Sony VAIO VGN-CR425E/B 14.1-inch Laptop (2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Black

Our Price - $1,249.99

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Sony VAIO VGN-CR425E/B 14.1-inch Laptop (2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Black

Step out and be seen with the portable, powerful and incredibly beautiful VAIO(R) CR425EB notebook. A perfect mix of power and style, the VAIO(R) CR425EB is a slim, lightweight PC measuring less than 1" thin, with a stunning 14.1" widescreen with XBRITE-ECO LCD technology while weighing only 5.49lbs is an astonishing sight to behold. Experience the powerful performance of the newest hafnium-based Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 2.10GHz processor with 3MB of L2 Cache with 3GB RAM memory and store your important documents, family videos and pictures on the roomy 250GB (5400RPM) hard drive. Backed by the Windows Vista Home Premium operating system and Intel Core 2 Duo processor, this lightning-fast, super-powerful mobile notebook is slim, lightweight, and packed with entertainment and design extras. Extend the reach of your CR425EB notebook with Stereo Bluetooth technology that is ideal for advanced Wireless communication and streaming uncompromised CD-quality stereo music to Bluetooth speakers or headphones. From a built-in web cam and AV controls to its unique paint colors and comfortable, easy-to-clean keyboard, the remarkable VAIO(R) CR425EB notebook delivers entertainment, power and pizzazz. 14.1 WXGA (1280 x 800) XBRITE-ECO Display Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 with up to 358MB Shared Video Memory Built-in Webcamera and microphone DVD+-R/RW Drive with Double Layer Intel PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11A/B/G/N 10/100Base-TX Ethernet Intergrated A2DP Bluetooth Technology Fingerprint Reader Memory Stick Duo Card Reader with MagicGate(TM) functionality Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot ExpressCard 34 Slot 3 USB 2.0, Headphone out; Microphone-in, VGA, TV-Out (S-Video), IEEE 1394, RJ-11 (Modem), RJ-45 Approximate Unit Dimensions - 13.2 (W) x 9.8 (D) x 1.51 (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 5.49lbs

Add a zesty style to your mobile computing with the stunning good looks of the black Sony VAIO VGN-CR425E/B notebook PC, which offers unique eye-catching features, impressive attention-to-detail, and an amazingly thin and light profile. It features a glossy multi-layer black finish with silver luminous trim and pulsing LED ground effects that emanate from beneath. Aside from its jaw-dropping good looks, it's also an entertainment powerhouse. The instant AV Mode enables you to start watching a DVD or listening to music with the push of a single button--without having to boot up the system--and the convenient, built-in multimedia control buttons also let you control all playback functions.

It's powered by the 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 processor, which offers a super-fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed and extra-large 3 MB L2 cache. Part of Intel's 45-nanometer (nm) Penryn series, this processor boosts speed, reduces power requirements, and saves on battery life. The Core 2 Duo processor provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved gaming and multitasking performance. It also includes Intel's 4965 AGN wireless LAN, which will connect to draft 802.11n routers and offers compatibility with 802.11a/b/g networks as well. A built-in 1.3 megapixel digital web camera lets you quickly snap photos and participate in live video chats. Other features include a 14.1-inch XBRITE-ECO screen, extra-large 250 GB hard drive, 3 GB of installed RAM (4 GB maximum capacity), dual-layer DVD±RW drive (which also burns CDs), Bluetooth connectivity (with stereo music streaming), ExpressCard 34 slot, Intel GMA X3100 graphics (with up to 358 MB of total available video memory), and both Memory Stick and SD memory cart slots.

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. In addition to easily playing your DVD movies and managing your digital audio library, you'll be able to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV). 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: Experience improved energy efficiency, expanded wireless connectivity, and amazing battery life with the 45nm Penryn series Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 processor, which has a 2.10 GHz processor speed, super-fast 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and a large 3 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 new hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--conserves even more energy, giving you more time away from the wall outlet. And you'll be able to encode video on-the-go and watch HD movies with Intel HD Boost.

  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 extra-large 250 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) provides more than enough capacity for storing a large audio and video library, as well as extra space required for video editing. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0.

• Memory: The 3 GB of installed RAM (PC5300, 1 x 2 GB, 2 x 1 GB) helps boost the amount of available video RAM that's shared with this notebook's video card. It also offers a top-of-class 667 MHz speed. This notebook has a 4 GB maximum RAM capacity (2 x 2 GB). To receive the faster data transfer benefits of the dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity and clockspeed.

• DVD/CD Drive: The dual-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, 8x for single layer DVD+RW, 6x for single layer DVD-RW, 5x for DVD-RAM, and 24x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.

• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 82-key keyboard (2mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch) and electro-static two-button touchpad. Playback controls include play/pause, stop, forward, rewind, AV mode, mute, volume +/-, capture, and display off.

Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, which uses shared video memory (up to 358 MB allocated from the system memory) and provides Windows Vista Aero interface support and enhanced 3D graphics performance--delivering over 2x scores on 3DMark 06. Intel Clear Video Technology provides outstanding video playback with sharper image quality, increased clarity, and customizable color controls. It also enables enhanced visual quality of interlaced content on progressive displays.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
Be ready for the next platform in wireless connectivity with the integrated quad-mode Intel Wireless 4965AGN Wi-Fi chip. Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and wi-fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments). With the Bluetooth connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones as well as enjoy wireless stereo music streaming (thanks to its embedded A2DP profile).

This notebook also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 34 card slot (though no PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. Here's the full list of connectivity options:

• 3 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
• Video output: 1 VGA, 1 S-Video
• 1 ExpressCard/34 slot
• Memory Stick/Memory Stick DUO slot (with MagicGate functionality)
• Secure Digital memory card slot (compatible with MMC cards)
• 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
• 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• 56K modem (V.90)

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.

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 Disc (for easy DVD creation), Microsoft Works SE 9.0, Microsoft Office 2007 (60-day trial), Symantec Norton 360 All-In-One Security (with 60 days of Live Update).

Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 13.2 x 9.8 x 1.67 inches (WxDxH) and weighs 5.5 pounds.

Power
It's powered by the VGP-BPS9/S rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 2 and 4 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGN-CR425E/B notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, 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.

Sony VAIO VGN-CR425E/B 14.1-inch Laptop (2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Black Accessories

Samsonite L35 Notebook Case
Sony VAIO VGN-CR408E/B 14.1-inch Laptop (2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 Processor, 2 GB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) Black
Sony VGPCKC2/B VAIO Cushioned Carrying Case (Black)
Apple iPod nano 4 GB Silver (3rd Generation)
Case Logic Compact Portable Hard Drive Case (Black)
PlayStation 3 Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel
Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks
Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus [OLD VERSION]
Apple iPod touch 16 GB (1st Generation)
Sony VAIO VGN-CR520E/P 14.1-inch Laptop (2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) Pink

Sony VAIO VGN-CR425E/B 14.1-inch Laptop (2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Black Reviews

As it is always the case with 'consumer' computers, as soon as you turn it on, you are bombarded with tons of tutorials and various pre-installed trashware/bloatware - the usual suspects: AOL, Macaffee, Adobe, Norton. My kid also likes the text-to-speech capability but he's telling me that the computer is more often wrong than right when interpreting his words. The cool stuff that DOES work is the fingerprint authentication. I ordered this Vaio from Amazon over a month ago when it was offered as a Gold Box item. So, after cleanup, we got ourselves a nice, Wi-Fi enabled, AOL/Explorer/Macaffee/Norton-free little laptop that my son loves using for his personal entertainment and for the occasional school homework - Microsoft Works comes pre-installed for that.

On the 'cool' factor. I am not going to go into the technical mumbo-jumbo because you can see the specs posted in the product description section. The laptop comes equipped with a built-in camera almost invisible, it plays DVDs and, of course it has a microphone. I never had to call the Sony customer service, so I can't comment on that. I am very much a do-it-yourself type when it comes to computer (never on cars). Vista. You simply slide your finger (any finger) over the reader and, you're authenticated. Battery life appears to be adequate but the battery is relatively slow to charge - I guess you can't have everything at the same time.

You provide the computer your fingerprints and you no longer need to enter username/password ever again. The display looks great. The keyboard is only adequate. His Compaq mini-tower had died two months prior and I thought a laptop would make more sense for him now.

Overall rating: I am satisfied with the the laptop but the keyboard could have been better. Suffices to say that it is adequately supplied with memory, has sufficient disk storage and comes with. well you turn it on and it works. On the computer itself, it is a true laptop, meaning that it's not a TOO large mini-super-computer-emulator but not too small either.

It took me a couple of hours to clean it up and leave only the stuff that was not on a 'trial' base and get rid of all the well-meaning spyware. Installation. hmmm. This model does not come with a mouse so, if you don't want to depend on the little touchpad, make sure you have a USB mouse handy.

This was a very good deal on GOLD BOX DEAL. I loved it so much. I bought it with affordable price and the product functioned overall were outstanding.

Then I saw the great deal on Amazon, just what I was looking for big HD lots of RAM, SOLD. I had waited to get a Sony Vaio because that was what I had before and was totally sold on Sony.

So we'll see. I bought this because it's a bit smaller than my other laptop (an HP)and am happy with it so far. It starts up faster than the HP. I haven't called tech support about it yet and there may be an update that will take care of the problem. The only negative about it is the sound.

It loads MSOffice quite fast as well as other home/office applications. Though Intel's 5550 is not the fastest CPU on the market the whole system performance it's really good. If you're looking for a laptop to replace your bulky home desktop, this is an excellent option. If you're considering this machine with gamming in mind go for a different model with a dedicated graphics adaptor -like NVIDA or ATI- included, the VAIO VGN-CR415E it's not expandable. Web surfing is perfect. The system features USB, firewire, mem stick and bluetooth ports.