Sony VAIO VGN-SZ660N/C 13.3-inch Laptop (Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7500, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Vista Business)
2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile Processor T7500 / 2GB 667MHz DDR2 / 160GB HD / 13.3" WXGA Display / Bluetooth / MS Vista Business / DL DVD MultiProduct Details
Features
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Product Description
The sleekly designed, lightweight Sony VAIO VGN-SZ660N/C notebook PC delivers intelligent mobile design while placing a priority on usability and performance. Coolly contemporary, it features a cutting edge black carbon fiber case for a fashionable look, which also helps to bring the weight down to 4 pounds. (Carbon fiber, the same material used on jets and sports cars to keep them lightweight yet sturdy, is much stronger than the magnesium used on standard notebooks.) Sony's VAIO SZ notebooks also take security seriously, employing a biometric fingerprint sensor and proprietary hard disk drive protection software to ensure your data is protected from unauthorized use as well as accidental damage. With the integrated wireless WAN, you can access the national Sprint Mobile Broadband service (subscription required) to extend your wireless coverage beyond LAN access networks and hotspots, giving you the freedom to go farther, do more, and stay connected.
This VAIO SZ notebook features the innovative Windows ReadyDrive hybrid hard drive, which adds 256 MB of flash memory to a standard 160 GB SATA hard disk drive to shorten boot-up times, increase battery life, and enhance overall performance speeds. It also offers Sony's Hybrid Graphics System lets toggle between internal and external graphics chips, enabling you to choose lighter battery consumption or better performance depending on the situation. This notebook is powered by the 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 processor from the newest ""Santa Rosa"" chips, which offer a top-of-the-line 800 MHz front-side bus speed and 4 MB L2 cache. It also features 2 GB of installed RAM (4 GB maximum), built-in quad-mode Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11a/b/g/n), multi-format/dual-layer LightScribe DVD+/-RW drive (which also burns CDs), ExpressCard slot, Bluetooth connectivity, Gigabit Ethernet, and a Webcam integrated into the LCD's bezel, enabling easy video conferencing via VoIP and video IM chats.
This laptop also comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Business, which has a new user interface, named Windows Aero, that makes it easy to navigate through the operating system and from application to application. For instance, Windows Aero helps you juggle multiple tasks at once by providing a three-dimensional, real-time, animated view of all your open applications and documents. 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
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:
The G-Sensor Shock Protection feature makes your data even less vulnerable to loss or damage. When the built-in 3-D acceleration sensor detects a risky movement like being dropped, the HDD-head will lock up to secure its position and protect the disc from scratching. An intelligent algorithm, unique to VAIO PCs, judges whether or not a movement is risky, activating disk drive protection only when your hardware is at risk.
Screen, Video & Audio
This notebook has a 13.3-inch LCD screen with anti-reflective coating has a widescreen 1280 x 800-pixel resolution. This XBRITE LCD provides higher brightness levels than standard displays, resulting in deeper blacks, brighter whites, true-to-life color, and razor-sharp detail. This notebook uses Sony's exclusive Hybrid Graphics System, which lets you set your graphics performance with a simple flick of a switch, enabling you to toggle between an internal graphics chip for optimal power consumption with excellent performance or an external graphics chip for even more robust performance. You can choose either the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (with up to 358 MB of dynamically shared video RAM) or the installed Nvidia GeForce Go 8400M GS graphics card (with up to 831 MB of shared video RAM).
The Intel GMA X3100 provides Windows Vista Aero interface support and enhanced 3-D graphics performance--delivering over 2x scores on 3-DMark 06. The 8400M GS offers support for Microsoft DirectX 10 Shader Model 4.0 and High Dynamic-Range Lighting (HDR), enabling you rip through all of today's most advanced and cutting-edge games and applications. The audio card includes Sony Sound Reality technology with DSD (Direct Stream Digital) support.
Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
Be ready for the next platform in wireless connectivity with the integrated Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965 AGN LAN 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). Sprint's Mobile Broadband high-speed EV-DO service (software included, subscription requires) enables you to extend your wireless coverage beyond LAN access networks and wireless hotspots, helping you to keep connected without having to hunt for a Wi-Fi coffee shop.
With the Bluetooth connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones. This notebook also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 34 card slot (replacing the 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 connection options:
It also has an integrated 56K modem and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).
Operating System
The Windows Vista Business operating system is designed to meet the needs of business organizations of all sizes. For small businesses, Windows Vista Business will help keep PCs running smoothly and more securely so you will be less reliant on dedicated IT support. For larger organizations, Windows Vista Business provides dramatic new infrastructure improvements, enabling your IT staff to spend less time focused on the day-to-day maintenance of PCs. An array of sophisticated new backup technologies helps protect your information even in the event of a catastrophic hardware failure. And Windows Vista Business has a new user interface, named Windows Aero, which is designed to deliver new levels of efficiency for any business user. This new interface makes it easy to navigate through the operating system and from application to application. For instance, Windows Aero helps you juggle multiple tasks at once by providing a three-dimensional, real-time, animated view of all your open applications and documents.
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 DVD (for easy DVD creation), Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office 2007 Student and Teacher Edition (60-day trial), Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 (with 60 days of Live Update).
Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 12.5 by 1.5 by 9.3 inches (WxHxD) and weighs approximately 4 pounds with the standard battery (included).
Power
It's powered by the VGP-BPS10 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 3 and 6 hours (depending on usage).
What's in the Box
This package contains the VGN-SZ650N/C notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, memory card adapter (VGP-MCA20), and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty, and Sony offers 1-year of toll-free telephone technical assistance.
Customer Reviews
Great laptop but too much bloated software
What I like
- Light weight, sleek design and very thin screen
- Discrete graphics card that can handle multi functions: games, graphics editing, movie ...
- Bluetooth, finger reader, high-resolution camera
What I really hate
- Windows Vista - One among worst product from Microsoft, I wish i could replace Windows Vista by XP (doing that, we will get trouble with drives)
- Too much bloated software, i took me 1hr to remove all of them
Service is a disaster--I will never buy Sony again
You should be able to find good reviews of the computer elsewhere, so I won't go into that.
But I will share with you my nightmarish experience with their service.
About 6 months after buying it, I dropped the computer from a low height. Totally my fault, though because it's a delicate machine it was damaged. I've dropped Dells and Acers in my life and not had problems.
So I paid $800 to have them fix it at their repair center. They did fix it, but they sent it back to me with a host of new problems. The battery didn't work, the screen would flash unpredictably, etc. It was unusable.
I called their support line (and suffered through the typical long wait) and they told me to send it back to their repair center. I protested--I just did that, and I had to wait a week for it to come back, and when they did send it back it was broken. Why would I do that? But they told me I had no choice. So I send it back. They wouldn't charge me for it.
Guess what? When they sent it back to me it was still broken! I called them back to report the issue. They want me to send it back to their support center. Why, so I can wait a week to have them send it back to me broken again?
Every time I deal with their support people it takes 30 minutes and is very painful.
I will never buy Sony again.
Comments from a three year SZ user
I have been a vaio sz user for more than three years (~3.5), have bought one for my wife and brother as well. I have used different versions, 160, 330 and 650 last. It is surprising to see so many negative feedback as I did not experience anything that bad past three years with so many different computers.
I mainly use the computer for research and simulations. As regards to performance, it is fast indeed. Even if you are running many programs together including matlab, mathematica, photoshop, office programs etc. high speed mode can handle them pretty easily. I don't see the reason why people are getting troubles with speed.
Yes it is coming with lots of software junk however I don't understand what those people uninstalling for three days. Come on, if you are a little patient you can get rid of them in an hour after you first turn on the computer. It might be handy to have some these software too though if you don't have your office or adobe cds ready, you can use the trial versions in the meantime for a while...
The overall design is really sleek, and keyboard really feels soft and nice, your fingers are sliding on the keys. The downside is after a year of frequent use there is a slight wear that you can guess from the outer look which keys are used most frequently (may be this is a problem in all computers out there). It is still fully functional however a better material should be used.
Some people say it doesn't come with a restore cd, well it has a very nice restore program, you can just say go and it restores the computer to after factory state, and if you like you can burn your own DVD's too. It would good to have an xp downgrade cd though for those who want to use xp.
As it comes to the service I don't have experience with other brands to make a comparison however I can comment on my personal experience. In the past I have sent my previous computer for the fan had started making too much noise. The next day I called sony service, a prepaid overnight ups box arrived to send the computer to them and the computer came back within a week with the fans cleaned up and problems fixed.
As to compare between different models although initial models had some problems, it is improving in time, going quieter and faster.
The only problem I have is that I have to pay attention extra care to protect the lcd as the casing is pretty thin and doesn't feel strong enough. I wish they made it a little more sturdy.
In the overall it is definitely a fast, sleek and very portable computer. I would definitely recommend this computer if you want a portable one yet you do not want to sacrifice performance.
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