December 21st, 2007SONY VAIO VGN-N11M/W REVIEW
Features
For the cost of the Sony Vaio VGN-N11M/W you can not wait for top of the range features, but you will absolutely not be let down either. This affordable notebook is mechanical by the latest Intel Core Duo processor T2050 at 1.60 GHz which is more than enough to cope with running challenging applications at the same time. You will be able to watch a DVD at the same time that you burn a CD or run an antivirus program with no problems whatsoever. There are more than a few more luxurious notebooks on the market that have a slower processor, so we thank Sony for their choice on the VGN-N11M/W. The 512 Mb RAM that comes with it is good enough, but we would have liked to see at smallest amount 1GB. You can always add more RAM, but it won’t come cheap. The VGN-N11M/W runs on Microsoft Windows XP Media middle Edition and like the prevalence of new notebooks it is Windows Vista capable. The system provides the standard set of relations, including two USB 2.0 ports, headphone and mic jacks, a media card reader, an Express Card slot (but no PC Card slot), and a VGA output for hooking up an external monitor. Networking relations include modem and 10/100 Ethernet jacks, and integrated 802.11a/b/g wireless, allowing you to join to some wireless network wherever you are. The hard drive is not the biggest we have seen, but 80GB be supposed to give you abundance of memory to store Pictures and MP3’s. It also comes with a DL DVD±RW so you can burn CDs and DVDs. Unfortunately, the VGN-N11M/W doesn’t have devoted graphics card so we will have to live with the included Intel GMA 950 to grip the graphics.
Design
When we listen to that Sony had released a notebook for under £700, we were expecting a big unattractive brick with no style whatsoever, but we were enjoyably astonished when we took the Vaio VGN-N11M/W out of its box and realized that it looked as fashionable and sexy as any other Sony Vaio laptop in the market. The first thing that strikes you is the very cool metallic grey and white color scheme so as to Sony has decided to use on this mid-range notebook. The cover plus keypad come in white, while the rest of the laptop is tinny grey. The Sony Vaio VGN-N11M/W is not as big as desktop replacement laptops and not as small as the ultra-light notebooks like the Sony Vaio VGN-TX3. It measures 36.4 x 26.5 x 2.9 cm and it weighs a mere 3.1 Kg, which is less than other notebooks on the alike price range. It is big enough to work on comfortably for long stretches but small sufficient for infrequent travel. The 15.4-inch LCD display offers a 1,280×800 resident resolution, which is what we’d expect from a screen this size. Sony uses its X-black technology in the screen, which the company claims gives you deeper blacks and better-off colors.
Performance
Evaluate to other likewise configured systems, the Sony VAIO N11M/W performed well on our test and it coped with everything we threw at it. The N11M/W is fast enough for Web surfing, movie-watching, and tackling basic output tasks. You won’t be able to do much 3D gaming with this system, but it is sufficient for older or casual games. The screen was very bright and it’s a joy to watch DVDs on. We watched Aliens DVD while we were ablaze a music CD and we have to say that the VAIO N11M/W handled both tasks without any problems. Wireless works extremely well and the signal has no drops. It will take you less than a minute to connect to a wireless network or hot spot. Sony claims that the N11M/W has a battery life of 3.75 hours, but we only managed to get 3.25 hours under normal use. You can always get an extra battery, but they don’t come cheap and there is no comprehensive life battery for this fashionable Sony notebook.
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The Sony Vaio VGN-N11M/W Laptop is a solid notebook for those who want a solid performer for every day tasks without having to use up loads of money. And with the VGN-N11M/W laptop you not only get performance, you also get way. We like it!
