Ultimate Notebook Reviews

Sony VAIO VGN-SZ430N/B

Here we have a Sony VAIO Notebook (model: VGN-SZ430N/B) that looks rather simplistic in charcoal black and magnesium, but has all the ingredients that are needed for a powerful notebook computer. Ergo the new saying, "don't judge a notebook by its cover". Within this 4.1 pound Sony VAIO is an Intel Core2 Duo Mobile CPU that is clocking in at a respectable 2.0GHz and 4MB of cache memory on L2.

An impressive 13.3" WXGA LCD widescreen display with XBRITE technology and 1280 x 800 resolution adorns this notebook. XBRITE screens are a cross between X-black and Clear Bright, leaving them with a high gloss sheen to them. Although this does make the display more reflective with a glassy look, the screen is indeed much brighter and clearer than the conventional LCD displays on the market today.

It is a good thing that the monitor is on the higher end of the spectrum, such that you can truly appreciate the hybrid graphics system. This Sony VAIO supports both the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 graphics with 335MB video memory, and the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 224MB video memory. Although there are no S-Video outputs, external displaying is still made possible via the VGA-out with Smart Display.

In case the 160GB SATA hard drive is not enough storage, there are many other different ways to transfer files to and from this notebook. They include two USB 2.0 ports, one IEEE 1394 FireWire port, a built-in Intel Pro/Wireless 3945BG network connection (802.11b/g), and of course Bluetooth technology.

The VAIO model VGN-SZ430N/B is packaged with Microsoft Windows Vista Business Edition operating system preinstalled, and a software package including Sony Click to DVD, Microsoft Works 8.5 and more. Also in the box are a memory card adapter (VGP-MCA20), and a Cingular SIM card with SmartWi technology, although a subscription to the wireless service is not included.

Overall, I would give the Sony VAIO model VGN-SZ430N/B an 8.5/10.