New Sony Vaio PCG GRS150 notebook

New Sony  Vaio PCG GRS 150 notebook
A smart blend of performance and affordability, Sony's new Vaio PCG GRS 150 notebook is perfect for demanding consumers who must work within a budget.
Featuring a 1.7 GHz Intel Celeron CPU, a fast 400 MHz bus, 256 MB of DDR SDRAM (expandable to 512 MB), and a 16 MB ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 video accelerator, the GRS150 will efficiently handle most typical mobile computing tasks but is not well suited to processing-intensive applications such as 3-D rendering or gaming. The unit is equipped with a sizable 30 GB hard disk and a removable internal DVD/CD-RW drive through which you can back up your data, burn and play your favorite music, and watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters.

At 12.9 by 10.7 by 1.8 inches and just 6.8 pounds (7.5 pounds with battery and optical drive installed), the GRS150 is comfortably portable. The system includes a 15-inch XGA display, an 86-key keyboard with touchpad and Jog Dial, stereo speakers, a V.90 modem for low-speed Internet and e-mail access, and a 10Base-T/100Base-TX Ethernet interface for high-speed surfing and LAN integration. Battery life is sufficient at 2 to 5 hours with one lithium-ion cell and 4 to 10 hours with two.

The GRS150 boasts an impressive list of connections and amenities, including a Memory Stick media slot, an i.Link IEEE 1394 interface for fast uploads from devices such as digital camcorders, dual USB ports for plug-and-play peripherals, an integrated wireless LAN interface, a TV-out, a parallel port, and a headphone jack. Pre-installed software includes Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and an enormous array of business and multimedia utilities.

Inexpensive yet capable, the Soni Valo PCG GRS150 is a solid bet for the typical notebook user.