Sony VAIO VGN-NS290J/S 15.4-Inch Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) Silver

This notebook PC is powered by the 2.0 GHz dual-core Intel Pentium T3200, which provides easy multitasking capabilities. Other features include a 250 GB hard drive, 4 GB of RAM (maximum capacity), Intel Media Accelerator 4500MHD, ExpressCard 34 slot, Gigabit Ethernet, both Memory Stick and SD card readers, and pre-installed Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1).

This Sony notebook is Energy Star 4.0 certified, and has received a Silver EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact. Additionally, it is RoHS-compliant, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances.

Spec Check Color: Silver 15.4-inch LCD screen 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor 250 GB hard drive 4 GB RAM (maximum capacity) Combo Blu-ray Disc Read-Only and DVD±R drive Tri-mode Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) Intel Media Accelerator 4500MHD Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit) Weighs 6.4 pounds

The Basics

• Processor: The Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor has a 2.0 GHz processor speed, fast 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and 2 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.)

  With two computational execution cores in a single processor, it provides 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 generous 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 4 GB of installed RAM (PC2-5300, 2 x 2 GB) maximizes the capacity of this notebook, and it also offers a quick 667 MHz speed.

• DVD/CD Drive: This Sony notebook is capable of playing back Blu-ray Disc movies in stunning clarity, as well as playing your current library of purchased and burned disc content. This notebook can also write standard DVD and CD media. The BD drive offers a 2x speed for reading BD-R/RE discs and a 2x BD-R/RE DL (dual layer) read speed. It also offers the following write speeds for standard DVD and CD discs: 6x DVD±R DL, 8x for single-layer DVD±R, 6x DVD±RW, 24x CD-R/RW, and 5x for DVD-RAM.

• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 86-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 +/-, WLAN/Bluetooth on/off.

The Sony VAIO NS in silver.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
Enjoy easy wireless networking with the integrated tri-mode Atheros Draft-N wireless LAN (compatible with 802.11b/g/n wireless networks). 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). This desktop also provides ultra-fast Gigabit Ethernet networking (10/100/1000).

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:

• 4 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
• Audio: 1 headphone, 1 microphone/line-in
• Analog video output: 1 VGA
• 1 ExpressCard/34 slot
• Memory Stick/Memory Stick PRO slot (Standard/Duo with MagicGate functionality)
• Secure Digital memory card slot (compatible with MMC cards)
• RJ-45 port for 10/100/1000 Ethernet
• 56K modem port (V.90/V.92)

Operating System
The 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium (with SP1) 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
Microsoft Windows Live OneCare anti-virus and recovery (trial version), Microsoft Works SE 9.0, Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student (60-day trial), Sony Click to Disk Editor (CD and DVD burning), VAIO Movie Story (video editing), VAIO MusicBox

Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 14.2 x 10.63 x 1.5 inches (WxDxH) and weighs 6.4 pounds.

Power
It's powered by the VGP-BPS13/B rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 1.5 and 4 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGN-NS290J/S 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.