Sony VAIO VGN-FW139E/H 16.4" Laptop 2.26 GHz
| Sony VAIO VGN-FW139E/H 16.4" Laptop (2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) Gray |
Manufacturer: Sony
UPC:
027242748972 Retail Price: $1,149.99 Avg. Rating:
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The Sony VAIO VGN-FW139E/H 16.4" Laptop (2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) Gray is no longer in stock at any of the 20,000 stores listed on GoSale.
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 "Speedy machine... some problems though" | 2008-09-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3MDBX0A3YO0LS |
| For the money, the Sony FW-139 has a fast processor and a great videocard. I also love the 16+ inch screen which might be a little smaller than a 17" screen... but the notebook is considerably lighter than 17" models. It allows me to maximize screen real estate without having to lug around a beast.br /br /I have two gripes about this laptop though. The first is the placement of USB ports. The Sony comes with three and all of them are on the right hand side towards the very front. If you are right handed and use an external mouse, this becomes a very clumsy situation as your mouse cannot be that close to your laptop since all the usb devices plugged into the right side get in the way. I liked the design of my old HP laptop which had at least one USB port on the left handside so there was the option of plugging a usb hub into that area so that I wouldn't have hubs and flash drives all protruding from the right hand side. The HP also have the DVD drive towards the front and the USB hubs towards the back even on the right hand side, which makes way more design sense since you will only be forced to move the mouse aside briefly to get the DVD in or out... not perptually having peripherals sticking out the USB ports.br /br /The other problem I have with this model is the VGA port. Every monitor I have tried plugging into there (I have tried a DELL, Sony, and Cintiq) comes up with a slightly blurry image. These same monitors plugged into my old desktop or HP laptop have perfectly clear images. I thought this might just be a problem with my computer, so I went to two Best Buy stores and had them plug monitors into two different FW139 models... same problem. I posted this on the notebookreview forum and a couple other people tested this but did not have the same problem. Maybe I am just unlucky in seeing this problem in the only three different Sony laptops I have tried this on. |
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 "Sony Vaio VGN-FW139E/H" | 2008-09-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3K4GJTDW2FQM8 |
I specified the model on the title as the reviews for all Sony FW laptops are shared amongst all models in Amazon.
I consider this model to be a great purchase. Contrary to many modern laptops, it actually looks great, with very modern styling that is suitable for both home and business users. The screen has a different aspect ratio (16:9) than most computers, which is more suitable for watching DVDs or comparing side by side documents than the traditional 4:3. The 2.26 P8400 is the same processor found on most FW computers, even those costing hundreds of $ more, 3GBs of RAM, which is the maximum usable RAM in Vista SP1 32bit, 250GBs of RAM which is enough for most users,etc.
The graphic card on this machine is the ATI HD3470, with 256mb of dedicated memory. This card will handle your graphics a lot better than the integrated Intel cards found on some higher priced FW models here in Amazon and is one of the best features of this particular model. It is not a high end graphic card, but it can handle the necessities of most users, including those who use their laptops for casual gaming.
I found an inconsistency on Amazon's product description for this model. In the "network" section, it specifies that this model comes with Intel 4965 wifi chipset, which is not the case. It comes with Atheros wifi (N capable). This is not really a bad thing, you won't notice a performance difference, but the fact that it has the Atheros wifi chipset instead of the Intel one is the main reason why it can't be labeled as a "Centrino 2" laptop, even though it has all other required Intel technologies. The sticker on the laptop will say "Core 2 Duo" instead of "Centrino 2". Again, this is only a label.
Performance-wise, it's plenty fast. It comes with some trial software that some users will prefer to uninstall (like me), but this is the case for almost all notebook manufacturers and it shouldn't take too long to do so.
Overall, highly recommended.
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| "great computer. would buy again." | 2008-08-28 |
| - Reviewed By ekrainer |
I bought this directly from Sony, with slightly different configurations (no Blue-ray), since I really don't need that, and I saved several hundred dollars by doing so.
I was hesitant when I first thought about buying this laptop. My biggest problem was the screen-size. 16.4 inches widescreen just seemed odd, and I looked at an Acer with those dimensions at the store and wasn't sure I could adjust to the "funny" 16:9 dimension.
I did though. very quickly. In fact, that is one of my favorite things about this computer! I can have a bigger window open and a smaller one next to it, easily go back and forth between windows, etc.
I got the eco-brite screen, and it looks amazing. There is MUCH less glare with this Sony than with any other laptop with a glossy screen that I looked at (and I looked at dozens). I can see the screen clearly from the sides (which is great for watching movies with more than one person sitting directly in front of the screen). I actually can't find a side-angle that there IS a glare at. I turned it so far that I couldn't see what was on the screen, but not because of the glare, but because of the distorted angle.
I also like that USB ports on the right front. Having something plugged into them does not interfere with your hand/arm, since the computer is wide enough to accomodate your arm resting on it, and not nest to it while typing.
The power button is recessed in the right side "hinge", which means it's fairly impossible to accidentaly press the power button. Headphone/mic jacks are in the front, and those do interfere a little bit with your right hand while typing, but I prefer them in the front, as I only use those for Skype-ing, and don't leave anything plugged in, in which case the front-location makes it much easier to plug in/unplug.
I've had this computer on my lap for 4-5 hours straight and it has not gotten very warm at all! My old computer (a 4 year old Acer), but not this one.
My computer accidentally shipped with an extended battery pack (I ordered and paid for a regular one), and it sticks out about an inch at the back. This actually turned out to be a good thing. It gives the bottom part a little lift, which makes typing on a desk more comfortable. Also, the computer is a little elevated from the desk, which, I think, keeps it cooler. Oh, and there's the 4 hours or so batter life, which is nice.
This computer is not ultra-portable. It does weight quite a bit, and if you're looking for something to throw in your bag on the way out, get a smaller computer!! I hardly ever bring my computer anywhere, so it works great for me.
Another possible problem is finding a neoprene sleeve for this computer. The format is odd, so I've been hesitant to order a sleeve online. I will take it to the store someday and just try putting it into some sleeves.
Biggest pitfall on this computer is all the junk software. There is about 30 Sony-specific programs on it, and I actually had to have a friend of mine help me in deleting them. Some I'm a little hesitant to take off, because I can't tell if they are necessary for some functions.
One odd thing did happen to this computer. I installed OneNote by accident (in a software packet), and could NOT get it off again. I tried. My computer friend tried. No chance. Somehow OneNote's presence eliminated the "create new folder" function, which was a pain. So after having had the computer for one week, I had to do a factory reset. Took a couple of hours, but fixed the problem, and it's been fine ever since.
BestBuy sells this computer (with slightly different configurations), so if you want to look at it in person before you buy it, check out BestBuy. |
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 "Watch out for touch pad" | 2008-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1CV9M2OUB4BPS |
| This is a smooth and fast computer, but watch out for the touch pad on these Vaios, they are relaibly faulty, recommend a mouse... Otherwise, a good strong machine for the price. |
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| "sony quality" | 2008-08-25 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2YI4NYWRHVP3D |
| My dad, mom and sister own vaio's (that I use everyday) and i'm next, I love the compatibility sony has through it's electronics with there sony pro duo memory cards, there customer service is great, my dad has had many questions that were answerd fast and he has been happy with them. What I have found is people sometimes blame computer makers for problems with windows ect.. I know alot about computers and windows, sony makes quality computers with fantastic looking designs. tech support is also a must have with a computer purchase and sony makes it easy. |
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| "Tremendous" | 2008-08-20 |
| - Reviewed By User: AM85VLOE5QB4 |
| This unit is terrific. Beautifully designed, great speed and features. A really nice value. Quite beautiful too. The only complaint I have is I wish I had a standard sized firewire. |
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| "Fast, gorgeous and loaded with crapware" | 2008-08-04 |
| - Reviewed By cmacnaughton |
This is a very speedy computer and a more than capable desktop replacement system. The Radeon HD3400 video comes with a dedicated 256mb of memory and handles multiple concurrent Adobe apps with aplomb. It comes with wireless-N which is a treat in this price range. It also comes with an HDMI-out port for excellent display (and DVD playback) on an HD monitor/TV. The VGA-out renders only average display on a digital LCD monitor; I did not have an analog CRT to judge display on that.
The built in display is a 16:9 aspect ratio. It's a gloss screen and the clarity is stunning...excellent for image editing, etc. Contrast is very good. Lateral (side-to-side) readability is fantastic, but vertical readability is poor; you'll have to adjust the screen tilt just right to get top-quality viewing.
Surprisingly, even though this is a Sony product, this machine includes an SD card slot in addition to their ubiquitous memory stick slot. Also included are the aforementioned HDMI and VGA outputs; 3 USB ports; mini 1394 (firewire) port; modem, and ethernet. There is a built-in webcam and microphone and headphone jacks. There is a thin strip of AV controls above the keyboard, which control Windows Media Center playback and the Dolby sound.
The system is solidly built, like most Sony products, but without the questionable UI/design choices used on so many of their camera and car stereos.
The only thing I can really fault this system for is the plethora of crapware that comes preinstalled. I spent over an hour uninstalling junk software and trialware before I even used this system. An additional power supply is around $80, which is rather pricey. The computer (w/o power supply) is around 6 lbs., so it's not lightweight, which isn't too surprising considering it packs a 16.4" screen.
This computer does not come with any documentation besides the setup "poster." No documentation is available for this PC on the Sony website (as of 8/4/08) other than a marketing spec sheet. |
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