This notebook uses Sony's exclusive Hybrid Graphics System, which lets you set your graphics performance with a simple flick of a switch, enabling you to toggle between an internal graphics chip for optimal power consumption with excellent performance or an external graphics chip for even more robust performance. You can choose either the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (with up to 224 MB of dynamically shared video RAM) and the installed NVidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics card (with up to 33 MB of shared video RAM).

Nvidia's TurboCache feature increases the performance of this thin and light notebook PC without increasing its size or draining its battery. It's coupled with the PowerMizer 6.0 advanced power management technology, which significantly extends your notebook PC's battery life while minimizing the amount of heat it produces.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
The Intel PRO wireless LAN 3945ABG provides a tri-mode network connection (supporting 802.11a/b/g), with throughput up to 54 Mbps at 5 GHz (802.11a) and 2.4 GHz (802.11g). The Bluetooth wireless connectivity enables you to synchronize and transfer files between the PC and peripherals such as cell phones and PDAs as well as use Bluetooth-enabled headsets for online audio chats.

This notebook includes a next-generation ExpressCard/34 card slot (in addition to a traditional PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. comes with a basic selection of connectivity options, including:

• 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 VGA monitor port
• 1 ExpressCard/34 slot
• 1 PCMCIA (Type II/Type I) card slot with CardBus support
• 1 port replicator connector
• 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
• 5-in-1 memory card adapter (compatible with Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Secure Digital, MultiMedia, and XD formats; also supports Memory Stick DUO with MagicGate functionality)
  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
  The Windows Vista Business operating system is designed to meet the needs of business organizations of all sizes. For small businesses, Windows Vista Business will help keep PCs running smoothly and more securely so you will be less reliant on dedicated IT support. For larger organizations, Windows Vista Business provides dramatic new infrastructure improvements, enabling your IT staff to spend less time focused on the day-to-day maintenance of PCs. An array of sophisticated new backup technologies helps protect your information even in the event of a catastrophic hardware failure. And Windows Vista Business has a new user interface, named Windows Aero, which is designed to deliver new levels of efficiency for any business user. This new interface makes it easy to navigate through the operating system and from application to application. For instance, Windows Aero helps you juggle multiple tasks at once by providing a three-dimensional, real-time, animated view of all your open applications and documents.

  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 12.5 by 1.5 by 9.3 inches (WxHxD) and weighs approximately 4.1 pounds with the standard battery (included).

  Power
  It's powered by the VGP-BPS2C rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 2.5 and 4 hours (depending on usage).

  What's in the Box
  This package contains the VGN-SZ450N/C notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, memory card adapter (VGP-MCA20), 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

Fantastic hardware but Sony software + Vista is buggy
First let me say the positives--this is one of the best PC laptops you can get on the market, period. In terms of weight and function, magnificent screen quality, carbon fiber, elegance and sheer computing power--A++

The mediocre aspects: mid-life battery. I miss the 8-hour VAIO battery life, but 4 hours is still not bad, especially for this unit.

But now the bad news--and bad until either Sony and Microsoft work out the kinks. There is a buggy operating system shell file: shell32.dll which causes Windows Explorer to crash. I am not referring to Internet Explorer, which works fine on this machine. Rather, when you try to paste programs to the Quicklaunch taskbar or when you try to drag and drop folders in Explorer. It may seem trivial but honestly if you plan to drop a lot of files onto this 160Gb drive and can't move those files around, then there is a serious problem.

I have been on the tech support line with Sony and they told me that this is a known problem and are working the solution out with Microsoft. However, I meanwhile purchased a retail copy of Vista and used the product key on the bottom of the laptop, and ended up with a clear and well-working copy of Vista. I then uploaded all the drivers from the Sony eSupport site. Within a couple of hours I had a much faster system, not bogged down by all the ridiculous bloatware. Everything worked fine but then I couldn't get the Bluetooth application on Sony's site (I could get the Bluetooth drivers but not the app that allows you to connect a mouse or other devices to the system). After hours of exhausting my energy and mistakenly downloading a 30 day trial version of the Bluetooth app, I really have to say that Sony makes life EXTREMELY difficult. In the end, I went to the Toshiba website and found a way to get the app from a Toshiba laptop. Still I am waiting to find out if this expires in 30 days.

Thus, I say, if you are technically minded and want to go through all the steps that I did then you will end up with a working PC VAIO.

Otherwise, it is really wise to wait until Sony has solved this problem.

Also, I really want to say the the amount of bloatware on this system is a horrible monstrosity and they should be ashamed of themselves. This includes:

Microsoft Works
Quickbooks Free Edition
AOL Toolbar
Corel Snap (or something like this) Trial
Corel Paint Shop Pro Trial
Norton Internet Security Trial
and about 20 other things that most people will never use.

Microsoft has identified one of these installed programs as a possible culprit in the error. Thus a clean/retail Vista install (not a recovery disk install) will avoid all these problems.

Another Great Notebook from Sony
Well, like Kurt Lieber below, who actually HAS this computer too, there are somethings which I like and do not like.

Pros:
1. This computer is very stylish. It is a comprehensive package which includes many features that you'd expect to see from a computer of this price...well most. It's in a great form-factor and has the best color combo. Even the seemingly out-of-place silver touchpad somehow matches with the entire package.

2. The carbon-fiber casing of this computer makes this a very light computer. Plus it one-ups the non-premium model with a higher quality look.

3. Sony's white LED backlit LCD WXGA X-Brite Display...WOW!!! (only a very very limited amount of notebooks have this LED backlit feature). you have never seen true white until you use this computer. I came from a Vaio S260 with X-Brite and this successor just blows it out of the ballpark.

4. Integrated fingerprint reader is easy to use and saves time when you don't keep track of all the different usernames and passwords you have.

5. Hybrid graphics. Although you have to restart the computer to switch, this is a very good idea to keep battery life high, and keep efficient computing.

6. Sony makes the best keyboards from the best materials; it's not like the cheap plastics from other manufacturers. It has a long stroke and they are full-size. And they make the most precisely engineered tap sounds.

7. Hidden [num lock] [caps lock] [scroll lock] indicator lights.

8. Smooth back display cover, unlike the rough finger-file cover on the non-premiums.

9. QUALITY! made in Japan...you're not going to find another computer that has the aesthetics of Sony Vaios.

Cons:
1. I don't like the triangular design. It is .9" in the front and 1.3" in the rear. The actual front is less than .9" because the casing two tiered. so it's even thinner when grabbing from the front.

2. The cassettes to fill the PC-card and Express-card slots...What happened to the flaps? like in the Vaio S?

3. The integrated camera is pretty awful, unless i just don't know how to program the fuzzy picture out.

4. There is a lot of pre-installed software on this computer. When it first came out-of-the-box, there was about 120GB left. Then somehow, it kept getting lower and lower, and i wasn't even doing anything. I have no idea how I lost 25 MORE GB by the next day.

5. The fingerprint reader takes the space of the mouse buttons, making the buttons really small.

6. Wireless toggle turns on and off the wireless connections...but why must it be linked to the Bluetooth? You can only turn off Bluetooth if you turn off ALL wireless connections.

Great computer, pre-loaded with way too much junk
Pros:

* The carbon fiber case is fantastic. It doesn't get scuffed, is very strong and rigid and is also very light.
* The screen is beautiful. The LED backlighting makes a noticable difference. Another benefit of the LED backlighting is the fact that it makes the lid so slim.
* The keyboard has a great, tactile feel to it, which is unusual for a notebook of this size. Keyboard opinions are largely subjective, but I really like this one.
* The laptop is extremely light. Again, the carbon fiber case shines here by reducing the weight of the laptop. It's very easy to carry around and I don't even notice the extra weight when I put it in my briefcase, suitcase, etc.

Cons:

* Way, way, way too much pre-loaded junk. Out of the box, this thing has close to 30 "extra" programs on it, most of which are a complete waste of space. It's almost impossible to uninstall all this junk, too. I had to completely wipe the hard drive and start over with a fresh install. Which brings me to my next con...
* No CDs. None. No installation CDs, no recovery CDs. Sony takes up space on the hard drive for their "recovery partition" and you can, if you want, generate recovery CDs from that, but for a laptop in this premium price range, doing something cheap like this is just, well, cheap. Shame on you, Sony.
* Price. Yes, this is a great laptop and yes, you're going to pay for it. You can certainly find cheaper laptops if price is a primary consideration for you.

Overall, this is a great laptop and one that I would buy again. The screen alone, is worth the price.