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Sony Vaio VGN-AW17GU/Q (Core 2 Duo T9400 Processor 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM)

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List price as of Nov 12, 2008:
S$6999

First Take

Before you get any ideas, the latest Sony flagship desktop replacement is not for everyone. Sure, its powerful graphics card allows for gaming, while the generous full-HD screen coupled with Blu-ray drive make for an excellent movie experience. However, there are much cheaper, feature-packed options like the Asus G70 for gaming and Toshiba Qosmio G50 for home entertainment. But for digital professionals doing photography, video or design, the Vaio AW's screen and software bundle makes it a must-have for this group of users.
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First Take

By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
Nov 12, 2008

Before you get any ideas, the latest Sony flagship desktop replacement is not for everyone. Sure, its powerful graphics card allows for gaming, while the generous full-HD screen coupled with Blu-ray drive make for an excellent movie experience. However, there are much cheaper, feature-packed options like the Asus G70 for gaming and Toshiba Qosmio G50 for home entertainment. But for digital professionals doing photography, video or design, the Vaio AW's screen and software bundle makes it a must-have for this group of users.

Upside: One of the best features of the Vaio AW is its display. Not only does it use an 18.4-inch LED-backlit screen with 16:9 aspect ratio, the technology behind it is the same 3LED panel found on high-end Bravia LCD TVs. So instead of a glossy coat that causes reflections, the Vaio AW's LCD has a matt finish yet remains very bright. It can also produce the full range of Adobe's RGB color space which is very important for designers and digital media editing.

In addition, professional photographers will likely appreciate that a high-speed CompactFlash slot and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Elements are provided out-of-the-box. Video editors are given Adobe Premiere Elements, 2.1-channel audio output and a Blu-ray writer to produce high-definition movies.

Powering the system is the latest 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo processor coupled with a 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics card, which gives the Sony enough performance power even for gaming titles. There are two harddisk bays which are currently populated with 320GB drives to give a total of 640GB storage.

We like the little touches given to the design of the system. The keyboard is based on the individual key system much like the ones on the MacBook (though to be accurate this design appeared on Sony machines long before it did on Apple). There is a discrete numeric pad as well as a fingerprint sensor for quick password entry. The leather strip covering the palm rest prevents sweaty hands when the machine heats up and provides a luxurious feel.

Downside: For an expensive machine which costs S$6,999 (US$5,027.66), this Vaio is found lacking in some areas. For one, there are only three USB ports available when its competitors offer four or more. The next-gen eSATA connectivity is also missing from this flagship model. In addition, a smaller ExpressCard/34 slot is provided instead of the full-size ExpressCard/54 standard.

Granted, this is not targeted at home entertainment, but at this price it wouldn't hurt to include a remote control as well as a built-in TV tuner. The unit also doesn't come with a TPM security chip to complement the fingerprint sensor, bringing it one notch down from a data security perspective.

Outlook: With this price range and specific feature set, Sony makes it clear that its flagship Vaio AW is meant for digital professionals who require a portable digital studio rather than a do-it-all desktop replacement.