Sony was not kidding when it set off to give its consumers a “life without walls.” Bringing the 3D experience to more than just your television set, the Sony Vaio F Series is testament to this evolution, after which anything more real, and you’d have actual physical presence.
This particular model sports a 16-inch premium black block that is not for the faint-hearted (in this case, meaning, not for the average user). Just looking at its depth and breadth of 398.5 x 35-45 x 271.5 mm, you know you’re not looking to find anything “cute” about this machine.
You’ll also know this once you carry all 3.2 kilograms of it that’s it’s something you’d want resting snugly on your desk or any other designated work (or play) station. Its black glossy finish is also a bit of a smudge magnet so it would be best if you kept it pristine in one place. But from just basically looking at it, you’re almost assured of ease of use as it has a full-on spacious keyboard and ample room for your wrists to rest as well as a large dotted trackpad. Just above the keyboard are three circular buttons: Assist, 3D and Vaio. Assist takes you to VAIO Care, in case you have any problems with your computer. The 3D button allows you to switch to 3D display when watching HD content. Vaio takes you to its control center from system information right down to the 3D function where you can adjust the 3D settings.
Now I may not know exactly what makes a laptop as great as it is in a more technical sense but I do know what’s cool and this Vaio knows how to amaze its user. Turn it on and the keyboard lights up underneath, as if it were ushering you to experience something incredible (at least, that’s how I felt when I turned it on). Then it immediately sets everything up for you. Once it does, you’re ready to start doing what you normally do on a laptop. I immediately go online and saw that the screen was incredibly crisp and bright, thanks to the 240 fps high frame rate of the LCD and because it also has Intel’s second-generation processor inside, which simply means (for all of the technical jargon the explanation of the processor came with) that your computer assures you a better visual experience, sound quality, and energy efficiency. The sound is incredible with Intel High-Definition Audio and Dolby Home Theater technology, so you’d probably rather watch movies on this thing than on your own TV. The Vaio also goes on standby when not in use in order to conserve energy and can last about three hours on full charge with average use.
But the highlight of this PC is its 3D capabilities. This laptop is the first one to use Nvidia’s 3D Vision technology and comes with its own Sony glasses—the same glasses that go with Sony Bravia 3D HDTVs, which use a built-in IR emitter. The glasses look very high-end and durable, with a nice curve that fits the face snugly. I could even wear them comfortably on top of my own thick, librarian-looking frames. When you first turn on the Sony Vaio, it helps you start up the whole 3D experience so you can see if your glasses are working properly or if you’re seeing in 3D properly. After seeing a few sample videos in 3D, I realized how our own 2D experience was no comparison and how we could’ve lived so long without it. It was crisp and incredibly clear with such depth and realism. Although after a while, my eyes did begin to hurt somewhat.
Perhaps these poor eyes need a bit more getting used to, seeing things in 3D.
Aside from watching 3D videos and 3D movies, it has a Blu-ray drive, so you can also watch Blu-ray 3D movies with it on the full HD screen. Gaming is supported by the 3D Vision technology, so you can play games on the laptop’s display in stereo 3D mode, but you can also connect the laptop trough the HDMI 1.4 video output to a 3D-capable HDTV and use the bigger screen in 3D as well. You also get the ability to watch 2D videos and movies with a simulated 3D effect.
What’s hot:
Great 3D technology
Intel second-generation processor
What’s not:
Smudges easily
Bulky
3D may not be good with prolonged use
Buy meter:
8.8
Bottomline:
If money weren’t an issue and you want to be truly entertained, the Sony Vaio VPCF217HG is definitely one PC you should own.
TECH SPECS:
- Screen Size
- 16 inch wide (Full HD: 1920×1080) TFT color display (VAIO Display Premium, 3D Supported, LED backlight)
- Memory
- 8 GB (4 GB x 2) DDR3 SDRAM*2 (Max)
- CPU and chipset
- Intel Core i7-2820QM Processor 2.30 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.40 GHz*1, Intel HM65 Express Chipset
- Wireless used
- IEEE 802.11b/g/n*6, Bluetooth standard Ver. 3.0 + HS
- Physical Dimension
- 398.5 x 35-45 x 271.5 mm
- Warranty
- 1 year Warranty
- Price Php 149,999