I researched for a while on a laptop, I wanted one that could process very well but also be used for fun on the go. A well rounded laptop without a price that would leave me in debt (being a college student). The Sony Vaio VPCCW17FX, meets all my needs and more.
Pros:
Just about everything, but specifically,
The keyboard: Possibly one of the most comfortable and ergonomic laptop keyboard I have ever typed on, I'm typing this review on the laptop right now. The keys are individual buttons with just the right spacing popped up out of the base of the laptop. It kinda reminds me of the Macbook keyboard. In fact the whole computer looks and feels like a macbook that was assimilated by Sony.
Features:
Blu-ray player with a HDMI output is a nice feature, most likely you already have a blu-ray player if you have a HDTV and are buying blu-ray discs, however its a portable one that you can just hook up to your HDTV and be ready to go.
This model also includes a SD card reader and a HG Duo reader right in the front, very convenient.
Touch pad is also very nice, has a good feel to it and the click buttons are actual buttons so you know exactly when you are clicking things, my only complaint with the touch pad is using the right side to scroll pages doesn't always work but it works well enough.
Intel core duo2 processor is fast makes this computer fly with the windows 7 home premium edition 64-bit default OS, I haven't had any performance issues yet and I was surely putting it to the test installing 3-4 programs at a time while downloading 2-3 more. Not a hiccup while the installations were in progress. Runs games well, on lower settings mainly due to the graphics card being the weakest component in the package for game play (according to the windows experience rating).
The 14.1 inch WIDE screen is beautiful with a LED back light, it doesn't ever seem to heat up, and the core itself stays cool for long periods of time. Some have the opinion that its a little small however I think its the perfect size for a portable computer, if I wanted a large screen I would just hop on my desktop PC
Easily accessible USB ports 2 on the left side 1 on the right, could use more but its pretty good.
It feels good, looks good and has a good weight to it, I've heard some people complain that its too heavy, however if it was any lighter I think it would feel cheap, the only thing that doesn't look top notch are the hinges, however they aren't flimsy or anything like that, and they flow well, so it leads me to believe that its just the light im looking at it in.
This laptop never ever seems to get hot, I had it on for 7 plus hours and it still felt cold to the touch. The only time I've ever felt heat from this laptop was when I was running graphics intensive games, where the left side of the laptop where the GPU (graphics card) exhaust is emitted heat, it got hot but not extremely burn hot, I'd also like to mention that only that part of the laptop heated up and no where else. Also worth mentioning is that when I exited the game, within minutes the GPU became cold to the touch again. This laptop seems to have a very efficient cooling system.
Another thing I'd like to point out that the laptop comes with a free ONE YEAR of TrackItback service from Sony, if you register your laptop with them. Basically you stick a sticker on your laptop saying that if its found to call the number and get a reward for returning the laptop. Its a nice service if you ever foresee yourself misplacing or forgetting it anywhere, although if I found this thing...well ID RETURN IT OF COURSE.
Cons:
Speakers are a bit soft for a Blu-Ray player, even at the max volume, its a bit on the softer side. Not a biggie since I will not be using the speakers for blu-ray playback, a handy set of headphones or ear buds easily solves this con.
Although the finish is beautiful, it makes me nervous to touch the computer, I leave fingerprints everywhere and I'm uneasy resting my hands on the rests beneath the keyboard, because it feels like I'm going to leave smudges.
Battery life is about 4 hours on normal settings (the settings that the computer comes with out of the box. You can choose to boost battery life by changing various settings though, such as screen brightness and the way the computer uses the battery life in order to facilitate faster processing.
Overall the pros for this laptop outweigh the cons, and I believe that its a great buy, especially if you get it on sale. I think Sony hit a home run with this laptop in both ascetics and hardware. Its honestly a powerhouse of a laptop for the price you are paying and I recommend it.
I don't understand why everyone rags on the graphics chipset in this laptop. It really isn't that bad.
Here I some games that I are very playable for me on medium and sometimes even high settings.
-Dragon Age: Origins(medium settings, native res, frame buffer enabled) 20 fps
-Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion(medium-high settings, hdr enabled, 1280x720) 20-30 fps
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2(high settings with no extras... there are one or two levels that have more demanding lighting effects that will force you to drop down to medium settings in order to maintain a stable framerate) 20 fps
-Crysis Demo (all Medium settings, no AA) 15-20 fps
-Sins of A Solar Empire (Max settings)30-40 fps
-The Sims 3 (Max settings)15-30 fps
I have heard that this laptop will also run assassin's creed on medium with playable frame rate. I have yet to test that claim.
This laptop will play most DX9 games fluently and plays DX10 games often on medium settings. Older popular games like WoW or Guild Wars would run very efficiently on this machine. I ran the crysis SP demo at very playable framerates using all medium settings. If you are a hardcore enthusiast gamer who wants to game in 1920x1080 resolution with x16Q AA all the time, then you probably won't find what you're looking for. However, if you're just an average joe who plays the game because it's fun and not just because it has a crapload of over-done HDR effects and hair splitting anti-aliasing, plus you just want a good, solid, decent machine for the price, then you should totally check out this laptop.
Here are the strengths of this laptop.
-Blue ray drive(and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg...nice)
-HDMI
-Firewire
-EXCELLENT cooling system...this thing stays safe even in the middle of game. Sitting on a pile of blankets.
-Good USB positioning
-Sleek look, very portable
-Card Reader
-Chicklet keyboard keeps cleaner than the other types and looks nice
-Webcam is a nice feature
-Solid build, doesn't flex or snap around much
-CPU is upgradeable
-DDR3 1066 Ram
-Wireless N
-Gigabit Ethernet
-Windows 7
-Bluetooth
-Display looks fantastic...excellent contrast and clarity, very vibrant colors.
Here are the weaknesses of this laptop.
-Battery life is not the worst I've ever seen, but still not especially good unless you put it in battery saver mode...which makes windows 7 look like crap. I think you can upgrade the battery, but I'm sure it costs an arm and a leg from sony.
-Finding driver updates for my graphics was a pain in the butt because sony's website was down for days and the correct driver package for this model is not available directly from nVidia's site.
-Considering that this laptop appears to be fully compatible, a P series core 2 CPU would have been nice. However, the t6600 is decent.
-(This is more a win7 issue, I think) I have trouble loading a desktop contrast/color profile. I always have to reset it...soemtimes it just flat out doesn't work.
-I don't really like how the bluetooth off/on is consolidated into the wireless off/on switch. I would have liked for that to be done separately. But it's a minor thing.
-The graphics do bottleneck when you try to run some games at high settings. But it's a low-profile laptop...what do you expect? It's very good for it's class.
In conclusion: Why do I give this laptop 5 stars? Because in my honest opinion, for the price/performance/quality, these weaknesses really aren't that bad...and they are even things that can be fixed. The CPU, from what I've investigated, CAN be upgraded to a faster one if you want the 1066 FSB and extra cache, the battery can be upgraded to an 8 cell if you want to shell out the cash. Drivers aren't really a huge issue for the graphics if sony would just make sure that their support site works. The graphics do what I want them to do, they run most games on medium settings and are more than sufficient for watching HD movies or Blue Ray.
This laptop was a Christmas present from my wife. It was a wonderful gift. I love this machine. I use it all the time. It is capable of all kinds of fun.
Here are all the things I do with it which work plenty effectively for my needs.
-Home Recording(music, guitars, tracks, etc. using cakewalk and a line 6 pod xt)
-Productivity(writing, document creation for work, powerpoint, etc.)
-PC Gaming
-Networking
-HD Video source(via hdmi)
-Skype Video Conferencing
-Presentation Display via a video projector(powerpoint, gaming, videos, etc)
Buy Sony VAIO CW Series VPC-CW17FX/W - Core 2 Duo- 14- Inch Widescreen TFT 1366 x 768 ( WXGA ) - camera Now
I wish I'd read more reviews before I purchased my Sony VAIO VPCCW2 series laptop. I bought it new in February 2010, and now I own a very expensive paperweight. I paid for diagnostic at an electronics store and was told the motherboard is out. I called Sony customer service, but they wouldn't even address my issues without an additional $49.95 service fee to run diagnostics and troubleshooting on a laptop that won't even boot up. I use to think paying a little more would get me better quality, but that's not the case at all. Buyer beware...
Read Best Reviews of Sony VAIO CW Series VPC-CW17FX/W - Core 2 Duo- 14- Inch Widescreen TFT 1366 x 768 ( WXGA ) - camera Here
Amazon is awesome! sony is not. My hard drive crashed two months after i bought the computer and i've been trying to get it fixed for the last four month... it's under sony warranty. still haven't got my computer back and i have to be the one who calls to see if it's fixed yet. will never buy another sony, i'll stick with an apple or a hp.
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I just want to address the people who keep bashing this computer and sony products. I have this same computer but in Red since october 2009. I absolutely love this computer and it has never given me problems. There is one trick i've realized with sony computers. You must use VAIO care which comes with the computer. It finds and fixes issues with the computer and prompts updates. You only have to use it when it automatically appears on ur screen. I've found that if I ignore it...the computer starts to act up. If i go ahead and start the VAIO care all the issues go away. I compare it to a whining child who will bother you until they get what they want. I hope this helps anyone who isn't pleased with their sony. VAIO care does wonders.
The dell computer I recieved was in very good condition although it has a minor scratch it is nothing to be upset about. With my initial order my restore CD was not included and the power cord had a small short..but I must say I would definately purchase from this company again, They quickly resolved any issues I had they even expressed me a new power cord and my restore cd to make it right..Again definately I would recommend purchasing from this company again.
