Sony VAIO VPC-EF34FX/BI 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black)

I purchased my VAIO for use in my photo studio. I considered Mac Pros but Fry's had priced it down to $699 plus a total of three years warranty. The offer was too good to pass up and the difference allowed me to max it up to 8 GB of RAM and get all the software I needed while still saving a bundle.

PROS

Excellent contrast and resolution on a 17.3" wide screen.

Lighter than most laptops its size.

Solid construction, superior to most PC-based models.

Quite thin for its size.

Four USB and one HDMI ports, among others.

Excellent graphical performance with photo-related applications.

Dual-core 2.4 GHz processor is perfect for business use.

Comfortable, straightforward spaced-layout keyboard. The Sony silicone membrane is a great addition (not included).

Few third-party apps to remove.

Windows 7 recovers pretty quickly (3-5 seconds) from sleep mode.

Decent battery performance for a 6-cell unit (max. 3 hrs.).

CONS

It's not as structurally solid as a Mac

The mirror-like screen finish can be bothersome sometimes. A matte screen can be purchased for $100-200.

I bought this laptop two months ago. SO far it works great!! I am not an expert in computers but, for the money this one seems to have the power I need to do my graphic design work. There a few design issues I don't like which sadly applies to most laptops out there now days. I don't like that all the external plugs, USB, AC power, etc. And exhaust fan, are jammed on the sides. Nothing goes on the back. Makes it really hard to access the CD/DVD opening. In addition, no extra accessable keys to control volume. Will be nice to be able to press a quick key to mute sound when the phone rings. These are features that seem lacking in most newer computers. It is very quite which is a plus. It is not too heavy which is great! as it has 17" screen. My friends think it is pretty slick looking.

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