Sony Vaio CW series (VPCCW1S1E) user reviews

Garlic Lay 3 July 2011

Comment: Really luv it <3

Garlic Lay 3 July 2011

Comment: Really luv it <3

Mr. CNET 17 May 2010

Good: Fast and stylish

Bad: Little bit chunky

Comment: Mr. CNET loves this laptop. Thank you. Love Mr. CNET.

Tot 20 February 2010

Good: Price, Graphics Performance, Size and Weight

Bad: No Blu Ray for the price

Comment: I basically bought this laptop to replace my venerable but well-used 14.1" Asus A8JS, which is of a similar spec; middle of the road graphics card, Core 2 2.0ghz processor etc. I needed a 14" laptop with a decent graphics card since I need Gaming/Video Editing/Rendering ability combined with portability. Performancewise, it's very similar to the Asus; although with updated components and Windows 7.

One thing that I do have to say about the Vaio is how light it is compared to the Asus. It fits in my boblebee rucksack with enough space for other stuff. I don't notice the load when I'm hooning about the south coast on my Honda Fireblade which is exactly what I wanted.

Ergonomically, the isolated keys on the keyboard make typing a joy. It also means that i wont get my crumbs in between the keys. Trackpad is responsive and well placed. The plastic palmrests raise your palms slightly above the keys which allow you to type comfortably. Hinges move smoothly and the screen, whilst being a glossy screen, doesn't have too much glare. Native resolution is a bit low; my asus managed 1440 x 900 but everything is visible on the display.

Performancewise, I've thrown some old games at it such as command and conquer 3, Need for speed Carbon. The CW1 takes it in its stride even with graphics on High with 4x AA. It's remarkably quiet too with the fan barely creeping over a whisper. I don't have any use for the antec cooler anymore now that the heatsink and fan takes care of itself. Out of interest, I scored a Windows Experience Score of 5.7 (lowest rated components) - the graphics scored better at 6.3.

Only gripes are that it doesn't have blu-ray but seeing that I got it for 599 i'm not complaining. I wasn't bothered waiting for the Core i3 processor and the Geforce 330 card but this thing does exactly what I ask of it.

Overall, I'm impressed with the performance of the machine and to think I was going to sink 850 on a lower specced alienware M11x! Sony, you've done well in bringing performance to the masses at such a competitive pricepoint - I would have run to Asus/Toshiba/Acer but hats off to you.

If you can get a dirt cheap ex-display jobbie, you'll be very satisfied, particularly when you consider how expensive its contemporaries are.

gie62001 21 December 2009

Good: Graphic card nvidia gt230, processor, RAM, design, no heat whatsoever, keyboard, extremely sillent

Bad: nothing

Comment: i bought this laptop a month ago and so far i love it,
for the price i payed (570 pounds) you simply just can't find anything better.
i was looking for good graphic card as i work with Full HD videos from my camcorder.
i was browsing on the internet and somehow ended on Vaio laptops which normally i wouldn't as i own Dell Inspiron. but as i started reading on the specifications of this laptop i was amazed even though the price was around 699 and i went to check in comet so they were selling for 650 which was alot better but i still searched more until i found one for the price mentioned above (sorry can't tell you where :) ).
so since i bought this laptop it simply amazes me every day: can connect to my HD tv, very sillent, never actually hear a fan working; light, very cool; very nice keyboard; extremelly happy with graphic card as it easily plays and edits videos especially if you use soft that can support CUDA engine; beautyful design;
actually i just can''t find any flaws, sorry but i really can't for the price i payed and actually i think that this product way exceeds the price.
buy until you can as of next year the prices should go up due to VAT rise, so i calculated should be about 60-90 pounds difference than you can get now (i don't work for sony,it's all my personal experience).
however it doesn't come with Windows 7 DVD so you have to make a recovery one once you first boot Vaio should offer you to make a recovery DVD

penguin191 20 December 2009

Good: The graphics card, the portability, the low-heating and the design

Bad: The speakers, the bloatware

Comment: The Sony Vaio CW is simply excellent. Apart from the anemic speakers and the Sony bloatware, you actually get what you pay for!

It comes with a decent processor, with the right amount of RAM, and a perfect graphics card (Nvidia GT 230M) - without the machine being too pricey. :) The machine diffuses the internal heating very nicely and stays pretty cool even under heavy load. It comes with a very comfortable keyboard that makes typing easy. And on top of that, you'll have a multimedia machine with a 14inch screen so you'll actually be able to take it with you outside, instead of it acting as a desktop replacement at home.

Some would argue that the screen isn't up-to-date when it comes to laptop standards, but I'd say that it's perfect for the purpose. Viewing angles may be slightly off when looking at it from above, but sideways it's excellent.

I give this a perfect rating (10/10). Simply because it's impossible to find a machine that comes closer to perfect for this kind of price and size. You'll find a lot of 15inch machines or 17inch machines that are pricier but also have a weaker graphics card.