The Bottom Line
Pros
- Good Battery Life
- Decent Storage
- Fairly Portable for Desktop Replacement
Cons
- Dated Graphics Processor
Description
- Intel Pentium M 725 (1.6GHz, 2MB Cache)
- 512MB PC2700 DDR Memory (2GB Maximum)
- 80GB Hard Drive
- 4x DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
- 15.4" WXGA (1280x800) LCD and ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 with 64MB Memory
- AC'97 Audio
- v.90 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11b/g Wireless
- Three USB 2.0, One FireWire, One Type II PC Card Slot and MS Slot
- 14.8" x 10.9" x 1.8" @ 7.3 lbs.
- Windows XP Home, MS Works, WinDVD, Quicken, Norton Internet Security, Sony Suite
Guide Review - Sony VAIO VGN-A250
1/20/05 - Sony was one of the companies that was touting the convergence of multimedia and computers when it first entered into the PC market. Since then, a lot has happened, but Sony seems to be a bit behind with its latest desktop replacement, the VAIO VGN-A250
Powering the A250 is the Intel Pentium M 725 (1.6GHz) processor that should provide decent processing power while reducing battery consumption. This is matched up with 512MB of PC2700 DDR memory.
Storage on the A250 is what most users should expect. It comes with an 80GB hard drive for file storage and also includes a 4x DVD+/-R burner for creating data and music DVDs or CDs. In addition to this, the A250 also comes with a Memory Stick slot, standard for most Sony consumer products.
The graphics are an area where the A250 has room for growth. The 15.4" wide screen LCD is now somewhat smaller than is standard in the desktop replacement market full of its 17" screens. This may actually appeal to some users though as it decreases the size and makes it more portable. The graphics processor however is an older ATI Mobility 9200 with 64MB. This supports 3D graphics but lacks DirectX 9 shader support for current 3D games.
Overall, the Sony VAIO VGN-A250 is not a terribly bad system. It is fairly expensive which is almost expected for things that carry the Sony name. It may appeal to a number of consumers in the market, but there are other options which more features for roughly the same price.
