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Overall Rating

Superficially attractive design, but beware of functional issues
I have been using one of these (brown finish) for about 6 weeks, and I must say that it is a mixed-bag, ultimately disappointing for the premium price level. The physical appearance is quite nice, consistent with other VAIO designs, and the screen resolution is excellent. The extended-life battery helps to tilt the keyboard when sitting on a desk, so the bulge doesn’t bother me; but the small chicklet keys and layout will bother many potential users, particularly since there are plenty of netbooks with side-to-side keyboards and larger, easier to stroke keys. The small “shift” key is particularly annoying - I frequently hit the adjacent “up” key, positioning text where I don’t want it to be. The memory-stick slot can be dedicated to ReadyBoost use while keeping the SD slot open; but there are only 2 USB connectors - many less expensive units have three. Upgrading the memory to 2 GB ($40 extra, advisable for a netbook running Windows 7) is a chore, requiring the keyboard to be removed for access to the slot. I broke a small plastic retainer when doing this, so the right side of the keyboard would not stay flat when re-positioned until I fixed the break with Gorilla Glue - and probably voided the warranty in the process. Another early problem: unless a separate “lock” tab for the battery is engaged, moving the unit or maximally tilting the screen back can move the contacts just enough to shut down the unit, requiring a cold re-boot (and losing any unsaved data). It does perform well once configured with 2 GB of memory and a 2 GB ReadyBoost drive.

If you are a Sony addict like me, this one is a better buy than the originally released W111AX models; but if I had looked at these units more critically, I would probably have purchased one of the less expensive, full-width keyboard models by Toshiba, HP, or other manufacturers.

Overall Rating

Quality Netbook
I am very satisfied with my W-series netbook. I was aware of the criticism posted by some other reviewers. The Netbook works well for me. The profile photo, Amazon clearly shows the battery as opposed to some other sites. It does not bother me at all. It tilts the netbook at a nice angle, and it keeps the netbook cooler. The fan is not loud. The display is great! The high-resolution images are excellent. If you are farsighted, you may want something else. I like the clarity of the images. The right shift key is small, but I have set. The keyboard feels nice and I can be pretty fast. I bought it for reading e-mails, surfing the Internet, and working on basic office documents. It makes all of these things well. There are cheaper products, but I like the Sony quality and reliability. I recommend this netbook.