Jan 19, 2011 10:19 AM
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You get what you pay - With this, a hell of a stylish laptop with good spec and a fantastic all rounder!
I paid around £499 for my NS11S a few months ago, I had ventured around Comet, PC World and Currys for a few hours and then popped back home to get browsing through the internet too see what other peoples experiences where with it, I was surprised how highly people spoke of this and also being a Sony you know you couldn't go wrong!
To start off with I just want to just highlight a few key specifications and what the benefits of having it inside thelaptop can do for you...
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5800 -
It's clocked at 2 GHz but is however a dual core. This processor will handle most things with ease, I use it mainly for Microsoft Office and emailing, but I have also played some game's on it and the ran very well.
This is a good mid range processor that will suit anybody that doesn't want to do anything overly strenuous such as movie editing which to be fair you will need either a stupidly priced laptop (£2000 +) or a decent desktop.
The laptop should come pre-installed with Microsoft Vista and that does recommend 2GB of RAM at the very least, this however has 4GB, meaning your laptop starts up fast from power off and loads programs speedily.
Much more than enough for any normal laptop user, this can hold thousands upon thousands of songs and pictures and hundreds of movies. If you ever do run out of space you need to A) get a life and B) buy a USB hard drive.
-" 1280x800 -
A 15" display seems about the going size for laptops at the moment, the screen is big enough to work comfortably with and also small enough to be easily carried around.
- Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M -
Be under no illusion that this will play every game under the sun, newer games (released within the past 6 months) you will probably struggle with, anything else should work fine.
Always however check the specs on the back of the game box in comparison to your laptop before purchase, as most stores do not accept them back once opened.
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium -
Nearly all laptops come with Vista. It's a complete myth about Vista being terrible, it's has some great updates recently and I've never had any issue loading a game, program or just generally using my laptop.
Vista is easy to use for novices but has some great customisable options to appeal to the more experienced user.
Now as well as having those we also have a couple more points worth mentioning. It has a DVD writeable drive, this means you can play back and burn DVD's and CD's.
It has a built in wireless adaptor, meaning you can connect to your internet connection at home or at most places nowadays with the "wi fi" sign without the use of a cable (if you have a wireless router!)
One SD card/Memory stick duo slot for putting in your memory card from your camera or camcorder to view back on the laptop directly (saves messing about with the camera's USB cable!) - 4 USB connections for hooking up any device with a USB output such as microphones, headsets, hard drives, usb memory sticks etc - Finally it also has a built in 1.3MP webcam for chatting online!
Also upon opening the box I was greeted with some nice software only available with a Sony laptop, VAIO Music Box, VAIO Movie Story, Click to Disc/Editor.
These all are very useful and powerful programs and a bonus to get for nothing!
The laptop is a decent weight, no heavier than other brands I tested out, perfect for carrying around with you to college/university or work.
With the screen being of a good size it also means you can use it at home as your main computer with no worries.
Pros
Great price considering to the brand.
Very well built.
Stylish (good for kids or adults).
Powerful enough for most users.
Good battery life, around 4 1/2 hours on full power.
Cons
Overall the pros defiantly outweigh the cons. The comment about other brands being cheaper is true, however remember that this has a fantastic build quality and is a Sony; you will get your monies worth in the long run whilst cheaper brands break easier over time.
The gaming point is always a sticking one for laptops, if you like to keep up to date with the newest games and this is what you mainly being using the laptop for, don't buy a laptop! - You can get a desktop much cheaper for what you need!
Overall I recommend this completely, I haven't looked back since!
