Description:
Sony's new K series of VAIO portable computers is a fine middle ground for those who can't afford the absolute fastest or smallest super-notebooks but don't want to be saddled with a bulky, sluggish bargain-basement offering either. This model, the VAIO PCG-K15, is one of two midlevel units in the K series, thus striking a good balance between cost and performance. Sporting a large hard drive, an upscale processor and the advanced functionality of DVD burning and wireless communication, it is ready for most any situation and environment from school to home to office and any place in between. Tastefully clad a two-tone paint scheme and reasonably diminutive at 7.3 lbs. and 1.6 -- 2.7 by 13 by 10.9 inches, the VAIO PCG-K15 is a stylish and comfortably portable unit. The system is driven by a high-end 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 processor and a capable allotment of 512 MB DDR SDRAM memory. The video card, an ATI Radeon IGP 345M, is certainly not the pinnacle of 3D gaming or 3D animation performance, though it does support dual displays for those times when two monitors are necessary. Furthermore, the flip-open 15-inch XGA TFT display (1024 by 768 maximum resolution) features Sony's new Xbrite technology for superior brightness, contrast and viewing angles than many other notebook displays. For your data storage needs, the VAIO PCG-K15 offers a large 60 GB hard disk and a DVD+RW/-RW/CD-RW combo drive through which you can burn and play audio CDs, archive your data, watch your favorite DVD movies and record video footage to durable DVD media. The unit is equipped with a number of standard amenities, including an 86-key keyboard with electro-static touch pad, a Memory Stick PRO media slot for data transfers from external peripherals, one Type III or two Type I or Type II PC Card capability, and a pair of internal stereo speakers. Connectivity options include an IEEE 1394 FireWire port for fast interaction with external devices such as digital camcorders, three high-speed USB 2.0 ports for plug and play peripheral connections, a 56K modem for low-speed dial-up Internet and email, a high-speed RJ-45 LAN network connector, and integrated wireless LAN for cord-free network and e-communication access. The impressive software bundle includes the Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition operating system, Microsoft's Works 7.0 productivity suite, Intuit's Quicken New User Edition financial center, and a wide range of Sony's own multimedia utilities. Estimated battery life is somewhat less than stellar at 1.0 -- 2.5 hours per charge.
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