It would be hard to get more for your money than you get with the VAIO FRV Series Notebook. No matter what your budget, you don't have to give up exceptional performance or stylish design! The FRV28 delivers top-notch performance and stylish good looks at a price you won't believe. Let this ultra-compact and lightweight unit - weighing just 7.72 lbs. - inspire you. With the VAIO FRV28, featuring an integrated DVD-RW/CD-RW drive and an exciting library of included software titles (many exclusive to Sony), you can power through your workload and still have plenty of time and creativity left to burn your own CDs and DVDs, create digital photo albums, edit your home movies, and so much more!
Far from the smallest mobile computer in Sony's notebook lineup, the VAIO PCG-FRV28 Laptop is nevertheless extremely powerful and nicely equipped. If size and ease of portability are not overriding factors, the capable VAIO PCG-FRV28 is a wise and cost-effective choice.
By today's ever-decreasing standards, the VAIO PCV-FRV28 is slightly larger than average at 13 by 10.8 by 2.26 inches and 7.7 pounds. It is, however, more powerful than many desktops. Featuring a brawny 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor with 512 KB Level 2 cache, a 533 MHz system bus, 512 MB DDR SDRAM memory (upgradeable to 1024 MB) and a 64 MB ATI Radeon IGP 345M graphics chipset, the unit will quickly carve through most any task it is given, including many 3-D games and applications.
Sony has fitted the system with an adequate 40 GB hard disk and an internal CD-RW/DVD drive through which you can burn and listen to audio CDs, backup important files and watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters. You can even record DVDs, although the DVD burning mechanism runs at single-speed and is therefore not especially quick. You'll monitor your activities on a large 15-inch XGA TFT display capable of 1024 by 768 resolution.
Other amenities include an internal V.90 modem for low-speed e-communications, an Ethernet interface for high-speed connectivity, headphone and microphone ports, an 86-key QWERTY keyboard with electro-static touchpad, and a pair of stereo speakers with surround-sound imaging. Home movie and digital picture buffs in particular will appreciate the unit's trio of high-speed USB 2.0 ports and single IEEE 1394 interface, through which they can quickly transfer large amounts of data from external devices such as camcorders, digital cameras, scanners and external drives.
Sony has pre-installed an impressive variety of software, including Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Money 2003, Microsoft Works 7.0, and a broad array of audio, video and photo utilities.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 2.5 / 5.0
most horrible laptop you can buy:
After I bought my laptop I sent it 3 times to the factory. I had to wait and spend long time without having my computer while I was waiting for it. Immediately after my purchase the DVD player and the power button was out of order. Just before I present in a conference the power button stop functioning. I was unable to reach my documents. The fan system operates loudly. Sony technical service doesn't accept that this is a complete failure of their design. It is impossible to hear the instructor if you are... more info
terrible service and bad laptop:
It was the most terrible experience to own this one. Soon the keyboard started falling and the connection cord had problems as it got loosened up. After couple of months i had trouble closing the laptop as the screren would remain on. When I got to the service folks they refused to admit any problems and tried to push every thing on me. the battery drains in just 45 minutes. the laptops starts tomake lout fan noice after couple of months. GUys this is a terrible the whole customer service from... more info
Would give 5 stars but battery life is very limited.:
Sony has superbly designed this desktop replacement with beautiful cover design and great speed performance. The Sony FRV28 is fine choice for any laptop enthusiast.
The good: Blazing fast performance, 15-inch, crystal clear display; includes Memory Stick Slot for digital photos transfer; 3 USB 2.0 ports, CD/DVD player/writer (DVD writer uses - R format)
The bad: Battery life is very limited. I have tested and while Playing DVD battery lasts for about 45 - 50 minutes. Working non-stop with applications... more info
Good Business Notebook, but pretty much nothing else.:
P>If you need to bring your work home, this is the notebook for you. But, if you're looking for a more whole experience including watching movies, playing games, and listening to music, etc..., then this Notebook is not for you. I bought it a week ago from (a local store), but ended up returning it because it was a "barebone" system in that it has a blazing fast processor, bus speed, and memory; but that's about all it has!
Don't get me wrong. Sony Notebooks are excellent in quality. About 6 months... more info
