By Rory Reid, CNET.co.uk
13/03/2007
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050488,40176063p,00.htm

Most "designer" laptops tend to be minuscule--the Asus U1 and Sony's own TX Series being prime examples. Sony has bucked this trend by jazzing up its S$1,999 13-inch range, which comes in a variety of swanky colors.

Editors' note : This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET UK. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.

	The full range of the Vaio C series is shrouded in brilliant colors. (Click for larger image)

Design
We tested out the blue version of the laptop--which to give it its full title is called the Sony Vaio VGN-C2S/L.CEK--but you can also buy it in green or pink. The Asia-Pacific unit is available only in white or black with a different model number.

You're either going to love or loathe the vivid blue on the outside of this Vaio, but whatever you think, it's hard to get away from the sense that it makes the laptop feel more Fisher Price than Sony.

One thing that stood out during our initial hands-on is was how difficult it was to open. There's no screen latch to contend with, but the front and rear quarters look very similar--call us stupid but there were countless occasions where we tried to yank it open from the wrong end.

The blue inside the laptop is less intense than outside, and there are hundreds of tiny indentations around the keyboard, which helps to break up the sea of azure. Should your retinas object to the respite, the area around the mouse trackpad is finished in the same blue as found on the lid.

The keyboard is large considering the size of the laptop. It stretches nearly the full width of the chassis and has keys that are larger than those found on most laptops, regardless of size. We haven't always been fans of Sony's boxy-looking keys but we achieved a good typing speed on the C2 with a high accuracy rate.

The C2 is a good compromise of size and portability. Its chunky chassis allows for the installation of a 13.3-inch widescreen display, and at 2.3kg, it's not overly heavy. Our only gripe would be that it's a tad chunky-looking--considering Sony's efforts with the UX series, this laptop could have been thinner and lighter.

Below the mouse buttons is a set of icons etched into the plastic, and below those, corresponding LED lights that show power status, low battery alerts, plus hard drive, optical drive and memory stick activity. This is all standard fare but we like the mirrored panel above the keyboard, which shrouds six LED status lights denoting wireless activity, number lock, caps lock and scroll lock status.

Features
The C2 uses 1GB of DDR2 533MHz RAM and the slowest Core 2 Duo processor in the range--the 1.66GHz U5500 model. This isn't something you'd want to write home about, and neither is the onboard Intel GMA 950 graphics card, which is best described as "basic".

The 120GB hard drive is an average amount of storage space, but is in line with what we'd expect from a Sony laptop at this price point. It's backed up by an integrated dual-layer Toshiba DVD burner, which can write up to 8.5GB of data per dual-layer disc--4.5GB otherwise.

The C2's 13.3-inch widescreen display is its strongest asset. It runs at a native resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels and is of a very good standard. It's laced in Sony's X-Black screen coating so it benefits from better perceived contrast and color reproduction is accurate. Its glossy finish makes it a little too reflective when used in direct light, but on the whole we think it's excellent.

Don't expect blazing performance or lots of ports with this thin-and-light.

The C2 is a fully fledged Centrino laptop so it's capable of connecting to Wi-Fi networks. This should come in handy for surfing the Web in your local Starbucks while showing off the laptop's flamboyant blue finish to fellow coffee drinkers. It also has Bluetooth so you can synchronize data with your mobile phone. As is usual, there's a hardware wireless switch on the front edge of the laptop that will come in handy when an air steward tells you to switch off devices that could interfere with a plane's navigation systems.

There's a ghastly shortage of ports on the C2. The right side of the laptop is host to a paltry two USB ports and one four-pin FireWire port, which are joined by S-Video and D-Sub graphics outputs. The left side has modem, LAN, microphone and headphone jacks, plus an SD memory card reader. A separate MagicGate Memory Stick reader sits at the front edge of the laptop.

The software package is slightly more impressive than the hardware specification. The C2 ships with Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, which has a range of applications that lets you exercise your creativity. Windows Movie Maker, Windows Media Center and Windows DVD Maker are three of the highlights. You also get Microsoft Office.

Performance And Battery Life
The C2's U1500 CPU and 1GB of RAM aren't exactly awe-inspiring, and neither were its PCMark 2005 results. It clocked up a meager 2,855, which indicates it's really intended only for everyday tasks such as surfing the Web, organizing and viewing your media collection, and possibly light video editing. Its 3DMark 2006 score wasn't much cop either--it racked up 234, which means its not capable of running modern games.

Battery life wasn't bad, though--it lasted 3 hours 12 minutes in our tests, which is long enough to watch a couple of movies on a long car or plane journey. It's enough to keep the kids quiet if nothing else.

Service And Support
Sony Vaio notebooks have a one-year local warranty. At Sony's support Web site, Vaio owners can download the latest drivers. For simple problems, the company offers an online knowledge database for troubleshooting. Should the unit require further diagnosis or repair, the customer will have to send the unit to the service center. Consumers can also purchase the Vaio Overseas Service package which provides a 24-hour call center for repair requests and international warranty coverage at designated countries.