Sony Vaio VGN- BX297XP laptop review
It’s a beast of a computer but if it means not having to see an ugly screen and big hefty tower on your desk, it’s worth it. The Sony VAIO VGN-BX297XP is a larger than average laptop and seems to be specifically designed as a desktop replacement. With a fantastic screen and endless possibilities of expanding storage space the B2 will look the part on desk tops both in the home and office. Design |
| Silver and sleek are the two words that first come to mind with the Sony VAIO VGN-BX2. It’s by no means a light machine but with a 17 inch X-black LCD screen you wouldn’t really expect it to be. This isn’t a laptop to be dragged around the shops with you, it’s something that’s stylish and will look great on your desk. With an all over silver finish and black trimmings the Sony VGN-BX297XP laptop has very little on the outside other than a small Sony logo and a few attachment sockets as well as a slider to turn the Wi-Fi on. Open up the lid and a decent sized keyboard will be revealed together with a navigation pad and a nipple as well as two hot keys and finger print recognition device. At the top of the screen you’ll find the Sony Motion Eye camera. |
| Setup/Installation |
| There's nothing to do with the Sony BX297XP laptop when it comes to setting up. Switch on the computer and follow the simple instructions to set everything up. Even the finger recognition sensor which has been difficult to calibrate was a doddle on this model of Sony's Vaio laptops. |
| Features |
| This is a powerful computer that has been designed for more of a business client than a gamer. The 17 inch WUXGA X black LCD provides a fantastic image (particularly for those sneaky DVDs). Using Intel Centrino mobile technology the VAIO BX297XP comes with two hard drives both 100 GB, providing you with a massive 200GB of storage space. To make sure it’s fast a 1GB DDR2 SDRAM (1 x 1024 MB) has been added and another 1GB DDR2 SDRAM could be attached too if you chose to. The Sony VAIO laptop comes with ATI MOBILITY RADEON X700 with Hypermemory supporting 256 MB and a full QWERTY keyboard. As well as that there’s the built-in Motion Eye Digital Camera with Motion Picture Function, Bluetooth and Bluetooth headset, a Finger Print Recognition Sensor and double layer DVD±RW drive. There’s also two slots for SD cards at the front which make viewing photos from your digital camera much easier. There are also 3 USB cables and a DV output. |
| Performance |
| We really liked this Sony BX297XP laptop. The first thing you notice is the size and the enormous 17 inch screen. This screen was fantastic to view work and DVDs on, however it didn’t fair too well when we started testing games out on it. The keyboard was a good size and the buttons felt good under your fingers when you were typing. The fact that there are two navigation tools, the mouse pad and the nipple gave extra scope for navigation around the Sony laptop. We loved the finger print recognition which has been greatly improved and was easy to set up and responsive. We can say the same about the motion eye camera which worked really well and is ideal for conference calls. The hot keys at the top of the keyboard were a good idea and again easy to set up. However we did have some issues with the build quality which seems a bit flimsy at times like the power attachment or the section that allows you to change drives (although on a positive note this drive section allows you to attach Blu-ray or bigger drives). And battery life is only 2.5 hours. |
| Overall Opinion |
| This is definitely not a move-around-with-you kind of laptop. The Sony VAIO VGN BX297XP is categorically a desktop replacement and a very attractive one at that – and as such the minor faults like short battery life and heavy body don’t have as much of an impact. With plenty of hard drive space and a fast processor as well as a decent camera and finger security it’s a lovely laptop to sit on your desk at work or at home. Alternatively if you have some spare cash you might want to wait for a few months for the Sony VAIO BX396VP. |
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Pros + Great big 17 inch screen + Easy to use + Good Finger Print Recognition + Built-in Wi-fi and Bluetooth + Built-in webcam |
Cons - Doesn't feel sturdy - Heavy for a portable laptop - Battery life very low |
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Overall Rating 
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By Babita Wakelin
1/11/2006 at 3:54:54pm
1/11/2006 at 3:54:54pm
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