Sony Vaio VGN-FW21E Reviews: Windows Vista Home Premium 16.4" Screen Laptop computer

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  • Photo of Sony Vaio VGN-FW21E Laptop
  • Photo of Sony Vaio VGN-FW21E Laptop
Photo of Sony Vaio VGN-FW21E Laptop
Score: 7.8/10

21 Real Customer Reviews - In Summary

This laptop is a good all rounder. “It does everything, and looks good while at it ;)” Daniel, Sao Paulo/Brazil View all 21 real customer reviews

Available via Reevoo.com from £669 at 2 retailers

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Product Details

Dual Core Processor with 4GB of Memory and 320GB Storage on Windows Vista Home Premium. Blu-ray Drive, 2.1 hours of battery More »

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Real customer reviews

21 verified purchasers have reviewed this product.
85% of people recommend it.

Show scores of…
All purchasers (21)
Battery life6.8
Design8.0
Performance8.7
Size and weight7.8
Value for money (at time of purchase)8.0
Overall rating7.8
 

*not all purchasers provided a score or review

Daniel, Sao Paulo/Brazil , “I like my Vaio”

Score 10.0/10

+ It does everything, and looks good while at it ;)

- Hard to find a nice bag to go with it...

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4 of 4 people found this review helpful

purchased 30 Dec 2008

douglas, manchester , “home user”

Score 9.0/10

+ excellent performance using wlan plus great screen

- battery life does not seem to be born out by indicator

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3 of 3 people found this review helpful

purchased 01 Dec 2008

stuart, London. England! , “I am a designer”

Score 9.0/10

+ Large wide screen for graphics based work, but still portable....but not every day, but 3kg is just OK, my old Samsung 15inch was heavier .
Quiet and good bluetooth and wireless connectivity with N guage home set up.
Good clean keyboard similar to Mac, white versions available in US!

- Screen is not full 1080 HD only 900. Ordinary DVD playback not as great, have not tried HD or Blu-ray discs so can't judge. Base of laptop gets quite hot.
Being a designer I can see where some minor design issues could be improved but compared to other laptops and Macbooks, this is still a good looker. If using mouse with USB cable then port positions could be a problem, better at rear side of chasis. Use bluetooth mouse!

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

purchased 30 Jan 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser , “ICT Teacher”

Score 10.0/10

+ Screen is brill quality.
Fast speed.
Good software with laptop - Vaio Movie Story is amazing

- Lots of windows updates to be installed - took a few days for them all to get on which was a little anoying!

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

purchased 26 Jan 2009

Nicholas, Northampton , “Student Gamer Professional Music”

Score 9.0/10

+ Amazing quality on the blu ray discs and general application running is great!
Will run HUNDREDS of applications and windows at the same time and still be running really smooth.
Large Hard drive, very clear webcam and quick boot/shut down.

- Bad for gaming. Graphics have to be turned down low in all the games I have played on it becuase of the poor gaming graphics card.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

purchased 11 Feb 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser

Score 8.0/10

+ Screen quality

- Battery life, too much "bloatware" installed when purchased

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

purchased 02 Feb 2009

TK, UK

Score 7.0/10

+ great screen, good specs (esp. against the latest versions!), keyboard (as long used on desk)

- poor USB port placement, touchpad is rubbish, good keyboard but tricky to use on lap

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

purchased 17 Feb 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser , “professional ”

Score 9.0/10

+ Compact and cool design
Good wide screen
software packages well thought out

- Battery relatively short life
Keyboard buttones a little noises (clattery sound) could be softer.
Black colour of buttons don't match the silver tone

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

purchased 23 Jan 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser

Score 9.0/10

+ Great performance and design.

- Sound from in-built speakers

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purchased 04 Jan 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser , “Owned laptops for decades”

Score 9.0/10

+ The screen is wonderfully clear.

- I found the battery ran down rather too fast and also it's life wasn't as long as the spec says it is.
For a laptop it is rather bulky. I wouldn't care to travel by rail or air with it in tow.
It took a while to sort out all the messages about registrations for the laptop itself and the free trials of Office and Mcfee which seemed to keep repeating themselves which was rather annoying.

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purchased 19 Feb 2009

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Product Features

Screen Size in Inches 16.4
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
RAM in GB 4
Number of Cores Dual
Hard Disk Capacity in GB 320
Screen Resolution (pixels) 1200x1024 (SxGA)
Processor Brand Intel
Processor Core 2 Duo
Processor Number P8400
Processor Speed in MHz 2260
USB Port 3
Integrated Webcam Yes
WiFi Yes
Bluetooth Yes
Fingerprint Access No
Remote Control No
DVD Writer Yes
DVD Drive Yes
CD Rom Yes
Blu-ray Drive Yes
Card Reader Yes
Battery Life in Hours 2.1
Weight (kg) 3.1
Brand of Graphic Chip Intel
Graphic Card or Chip GMA 4500MHD
Firewire Yes
Colour Black

Also known as: Sony VAIO FW21E, SONY VGN-FW21E, Sony VGNFW21E, Sony FW21E

Laptop Buyers' Guide  

Manufacturer's Description

Real wide viewing
VAIO FW-Series radically enhances your multimedia entertainment with a revolutionary 16.4” real wide display.

This large screen features high 1600×900 WXGA++ resolution and a true 16:9 aspect ratio for the best possible digital media experience. Enjoy movies, games, photo slideshows and the Internet like never before with intense realism and detail.

The larger display is also ideal for the office. Open two full size Explorer windows side-by-side and multi-task with ease.

True-to-life pictures
With latest X-black screen technology, FW-Series delivers pictures that are sharp, bright and natural looking. Images are true-to-life with vibrant colour, deep contrast and enhanced depth. Some models feature a double lamp for exceptional brightness and pin sharp detail.

There are millions of colours in the world and these displays are capable or reproducing all of them. Super realistic 100% colour fidelity allows you to enjoy the best pictures ever with deeper blacks, brighter whites and an infinite range of colours.

High Definition with Blu-ray
Take full advantage of a new era in high definition entertainment with FW-Series. Top models* featuring an integrated Blu-ray Disc™ Drive allow playback of latest HD movies and give you the freedom to create your own dynamic productions captured on an HD camcorder. Store up to 50GB of multimedia data or over 9 hours of HD video on one disc using the Blu-ray Disc™ Drive.

You can also enjoy HD movies on models** featuring an integrated Blu-ray Disc™ Combo Drive. It also plays and records all your favourite CDs and DVDs. For a thrilling big screen experience, connect your laptop to an HD-Ready TV using HDMI output and watch favourite films in glorious Full HD 1080p picture quality.

Dolby® Sound Room™
True home entertainment is more than just amazing pictures. Dolby® Sound Room™ recreates the acoustics of a small theatre in your headphones so you can enjoy movies, music, and games in surround sound.

Put your headphones on and click here to enjoy the Dolby® Sound Room™ James Bond demo trailer.

Slim and elegant
For a laptop with a large 16.4" screen, FW is remarkably compact and transportable. An ultra thin bezel has been used to fit the screen onto a compact chassis with the screen closer than ever to the edge of the bezel for a slim and streamlined appearance.

A beautiful cylindrical hinge design with battery and hinge designed as one keeps size and weight down to just 3.1 kilos while ensuring maximum strength at one of the most vulnerable points of the laptop.

Made in Magnesium
Finished in durable and lightweight magnesium alloy, the thin-walled chassis of FW-Series preserves portability while providing rugged protection from shocks and knocks.

Precise typing
An ergonomic isolation keyboard with keys protruding vertically from a beautifully carved flat surface enhances looks and ease of use. Typing is more comfortable than ever with no lateral movement and the centre of each key slightly indented to ensure each key stroke provides a solid and precise response. Optimum spacing between keys minimises typing errors, especially for those with long or manicured nails.

Multimedia powerhouse
Enjoy powerful multimedia performance with Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processors on all models. The flagship VGN-FW31ZJ includes a mega fast Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9550 processor.
Plus with up to 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM memory, accessing data intensive files and working on graphical programs is easier than ever.

Ultra efficient Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor technology across the range optimises battery life and gives you even more reliable wireless connectivity. Work and play longer on the move and communicate cable-free with friends and family wherever you go.

Impressive graphics
Super smooth 3D performance is essential for multimedia entertainment. FW-Series compromises nothing with a fast and efficient ATI® Mobility Radeon™ HD 3650 or HD3470 graphics card featuring up to 256MB of dedicated VRAM. Perfect for watching DVD’s, playing games and creating dynamic fun-filled presentations.

Faster wireless connectivity
Communicate easily with friends, family and colleagues using the next generation of wireless technology. Intel® Draft-n on most models gives up to five times faster wireless connectivity, more reliability and a wider reception range than 802.11a/b/g when connected to hotspots. Stream video wirelessly through your home without the need for any additional hardware or cables and keep in touch with confidence when on the move.

All models also include Bluetooth® for effortless connection and data exchange with other personal devices including mobile phones, laptops, mice and keyboards, printers, digital cameras and game consoles.

Store your multimedia
You never need worry about running out of storage space with FW-Series. Hard disc capacity ranges from 250GB to a generous 500GB, giving you the freedom to store multitudes of video, still images, television programmes, music and other multimedia data.


Compare prices for Sony Vaio VGN-FW21E on 30 Nov 2009

Retailer Customer satisfaction (in %) Delivery Price Availability Total price Buy
98% 40 reviews of Ask Direct Free delivery Courier £780free delivery Out of stock
£780

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