Technical
- 1.66GHz Intel N280 Atom Processor
- 1GB DDR2 533MHz Memory
- 250GB Serial ATA 5400RPM Hard Drive, 802.11 b/g/n Wifi
- 10.1¿ (1366x768) LED-backlit LCD Display, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
- Windows 7 Starter, Up to 7 Hours of Battery Life
Description
Sony VAIO VPC-W121AX/T Notebook Intel Atom Processor N280 (1.66GHz) Microsoft Windows 7 Starter 32-bit 250 GB HDD 1 GB of RAM
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J. Vidaurri ( Texas United States ) Sony is a major brand, I use to have a 2500 dlls sony laptop, in 5 years, it never broke, and give excellent results, so when the time came, I not doubt it in buy another sony, this time I just need a light computing, so, I tough this model its more than enough, and I am not wrong, this is a great netbook, excellent specs, good quality components, the only thing missing is the dvd, but you can get an external one very cheap. So conclutions, this is the best option for the price... I am happy with it.
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Desert Hammer The Vaio W could have been a whole lot more but isn't.
If you are an extremely light user then this netbook/mini-notebook is for you.
However, if you are doing anything resembling multitasking (surfing the web, downloading something and possibly watching a video on YouTube) then this computer hangs, stutters and suffers program crashes, also Explorer crashes.
As has been stated in another review once the fan kicks in it is constant, continuous and loud which makes for a very annoying experience if you are in a quiet environment.
I'm also surprised that no one has commented on the following: Windows 7 Starter edition actually punishes you for having the base version of Windows 7. You have no way of changing the desktop background. If you want to do that you have to download and install a non-Microsoft external application! Go figure.
For something in the $500 price range I find the above shortcomings inexcusable. Perhaps this is another demonstration of Sony Vaio's Achilles heel: Form over function.
I wouldn't buy this if I had the chance all over again.
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tien very nice ,but the price is too high, and when I bought just one month the price changed 10% lower than the price I got it, I feel very sad
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Richard T. Berman ( Minneapolis, MN USA ) I read all the Amazon-based customer reviews and ended up purchasing the white VAIO. I had a netbook already, an early issue bargain-basement Dell 9" that mainly taught me what I wanted instead, and this Sony is it. Let me react to a number of specifics some others have voiced concerns about. I list the two downside comments at the bottom of this review, but here is the long list of the upside points:
Battery -- (1) it is large and unconventional in shape, but I actually like it -- it tilts the netbook at a great angle; (2) battery life is as advertised -- over seven hours -- and that is terrific (my Dell lasted only two hours off a full charge).
Chip -- the 1.66 (rather than 1.6) is unusual among netbooks of this generation.
Fan motor -- it is just about ever-present, but it is low-tone and I easily got used to it; more important, it does its job, keeping the netbook cooler -- my Dell was hot to the touch and I couldn't do anything about it, except take it out of action, to cool it down.
Keyboard -- HUGE difference from Dell and many other brands; the VAIO keyboard is right-sized, has more keys in better locations, and are elevated from the deck, all making this keyboard much better.
The 250g hard drive easily accommodates a range of software, where my Dell struggled with its 80g.
Built-in camera is way better than the one is the Dell, one Skype with my son made that clear.
I haven't used the on-board slots for memory cards yet, but look forward to using them and am pleased they are there.
Resolution is great; on-board speakers are dreadful, but it does have high definition capability for headphones and external speakers.
Just so you know, the white color is more a seashell than white -- really nice, but cosmetic value only.
The downside -- (1) I love Windows 7, but wish I could upgrade to Home Premium; (2) biggest downer is the 1G limitation on memory -- with lots of software loaded it seems like it will drag a bit, but hasn't yet -- and besides, most netbooks are similarly limited.
Overall? Love it! Recommendation -- do it once and do it right -- buy this one.
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R. R. Weber ( Cambridge, UK ) I am very happy with the computing experience I am obtaining from on this notebook. I think the quality and style justifies its premium price.
I partly decided to buy this notebook because I have had very good experiences owning two other Sony Vaio notebooks. (I have also owned Toshiba, Dell and HP notebooks). I like the fact that the function keys and software operate on the VPC-W121AX/T the same way they do on my VGN-SZ670NC. I also spent a lot of time playing with netbooks in shops. In my opinion this Sony has the best styling and build quality.
The keyboard is easy to use. My hands and brain have quickly accommodated to it and I can type fast on it without errors. In bed (where this notebook is now replacing my ipod touch for late night internet browsing), it is sometimes convenient to be able to browse using only one hand. The extra Fn key on the right hand side means I can easily do PgUp, PgDn, Home, End using my right hand alone. The track pad has just the right sensitivity, and I find that I can be very accurate with it.
This notebook is great to use while watching tv, while in bed, or travelling. Some reviewers complain about the battery size, but I find it advantageous to have the battery lift the keyboard at an angle. The way the computer looks with the battery is not unattractive and the notebook and battery still fit within the matching Sony slip case.
The 1366 x 768 display means that videos and photos appear crisper than on other netbooks. However, the default text size is smaller. If it is too small for your eyes to read easily, then you can use an option in Windows 7 to increase the text size by 125%. If you do this then the text size appears similar to what you get with other notebooks.
The fan never shuts off. When I am using the notebook on my lap or table then the fan is sufficiently far from my ears that it does not irritate. But when I am lying in bed, with the computer resting on my chest and close to my face, the fan noise is a minor annoyance. The built-in speakers are sufficiently strong for me to watch films on my own, but not enough to fill a room with sound. The sound produced through the headphone jack is very good.
Windows 7 Starter pretty much the same as the Home Premium that I have on my other computers. The features it omits are not really essential. Nonetheless, I upgraded to Home Premium so that my notebook looks exactly the same as my others Windows 7 computers. Also, I have upgraded the memory to 2Gb (which took about 5 minutes). Neither of these upgrades was really necessary. If they had not been possible I would still be pleased.
My W121AX/T is not going to replace my Vaio SZ when I want to do type an entire research paper or do advanced computing (the SZ has a duo 2.4GHz processor). It is a bit slower than my SZ in browsing web pages. However, it fills a gap. It is more (much) powerful than an ipod touch and more portable than my SZ. The AC power adaptor is lightweight and tiny (about 1 x 0.75 x 2.5 inches). When I am not using it for travelling it will be great on my bedside table (for listening to internet radio or watching late night films). Highly recommended.
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Robert L. Estes ( Nashville, TN USA )