Sony Vaio VGN-N230E
Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Sony Vaio VGN-N230EProcessor: Intel Core Duo T2250
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 128 MB
Display: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels
Weight: 3.1kg
Price: 1000 euro
Links: Sony homepage Sony notebook section
Average Score: 80% - good
Average of 1 scores (from 1 reviews)
mobility: - %, workmanship: - %, ergonomy: - %, emissions: - %
Reviews for the Sony Vaio VGN-N230E
80% Sony VAIO VGN-N230E/W Budget Notebook PC
Source: Comp Reviews 
At first look, one might mistake the new Sony VAIO VGN-N230E/W notebook for an Apple MacBook. Both systems are styled entirely around a white case and keyboard layout. This does give it a very unique look, but it also means that it is fairly difficult to keep clean. The white keyboard especially tends to show dirt and grim over time. The surprisingly part of the VGN-N230 is the specifications. Since Sony in the past has had a cost associated with their product name, the systems tend to be a bit more expensive or have slightly less features. The VGN-N230 breaks away from this by actually providing a system that is on par with other budget notebook computers. It's almost hard to believe, but Sony actually pulled off producing a budget notebook, something I didn't expect them to do with their large emphasis on high cost portable computers.
4 von 5, Preis/Leistung gut, Leistung schlecht
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/22/2007
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 80% performance: 40%
Comment
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 is an integrated (onboard) graphic chip on Mobile Intel 945GM chipset. It is a faster clocked version of the GMA 900 and supports no hardware T&L (Transform & Lightning) accelleration (which is required for some games).
Only older games can be played fluently with these graphics chips (if they were not too demanding). Shared memory graphic cores in this category got the advantage of less heat production and longer battery runtimes. For office, internet, image processing, and video editing tasks these graphics chips are still useable without any restrictions.
>> Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Intel Core Duo: Double Core processor with a very good relation of performance to current consumption. The 2 MB L2 Cache are used together by the double. The maximum capacity of 31 watts is only 4 watts more than with the Pentium M (predecessor). Both cores are lowered automatically and independently of each other by speed steps down to 1 GHz. In addition it now supports also SSE3 instructions. At least it is just as fast as a equivalent Pentium M. With applications, which were designed for multi-processors, the performance can be nearly twice as fast as with the Pentium M (e.g. CineBench around 86% fast)
T2250:
>> Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
15.4": 15 inch display-variants are the standard and are used for more than the half of all notebooks. 15.4 inch display with 16:10 are the standard for notebook displays.
The reason why so many people like displays with medium size is, that this size is not exhausting for the eyes, does not need too much current and the laptops can be kept quite compact.
>> To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.
3.1 kg: This weight is average for notebooks. Therefore the numerous mass of laptops with 15 inch display fits in this class of weight.
Sony: Sony is a notebook manufacturer of medium size according international market shares. There exist a lot of reviews about Sony notebooks. The total ratings and price/value ratings are good above average.
80%: This rating is not convincing. It must be considered, that there exist hardly any laptops, which receive a rating below 60%. This notebook is evaluated below average, this is not really a recommendation for purchase.
>> Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
