Sony VAIO FE Review (pics, specs)

Overview and Introduction

The Sony VAIO FE590 is the first custom configurable unit in Sony's FE series. The Sony FE series is the dual core update of its FS series and looks almost the same (for a review of the previous FS series see here). The FE is a main stream 15.4" notebook that is supposed to appeal to the more style oriented users. The 15.4" WXGA XBRITE (Sony's glare screen), it's relative low weight for the size, and the possibility of adding a NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 graphics card make this a versatile notebook that can be used for anything from light graphics editing, to gaming, and business applications.

Sony VAIO FE590 (view large image)

The configuration I chose is as follows:

• Intel Core Duo Processor T2500 (2 GHz)
• NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 Graphics Card
• 15.4" WXGA (1280x800) display with XBRITE HiColor technology
• Wireless LAN (802.11a g)
• 512 MB DDR-SDRAM (DDR2-533, 256 MBx2)
• 100 GB Hard Disk Drive (5400 RPM)
• DVD+R Double Layer /DVD+-RW Drive
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional with SP2
• Extended 3 year onsite warranty

The prices Sony dreams up for upgrading RAM via the online configuration is insane, so I separately ordered 2 GB of DDR2-667 CL5 Corsair Value RAM from Newegg.com.

Reasons for Buying

I pondered a painfully long time over the choice of my new notebook. I seriously started thinking about a new notebook in the summer of 2005. My previous notebook, a 4 year old Sony GR300 (P-III), was still running strong, but I had the dire need for more computing power. I have to run statistical and mathematical programs such as stata and Matlab quite often, and my old notebook simply couldn't keep up anymore. I also wanted the possibility to play games occasionally. I am not a hard core gamer and didn't need the best graphics card out there, but something with dedicated VRAM would be nice. I also wanted a 15" or 15.4" screen. I didn't want an external screenso 14" and below seemed too small for me. The notebook would be mainly stationary on my desk, but I needed the possibility to carry it to my office to make presentations and take it along while travelling to watch movies and such.

In the beginning I turned to Asus for a possible choice for my new notebook. I adore the sleek, but simplistic design of the Asus V6v, but heat issues reported by many owners kept me from buying it. I also considered the Asus W3V and the Z70a, but the W3V was a little bit too small for my taste and the Z70a didn't quite look as great and also had several owners complaining of various issues. I almost bought the V6va from a European resellerwhile it was still not available here in North America, but the uncertainty about customs duties kept me from actually going through with it. Luckily Costco was offering the Acer Ferrari 4005 WMLi at that time and their fabulous return policy convinced me to buy it (6 month full refund, no questions asked). The Ferrari 4005 is a great notebook, and I would have probably kept it, but about a month later a friend who owns a dual core desktop told me that the dual core enables him to still work on his computer while running statistical applications in the background. So far, I always had to take a break when my programs were running (sometimes for hours at a time), so that sounded quite appealing to me. I knew that dual core mobile processors were about to be released in early 2006, so after just 1.5 months my Ferrari went back.

Next was the choice of which dual core notebook to buy. I almost bought the Acer 8204 WMLI, but previous bad experience with tech products that were manufactured in China kept me looking for alternatives. For a brief moment I considered the MacBook Pro, but getting used to a different operating system plus the incompatibility with all my current software quickly let me abandon that thought. I saw the announcement of the VAIO SZ and VAIO FE series here on NotebookReview.com and decided that even though I would prefer a WSXGA screen, decided the FE would be my new notebook.

Where and How Purchased

On the second day of the start of their pre-order, the 25th of January, I ordered my Sony FE590 by phone through sonystyle.com. I ordered by phone because I wanted an extended warranty and at that time you couldn't add one online. As far as I know they will only let you customize a Sony notebook through their website. I wanted the NVIDIA 7400 and none of the stock units (non-configurable) announced contained it at that time.

Many notebooks now feature an integrated camera, but I am sure I would never use it. While my wife and I were living apart for a year I installed a camera on her computer and got one for myself too. I think we used them 3 times during the whole year. The price increase from the 100GB to the 120GB HD seemed a bit stiff, so I stuck with the 100GB HD. For as long as I can remember Sony has overcharged on RAM, so I ordered it with the minimum amount of RAM possible with the intent of getting 2GB from an independent vendor later on. With the above configuration it came to $2,027 including tax plus $250 for the warranty. About a week after it arrived I ordered 2GB 667MHz CL5 Corsair Value Select RAM from Newegg.com.

As many people on the Sony notebookforum of this website can attest, their customer service is often quite clueless about their own products. I wasn't really sure when it would arrive even after calling them several times, so it came as a little surprise when the FedEx guy dropped off the huge box in front of my door about 3 weeks later. My initial impressions weren't that great and I have to say Sony's packaging is one of the cheapest I have seen so far.

Packaging (view large image)

Build & Design

VAIO FE front view (view large image)

Anyone who has seen the VAIO FE or VAIO FS knows that the design is aesthetically pleasing. While this is not a typical business notebook, I imagine it might be popular with people in the fashion, art and entertainment industry since its color composition is very stylish but at the same time still very clean looking. The visual differences to the FS are subtle. The back of the keyboard area is now white as well, the shortcut buttons got a redesign, got moved to the left side of the keyboard area, and they added 3 sound control buttons (mute, -, +) . The front area also got a few plugs and LED's moved around, but apart from that it seems to look the same.

VAIO FE bottom side (view large image)

The guts of the VAIO FE590 (view large image)

The outer shell seems to be made of some metal composite that feels very solid. The hand rest area and most of the area around the keyboard is made from some material that feels like the plastic that Coke bottles are made from. I don't know what Sony was thinking when they decided to use this material. It is by far the worst feeling material of any notebook I have laid hands on so far. The material around the screen itself is also plastic and it seems they could have done a better job fixing it to the screen. Maybe it is different for models that have the camera, but that stuff easily extends away from the rest of the notebook. I can see it getting caught in something while packing or unpacking ripping it apart, as it is quite thin as well.

The hand rest area is also very easy to get dirty. Gunk accumulates quite fast and I have to wipe it down at least once a week to not feel a little disgusted. I don't know if this is a Sony problem, but as reported for other models as well, the battery sits a bit loose and if you shake it around you can hear it rattle. Not an issue for me as I use it as a mainly stationary notebook.

Screen

The screen is great. Like I mentioned before it is a 15.4" WXGA XBRITE (glare) screen and this is the only screen the FE comes in so far. This is by far the brightest screen I have ever seen on a notebook. Even when plugged in I have it at a brightness setting of 200/255 since I would probably go blind if I left it at 255. The picture is clear and crisp No color distortions, fuzziness near the edges or anywhere else. The colors look good and I don't have any dead pixels (so far).

VAIO FE590 screen (view large image)

Pressing as hard as I feel comfortable on the back of the screen as well as bending it while holding the upper two edges produces zero ripples. The light leakage is so minimal I had to turn off all lights and search for it in a completely dark room with a black screen. The backlighting is very even and I can't find any area on the screen that is less bright than others. The viewing angles are very good as well. The brightness and clarity are almost the same from a 45 degree horizontal angle. You loose a little brightness if you tilt it in an extreme angle vertically, but text is still easily readable. The rave about Sony screens seems to be justified.

The only gripe I have is about the software supplied by nvidia. I don't know if it is nvidia's, Microsoft's, or Sony's fault, but the brightness switching from plugged to unplugged and back doesn't work. Supposedly it automatically adjusts the brightness level of the screen to the plugged or unplugged setting of your choice. It doesn't. If I unplug or plug the power cord, nothing happens to the brightness.

Speakers

The speakers are nothing phenomenal. They aren't terrible, but very far from sound nirvana. The bass is non-existent, which makes listening to music painful. Voices are better, but still far from enjoyable for me. I usually use headphones when playing games, music, or watching movies and this is also what I would recommend. If used as a multimedia notebook, I would recommend getting an external pair of high quality speakers.

Processor and Performance

I ordered my FE with the T2500 (2GHz Duo). The performance gain over the 1.86GHz Duo is probably negligible, but it was psychologically important to me to have a 2 as the first digit. The 100GB HD has a quoted speed of 5400 RPM and I installed 2 GB of DDR2-667 CL5 Corsair Value RAM. Now with all my programs installed it takes about 1 minute and 30 seconds to boot up (ready to start any program. I don't get a logon screen as I am the only registered user) and 30 seconds to shut down. I left the free Norton software on it (until it expires). As far as I know that takes some time to start up and shut down so you can probably shave another 10 seconds or so off those numbers. This laptop is definitely faster than my old laptop (big surprise) and I even have the impression that it responds a bit faster than the Acer Ferrari 4005 I owned for 1.5 months. I can run my statistical programs in the background and still surf on the internet (or run another program) if I want. I love the power of dual cores.

So far I only played some F.E.A.R. on this notebook. The game automatically adjusts the computer performance to high (4/5) and the graphics performance to medium (3/5). It plays very fluid in these settings, the graphics look pretty nice, and I have yet to encounter any lag. With these settings, the test utility gives me and average of 22 frames per second. When I change the graphics settings to high (4/5) it goes down to 13 FPS and with maximum I get a measly 4 FPS. The numbers don't change when I set the CPU performance to maximum. Seeing as F.E.A.R. is deemed a very demanding game, graphics wise, I am quite satisfied with those results.

Benchmarks

Below are the results gained from running Super Pi (ftp://pi.super-computing.org/windows/super_pi.zip), a program that forces the laptop's processor to calculate Pi to 2 million digits of accuracy. As you can see, the new Intel Core Duo processor smokes any previous processor at thiscalculation:

Notebook	Time
Sony VAIO FE590 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 13s
Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi(2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 15s
Sony VAIO FS680 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 53s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 18s
IBM ThinkPad Z60m(2.0 GHz Pentium M)	1m 36s
Fujitsu LifeBook N3510 (1.73 GHz Pentium M)	1m 48s
Dell Inspiron 6000D (1.6 GHz Pentium M)	1m 52s
Dell Inspiron 600M (1.6 GHz Pentium M)	2m 10s
HP Pavilion dv4000(1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 39s
HP DV4170us (Pentium M 1.73 GHz)	1m 53s
Sony VAIO S380 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 45s

3DMark05 Results

Notebook	3DMark 05 Results
Sony VAIO FE590(2.0GHz Core Duo,nVidia Go 7400 128MB)	1714 3D Marks / NA
Lenovo ThinkPad Z60m (2.0GHz Pentium M, ATI X600 128MB)	16593DMarks / 3426CPUMarks
ThinkPadT43 (1.86GHz, ATI X300 64MB graphics)	727 3DMarks / 3414 CPUMarks
Asus V6Va (2.13 GHz Pentium M, ATI Radeon Mobility x700 128 MB)	2530 3D Marks / 3749 CPU Marks
Quanta KN1 (1.86 GHz Pentium M, NVIDIA GeForce Go 6600 128mb)	2,4863DMarks / 4106CPUMarks
HP dv4000 (1.86GHz Pentium M, ATI X700 128MB)	2536 3D Marks / 3557 CPU Marks
Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi(2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 256MB)	4157 3DMarks / 4812 CPU Marks

HD Tune:

(view large image)

Everest: (click to see report)

The numbers didn't really change when I put in the 2GB RAM. That was a little surprise for me. I thought it would have at least some effect on 3DMark05.

Heat and Noise

This is a really silent notebook in my opinion. At first I thought there is no fan activity at all, but then noticed that at the lowest spin cycle, it is just so silent that you have to get really close to the notebook to hear it. Every now and then it kicks into second gear while playing games or doing calculations for a few hours, but even that is very tolerable. Nothing compared to the Ferrari 4005 or my wife's Fujitsu S7020. The HD noise is also barely noticeable and the left palm rest area, under which it is located, is noticeably colder than the right one. The DVD drive is not hot swappable, but is securely screwed in with 3 screws. I am guessing this is the reason it also stays relatively quiet even when in operation.

The heat outlets are on the right side of the back and middle of the bottom. The right palm rest area and the right bottom area get warm. I took of the bottom cover (quite some work) and you can see how the heatpipe connects the GPU, which sits in the middle of the notebook, and the CPU at the right side. Like I mentioned, the right palm rest area gets warm and together with the plastic material this makes my palms sweaty. This is definitely a negative point for me and I wish (again) that Sony would have used a different material for the palm rest area. Though I didn't try it, I imagine it is tolerable to have this notebook on your lap though I would probably not rest it on my bare skin.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Sony VAIO FE keyboard view (view large image)

Sony VAIO FE keyboard view 2 (view large image)

I like the keyboard. The placement of the keys is pretty standard and there are no surprises such as exchanged FN and Ctrl keys. I like the sound and response I am getting from this keyboard. The size of the keys is just right for my somewhat large hands. It is much easier for me to type on this keyboard than on the S7020 and I would even say I prefer it to my external MS keyboard I have on our desktop. When you press down the keys really hard, it has quite a lot of flex on the right and left side of the keyboard. This is comparable to the S7020. I never press down that hard on keys, but if you are a "hacker" this might be an issue for you. In my opinion the sound while typing is much fuller and more satisfying than on my previous Ferrari 4005 which sounded more "plasticy." However, I have to say that the typing sound of the S7020 might be a little bit better. But this is all very subjective, so I am sure people will disagree.

The touchpad is in the same color as the keyboard area and is your standard touchpad. The response is ok and it has a scroll function on the right side of it. The buttons are a bit too loose in my opinion, but get the job done. I don't like to use the touchpad much and prefer an external mouse so there might be some issues I am not aware of since I didn't use it much.

Input and Output Ports

Most ports are located on the right hand side of the notebook. You get 1 Firewire port, 3 USB ports, 1 S-Video and VGA out, and the power port. There is also a slot for pc cards and a slot for a memory card reader supplied by Sony. To my big surprise this memory card reader not only lets you read Sony's proprietary memory sticks, but is also xD, SD, and MMC compatible. So far Sony was known to only have support for their own memory sticks on their notebooks.

VAIO FE front side view(view large image)

Sony VAIO FE590left side view (view large image)

VAIO FEback side (view large image)

Sony VAIO FE590right side view (view large image)

On the front side you get 4 status LEDs, you can lock the screen when it's closed for travel, the headphone or external speaker out, the microphone in, the WLAN on/off switch, and an integrated slot for Sony's memory stick duo. For reasons that escape me it seems more and more notebooks now have their microphone and headphone jacks on the front of the notebook. Especially for semi-stationary notebooks like the FE, this seems counterintuitive as you will probably want to connect a set of external speakers. Maybe that is their way of pushing the docking station, which lets you connect all that stuff on the back.

On theleft side you only have the DVD drive and the Ethernet and phone ports. In my opinion Sony could have provided rubber covers for the Ethernet and phone ports. Right now there are just two gaping holes. There are no ports on the back.

The FE comes with an Intel a/b/g card. I didn't choose Bluetooth as I can't think of any device I would use that requires it. The wireless network works well. It picked my network up right away and I have no problems using the internet or printing through it.

Battery

With the LCD at 135/255 brightness (I can still read and work with lower brightness, but below 135 it is not as comfortable anymore) I got 2 hrs and 20 minutes while typing and surfing. That's not phenomenal, especially considering that many notebooks now have battery lives of 3.5+ hrs. I wish it would get at least 3 hrs for viewing movies and working away from a power plug. With the current battery life you are forced to schlep your power brick around, even on shorter trips.

Sony offers a large capacity battery. When I bought it the rep told me that it would stick out at the bottom and lift the back of the notebook a little. That actually seems like a good solution, as a little angle of the notebook, might make typing even easier. But I haven't seen the large capacity battery so I can't comment on it.

The power brick itself is, in old Sony tradition, big and heavy. Not quite as heavy as my old GR300, but about the same size. Compared to the S7020's and the Ferrari's it looks massive.

Operating System and Software

As of the time of my order Sony offered the FE with a choice of all three XP OSs. I ordered mine with Pro. Sony doesn't provide any system or software disks, but has an invisible partition on the HD that contains all the necessary files. With two DVDs you can make your own backup disks and then delete the restore partition, freeing up about 10GB of space.
Unfortunately Sony also installs a lot of bloatware such as AOL, a MS Office 30 day trial, etc. Some of their own useless programs and some third party useless programs. You can get rid of a few of those if you do a clean install with your newly created backup disks, but you can't get rid of all the software as some of it is necessary for certain functions, such as support, short cut buttons, etc. This is actually quite annoying and with the premium price they charge for their computers you would think they should be able to minimize consumer nuisance in this department.

Customer Support

You get a 1 year warranty with the purchase of the notebook, but I purchased the additional 3 year onsite warranty ($250) mainly for peace of mind. I never needed customer support on my old Sony since I was able to handle it myself whenever something went wrong. If you need customer support you have the choice of contacting them via phone, email, or online chat.

After some time my FN key stopped working, so I used this opportunity to test the online support of Sony. I didn't have to wait long for a rep to come online in the little chat window and he (assumed as the name sounded male) was courteous and actually solved my problem. But the time it took him to respond was amazing. I am guessing this guy was talking to 10 customers at the same time as I could have gone and taken a shower between his replies.

Conclusion

In this review I tried to be very critical, listing all the negative points I noticed that might influence buyer decision. Even though, according to this review, the FE might come across as having lots of issues I have to emphasize that I really like this notebook. As far as I am concerned there simply is no "perfect" laptop out there as everybody defines "perfect" different.

The FE590 the way I configured it, is everything I need in a notebook and maybe a little more. It satisfies my computing needs, while at the same time offering the possibility of light gaming. It is really quiet and has a beautiful screen. It doesn't get scorching hot and on top of that will turn heads wherever you take it. Being the son of an industrial designer, the form factor always factors into my decisions when buying consumer products. With this notebook I notice myself closing it more often than really necessary, just so that I can look at it and open it when I come back.

This is certainly not supposed to be a very portable thin and light notebook, but I think the biggest problem of the FE is its short battery life and lack of portability because of it and the large power brick. So if you are in the market for a 15.4" notebook, portability is not the most important aspect you are looking for, and you don't need the most powerful graphics card out there, then I can recommend the Sony VAIO FE590 as a nice and versatile notebook that will make your girlfriend (or boyfriend/wife/husband/etc.) jealous.

Pros:

• Great design that sets it apart from other main stream notebooks, while at the same time retaining a very clear and clean line
• Bright, clear, and crisp screen with great viewing angles.
• Quiet, not overheating, and still relatively thin and light for its class.
• Fast processor. For the next few months or so this will be one of the fastest notebooks around

Cons:

• Battery life. 2 hours is too low in today's standards.
• Plastic hand rest and keyboard area. It not only attracts dirt, but also makes my palms sweat.
• Cheap on the packaging, no system disks plus lots of bloatware.

Pricing and Availability: Sony VAIO FE

 

Been waiting for a review on the FE for quite some time now, this is a welcome surprise! Very nicely detailed review.

I like the Sony FE a lot - keyboard, as you said, pleasing. It does flex, but only when you type hard.

Can't help but say that I'm disappointed in the Go7400, but then again, you're not a hardcore gamer. The 64-bit memory bus just kills performance. But the Go7400 remains competitive with the Radeon X1400.

Yeah, the display is gorgeous on that, much better than the SZ's.

Nice notebook, and most of all, a job well done on the review.

Chaz

 

Not sure about the build quality. It feels cheap. Moreover, for the same features, this Sony machine is $300 more expensive than HP DV5000t. Why do they always overcharge such a subpar laptop?

 

I agree, it's very disappointing. However, I disagree with your assessment that it's competitive with the X1400, and that's the real disappointment. The X1400 sits nicely between the X600 and X700; this fastest Go 7400 is almost exactly as fast as the fastest X600.

The X1300 is marginally slower than the X600, the X1400 faster, and that's really all right about where it should be. But what this tells me is that the Go 7300 is going to be pretty pitiful, too. These are marginal improvements on the old generation at best, and that's what bugs me.

 

Great review. Great writing. Pretty notebook, with a great display. * * * * *

 

Well, I was referring to 3DMark05 scores. They both hit +/- 100 points of one another.

I don't have high hopes for the Go7600. Seeing how fast the X1600 is . .

Just want to make another comment about the FE - I think some of the ports should have been on the back, but I guess that would ruin the 'look' or flow of its design.

 

excellent review.... where's the webcam? Is it an option offered through SonyStyle USA?

I agree that it's a shame for Sony to go cheaper on the packaging and build quality on these notebooks, especially if you are paying a premium for it.

 

I've seen much higher 3dmark05 scores on other FE laptops and keep in mind pulp, the FE's main competitor the acer 5672 only scores 1650 with its x1400 .

Great Review DaCheese! Wish mine was here now.

 

good review... i was deciding between FE and z70va, great comp but im happy with my asus and this review confirmed that

 

Of course while I'd rather have an FE, the 5672 with 2GB/120GB HDD can be had for 1500s whereas the FE configured the same way is closer to 2300....

back on topic great review, beautiful machine.

 

Sad to see another reputational notebook manufacturer settling with mediocre build quality. Sony used to be my favourite notebook manufacturer because of the solid build of their machines and now they're built no better than Toshiba (one of the worst BTW). Well, guess my next notebook's going to be an ASUS.

edit: edited for marginally improved grammar.

 

Here is another pic I took comparing the size of the power bricks. The one on the left is for the FE, the one in the middle for the Fujitsu S7020, and the one on the right for my old GR300.

 

I didn't look at the HP, but I am sure some of the premium you are paying also pays for the design of the notebook. It's not that easy to make a conusmer product look cool. I am quite certain there goes quite some time into the design of those notebooks. Designers cost quite a lot of money, I know this since my father is one.

Functionality was my main concern, but I wanted a notebook that also looked good. So far I have to say I think the price Sony is charging is fair. I don't feel cheated out of my money.

 

I configured mine for 1435$ with a more powerful cpu than the 5762 and a 80gb HD and then buy a gig of ram for 75, 2gb of ram is overkill given the rest of the specs for the 5762.

 

As far as I know all the pre-configured ones you can buy at retailers have a webcam. You can also configure it with a webcam via sonystyle. I didn't get one since I don't have use for it.

 

Thanks for the review. I actually ended up getting one of these also and think it's a great laptop. On the Sony site the 1GB memory upgrade is listed at $600. Unfortunately I ordered one of the upgrade modules before reading your review. Turns out that the notebook is shipped with 2x512mb modules so my $600 1GB upgrade only nets me 1.5GB of RAM... needless to say I didn't install it. So, my question is, where did you get the memory upgrades, what type does it exactly take and how much did you pay? So far I've found memory that looks like the same specs but it's 'designed for the Intel iMacs'... not sure what to do.

Thanks,
Cliff.

 

I don't think the FE has bad quality . . I thought it was a very solid machine when I saw and used it for about an hour. Video card is what would hold me back, and price.

Hey DaCheese, is there anything in place of where the webcam would normally be, or does it just look like there was nothing ever there?

 

The webcam is normally on the top of the screen, so based on the pictures, I'd say it just looks like nothing was ever there.

Good review. Makes me even more happy about getting home and getting my FE590.

(BTW, while you can get a 2gb/120 gb FE for big bucks, you can do what DaCheese did and buy 512mb and save tons of money, since SonyStyle way overcharges for RAM).

 

The screen looks like it is supposed to to look like that. No indication that a webcam can be put there.

Regarding the RAM, here is a selection of 533 (thats the speed supplied by Sony) and 667 RAM from Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&description=&srchInDesc=&minPrice=&maxPrice=

You can restrict it further to only 533 or 667 under the Speed option.

The specific RAM I got is:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145012

I don't have any problems with it

 

I returned my FE because of problems with the camera... And have been struggling with my decision between getting another FE and the Acer 5672... And although i found the 5672 available with 2gigs of ram & 120G hard drive to be very tantalizing... the 1.66ghz being the only cpu option sent me back to the FE, and the reports of the 5672 having problems getting quite hot!...
So i will re-order an FE and hope to get it sooner rather than later... really tempted to order now as there is a free upgrade offered to 1G of Ram (2 x 512mb)...

 

I saw the FE live at the sony store and I have to say its screen is definately impressive, though after having a HP, I wasnt really happy looking at the FE's keyboard. Its all messed up like the keys are all weird for me. The keys dont "spring out" they are all flat on the base of the laptop.

Another problem was the build of it, didnt look solid, it fell as if the whole thing was going to break apart soon :/.

Though that doesnt stop me from buying it!

 

It seems as though each year major manufacturers are making new advances in the world of computers. This year, I believe that Sony has produced a product exceeding many customers expectations. The new Sony VAIO FJ100 series notebook computer is a step above the rest.
The VAIO FJ100 is a mere 5.3lbs, thin and stylish notebook. One quality that makes it stand out is its amazing display. Sony uses what they call XBRITE-ECO LCD technology to make the 14.1 inch widescreen display appear more vivid than a standard display. They also use an anti-reflective coating to reduce glares making this notebook perfect for movie viewing, using the built in DVD drive and software.
The DVD drive isn’t the only great feature included in this computer, it also comes with a built in camera and microphone easily accessible on its display. Another helpful item is the wireless internet switch that you can quickly flip on or off for a high-speed internet connection, as appose to having to plug in a card or device that many other computers require. This is not only great for the easy use, but it also helps to save battery when you don’t need to be on the internet.
Along with the great internet connection, Sony has included a pop-up blocker that informs you when an actual pop-up has been blocked; therefore it is helping to protect your computer from viruses and unsecured sites. It also comes with support connections installed in your programs folder that I have found to be very beneficial.
This computer has been a great purchase, and I like it better than previous computers I have had. One major difference I have noticed in this computer is its temperature after a long period of use. The VAIO FJ100 has the ability to stay cool much longer than my old Hewlett Packard notebook. This is a great quality if you are someone like me who is on the computer for long periods at time.

 

? Do you work for Sony

 

Looks more like someone who just learned how to write in proper paragraph form. Believe me, I've been there.

 

you kidding? have you seen at the FJ series video card? intel shared ... total joke

 

Let's keep this related to the topic in there . . .

 

I want to make a qualifying statement regarding built quality. It seems many people seem to think the built quality of the FE is bad. I DON'T think this is true.

I agree that the palmrest and the screen surrounding could need some improvement, but when the notebook is closed and you hold it in your hands it feels VERY solid!

Moreover I think built quality is more than just what it feels and looks like. It is also a matter how the interior components are put together. From what I saw when I took it apart, Sony did a good job on my FE. Only time will tell the true story on that, but if my previous 4 year old Sony GR is any indication, I have nothing to worry about.

 

I tend to agree with DaCheese. I do not feel the FE590 to be of lesser quality than any other major brand notebook. Unlike DaCheese, I do not find the palm rest area to be much of an issue. Personally I think the rattling battery to be unaccusable. Even though I do not walk around with my notebook much (if at all) but to be so far off in manufacturing tolerances is simply unacceptable. Overall I have been rather pleased with the FE590 (not Sony service which still reminds me of the old DMV days).

On a more pleasant note, if you guys are looking to upgrade your RAM then don't hesitate to buy DDR2-533 modules. When I read DaCheese's review I was unsure if DDR2-667 modules were worth the extra money expecially considering the higher latency. I went with two OCZ DDR2-533 1GB modules and got slightly higher scores on memory reads (4014) / writes (1553) than DaCheese's DDR2-667. I don't think they would make any sort of a noticeable performance improvement but at least you can save some money and get comparable performance.

 

Very strange you order a 667 ram because the laptop maximum is 533, you wasted money buying those....maybe your test are also based on the fact you put in the 667......sony will work with 667 but it wont go faster then 533....

 

lerac..... The fe Supports 667.

 

Well, I checked it out and Sony screwed us on this issue. While the chipset supports 667 RAM, the BIOS Sony put on the SZ and the FE apparently doesn't support 667, but only 533. Hopefully Sony will have a BIOS update later this year to fix this....

Here is the output from CPU-Z:

Memory
DRAM Type DDR2-SDRAM
DRAM Size 2048 MBytes
DRAM Frequency 266.0 MHz
FSB: DRAM 5:8
CAS# Latency 4.0 clocks
RAS# to CAS# 4 clocks
RAS# Precharge 4 clocks
Cycle Time (TRAS) 12 clocks
# of memory modules 2
Module 0 Corsair DDR2-SDRAM PC5300 - 1024 MBytes
Module 1 Corsair DDR2-SDRAM PC5300 - 1024 MBytes

 

That tiny hole on the left side on the right from the DVD drive is a secutity lock (Kensington) slot? Thanks
(see image: http://www.notebookreview.com/assets/9949.jpg )

 

Yes it is.

 

what is a security lock (kensington)?

 

It's (usually) a metal cable to secure your notebook to a stationary device such as a table so that it is harder to steal your notebook. They all have a metal pin that fits into this small hole. Most notebooks nowadays have this hole.

The most promionent manufacturer of these security cables is Kensington ( www.kensington.com). You can find a selection of security cables available in the U.S. (though they should have a similar product line in most other countries as well) at this address: http://us.kensington.com/html/1434.html

 

Great review - looks like a nice machine.

I wonder how battery life would be with the T2300 (1.66MHz) and the Intel Graphics? Anyone have one with that config to comment?

Also, looking at these pics, it looks like the display (while bright and vivid) shows some dark shadowing in the lower right and left corners. Is this how it is in person?

The plastic around the keyboard that you dislike, is it because it is smooth? Or does it have a bit of a texture to it?

 

The corners were only slightly darker, something you wouldn't really notice unless you were looking for it. In addition they appear depending on your proximity to the screen. The plastic around the keyboard is very smooth which i think contributes greatly to the sweaty feeling-the area also gets a bit warm... nothing serious however!

 

Now that you mention it (the shadowing), I see it too. It's mostly noticable in the lower right hand corner. The other corners seem to be ok. At least to me. Since I don't look into the corners too often its ok with me.

Smooth plastic = sweaty palms. But I got used to it somewhat over the last month or so. It doesn't bother me as much anymore as in the beginning.

 

Can anybody compare this laptop with MacbookPro in the light of its recent Windows bootcamp? Both laptops are comparable in price, but which one is better deal?
Here is my attempt to compare:

FE590
====
2.0GHz core duo
Go 7400/256 GPU
160GB/5400rpm HD
XP Professional
2GB DDR2-667
large battery
3 year warranty
$3,050CAN

MBP
===
2.0GHz core duo
ATI x1600/256 GPU
100GB/7200rpm
MacOS + XP Pro
2GB DDR2-667
1 year warranty
$3,350CAN

I try to compare based on (+1 point if one is better than the other)
following features (if the feature is not mentioned I assume bothe have it):

Screen
=====
FE590 +1
MBP 0

Keyboard
=======
FE590 0
MBP 0

Sturdiness
========
FE590 0
MBP +1

GPU
===
FE590 0
MBP +1

Heating
======
FE590 +1
MBP 0

Benchmark
========
FE590 0
MBP 0

Look
====
FE590 +1
MBP +1

DVI
===
FE590 0
MBP +1

HD space
=======
FE590 +1
MBP 0

Better OS
=======
FE590 0
MBP +1

Warranty
=======
FE590 +1
MBP 0

Price
====
FE590 +1
MBP 0

Total points FE590: +6
Total points MBP: +5

=> Winner: FE590

I assumed benchmark numbers are approximately the same. If MBP did better job in using HD speed and GPU speed it would achieve better benchmark score and then the scores would be tied, i.e. buyer could decide based on the preference (e.g. if he does not need DVI he would go with the cheaper FE590, or if he prefers less heat etc.)

 

you forgot another point or two for the MBP being able to boot both OSX and XP on the same machine.....

 

If you speced the FE with Sony RAM you should take it out of your calculation. Spec it with minimum RAM and buy it from independend vendor. Here in the U.S. that saved me about $400 or so.

From what I have seen of the Macs, if it is about the same price I would prefer the Mac with the new windows capabilities. The didn't have that program when I bought my notebook. I might have reconsidered if they had. But it would still have been about $300-$400 more expensive than my FE.

 

I already added point to MBP regarding OS:

Better OS
=======
FE590 0
MBP +1


There are no more important or less important features. For each of the features there is a bunch of folks who consider it "the most important". Therefore each feature gets one point.

If our selection criteria is "bang for the buck" then FE590 is a winner, although the difference is only one feature-point. What this means is for example if somebody cannot live at all without DVI feature he might have to pay the price and overpay by selecting MBP. On the other hand, if all the features are equally important, then the best choice is FE590: you get one better feature more for less price.

If somebody prefers sturdiness he might opt for MBP, but I configured FE590 with 3 year warranty, which approximately compensates on the lack of sturdiness. Even if the FE590 did not include 160GB HD but just 100GB it would still be better option as the score would be tied 5 : 5 and FE590 costing $300CAN less.

I priced both optimally (including newegg.com memory purchase) with maximum options for each feature configured on these web sites:

http://www.sonystyle.com
http://www.apple.ca

FE590 is not available in Canada so I configured on US site

 

I guess that means your personal preference should prevail. You pretty much list all the pros and cons for each notebook so there seems little we could add. The difference in your final scores is pretty small so you should probably just get the one that you think "feels right."

Like I said, currently I would probably get the Mac, even though I am 100% satisfied with my FE. The only thing that kept me from getting it at my time of purchase was the lack of bootcamp in the Mac.

 

Yes, but you did not mention which of the mentioned features you put emphasis on in selecting MBP over FE590?
If you consider all of the features equally important then I do not see how MBP wins?
I would personally select MBP if it gets 2 more feature-points, e.g. Price + Benchmark (Performance). In that case it would be 7:6 for MBP or even 6:6 (if only performance is improved). So if only MBP Windows performance is improved I would buy it even at high price. Having subpar performance with x1600, 7200rpm drive and 667Hz memory doesn't make any sense

 

Sorry, I guess I should have made it more explicit. I think performance wise there isn't much of a difference. For me it would be design and the general "feeling" of the notebook itself. When I lift up MBPs at the Apple store vs. my FE it feels "better." Same when I typed and played around with it. Now this "better" is a very subjective issue (same as the design). For me this would tip the scale, but for others it might not.

 

It feels better because it has aluminum case. That is the reason I gave +1 feature-point to MBP for Sturdiness.
On the other hand, I configured FE590 in maximum way, so 3 year warranty is added compared to MBP 1 year for $300 less than MBP, thus compensating for that difference in "feel", i.e. sturdiness

 

Does anyone have an FE with the Intel GMA 950 instead of the NVIDIA? I am wondering how much better the battery life would be with the integrated graphics (for those that do not need the more powerful GPU).

Also, for those of you with the Bluetooth option, is there a way to turn it off when not using it? I'd imagine that would eat up the battery life as well?

Last, when playing with an FE at the Sony Store, I noticed that the BIOS didn't have a 'disable screen expansion' feature (I think listed under Advanced) where most other VAIOs do. This feature shrinks everything and centers it to the middle of the screen (when booting and working with installs, etc) instead of stretching it out in an awkward widescreen unnatural fit. I am wondering if the floor models had a dumbed down BIOS?