REVIEW: Sony VAIO NR

We reviewed Sony’s silver version of the NR (VGN-NR160E), priced at $829. Following are the specs for the notebook as reviewed:

• Screen: 15.4-inch screen WXGA (1280 x 800) with XBRITE-ECO (glossy finish)
• Processor: 1.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5250
• Hard Drive: 160 GB hard drive (SATA, 5400RPM)
• Memory: 1GB RAM (PC5300, 667 MHz, DDR2 SDRAM, 2 x 512 MB) -- 4GB max memory
• Optical Drive: DVD+-R Double layer / DVD+-RW Drive
• Ports and Slots: Four USB 2.0, one FireWire 400 port, one ExpressCard 34, one VGA, one MemoryStick Pro reader, one SD card reader, headphone / line-out, microphone-in, modem, 10/100 Ethernet
• Wireless: Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g)
• Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (965 Express chipset with up to 251MB of shared RAM)
• Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
• Dimensions: 14.2 x 10.6 x 1.5 inches (WxDxH)
• Weight: 6.2 pounds

Pros

• Very nice looks with a variety of colors you can choose
• Acceptable Intel processors and up to 4GB of RAM provide plenty of system performance
• Screen has excellent horizontal viewing angles
• Solid build quality and sturdiness (with the exception of the battery)
• Stays cool and makes little noise
• Good keyboard with some exceptions (see below)

Cons

• Unacceptable amount of battery wiggle (design flaw)
• Too much bloatware installed
• Screen has bad vertical viewing angles
• Flat keyboard keys and lack of some dedicated keys
• AV Mode doesn't work