Sony VAIO VGN-FS742/W 15.4" Laptop (Intel Pentium M Processor 740, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive)

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 14.3 x 1.4 inches ; 6.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 11 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000ARLO80
• Item model number: VGN-FS742/W
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 24, 2005

Product Description

Includes: lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with SP2, Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition, Quicken 2005 New User Edition, WinDVD, Works 8.0, Office 2003 60-day trial (Student/Teacher Edition), Roxio DigitalMedia SE, & more. Sony Vaio FS VGN-FS742/W Notebook Computer - This laptop computer combines advanced multimedia features with the tools you need for everyday computing on the road. With the 15.4" widescreen LCD, you can enjoy DVD movies the way they were meant to be seen. Or make your own DVD creations with the built-in DVD writer and included original Sony software. 80GB 4200RPM HDD 512MB of PC3200 DDR2 SDRAM (expandable up to 2GB) Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 with 128MB of shared memory (memory is shared with the main system's RAM) Double Layer DVD Writer - (write speeds) up to 2.4x Double Layer DVD+R, 8x DVD-R, 8x DVD+R, 4x DVD-RW, 4x DVD+RW, 24x CD-R, & 10x CD-RW Double Layer DVD Writer - (read speeds) up to 8x DVD-ROM & 24x CD-ROM 56k v.90 Data/Fax Modem Built-in Stereo Speakers Ports - 10/100 Ethernet, VGA Out, 3 USB 2.0, 4-pin Firewire, & Printer Built-in Memory Stick(R) Media Slot - supports Memory Stick, Memory Stick(R) PRO, & Memory Stick(R) DUO media 1 PCMCIA Type I/II Card Slot with CardBus support External Color - White

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great machine, October 27, 2005

By 

M. Wittie "gadget geek" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony VAIO VGN-FS742/W 15.4" Laptop (Intel Pentium M Processor 740, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

I was reluctant to spend the premium you pay for the Sony name, but now I have no regrets. I tried Toshiba and HP machines in the same price range that had better specs, but the build quality (especially the keyboards) and looks weren't in the same league as the Sony Vaio. The keyboard is solid with a good feel. The touchpad is great. The screen is bright, the colors are brilliant, and it feels sturdy when opening and closing it. I mostly use it for wireless internet surfing, email, office tools and some games, and it's great for that. I don't rely on the battery much, so I can't comment on battery life, but I do know it's better than my IBM Thinkpad I use at work. All in all, I'm very happy with my Sony.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Laptop for the Average Consumer, December 25, 2005

By 

Dave W. (Vancouver, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony VAIO VGN-FS742/W 15.4" Laptop (Intel Pentium M Processor 740, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

I purchased my laptop about a week after this model came out. I immediately swapped out a 256 stick of memory for a 1GB that I purchased online (as this laptop only has 2 slots). I can't say I experienced a HUGE performance difference, but I do notice that it gets less bogged down when I have 3 or more programs open that hog system resources.

Processing Performance: Boots up most programs in a flash. Processing power is all relative to your usage, but I use this for web development (MX Studio) and there are no hiccups in performance.

Screen: The screen was the kicker. I have not seen a laptop screen so bright which comes in handy when I am viewing with ambient daylight. It is crystal clear and a joy to work with spreadsheets and graphic manipulation programs alike.

Form Factor: Very thin and well balanced.

Keyboard: Excellent keys. 2nd only to my MacAlly IceKey that I use with my PC (that I have used). There is a slight wiggle about the keys in their upright position that is better that most keyboards I've used. It has a soft travel, not as crisp as mac/certain IBM notebooks I've used. Still more than acceptable performance.

Speakers: The only major downfall of this laptop. The sound is average to slightly below, but volume sucks. The location of the speakers (above keyboard) is not such a good idea when it seems as thought the speakers are aimed toward outerspace. The stereo imaging is lacking as a result. If you are a music enthusiast, this is a hard call. Either get some good headphones, external speakers, or find another solution. My 1999 Dell had the speakers on the sides and were aimed toward the user which created great stereo imagery and the tiny speakers were crystal clear. With all the attention to detail the Japanese are notorious for, I'm surprised this got overlooked. Good for your occasional background music nevertheless.

Build Quality: On par for a 1k laptop. Nothing to beat up, but will do well without any droppage.

Wifi: Excellent range/performance. Discard the preinstalled Sony junk software and use the built-in windows utility.

Mouse: Do yourself a favor and buy a wireless notebook mouse for $20. Well worth it. I am proficient on touchpad, but I'ts inevitably cumbersome for most programs.

Everything else: Pretty much not worth mentioning. Everything else is trivial to me and works well for what it does.

Overall Recommendation: Although they could have thrown in an integrated webcam, this is an excellent value for a laptop on the cheap. If you are an audiophile, go look at this at Circuit City and evaulate from there. Don't expect this machine to last 5 years with normal wear and tear, but do expect to be dazzled by the bang for your buck value. Stay away from the XBRITE-ECO which is in the model below this as it only has half the lumens (screen brightness).

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Pleased, January 14, 2006

By 

Janis Salcfas (Lake Elizabeth, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony VAIO VGN-FS742/W 15.4" Laptop (Intel Pentium M Processor 740, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

I've had the machine about a month now and don't have a single complaint. Have had to call tech support a couple of times, for stuff *I* screwed up and they all spoke English and were very helpful. (Told me they no longer outsource and he said he was located in Ft Meyers FL.) This is my first notebook but I did a lot of research and felt this one gave me the most bang for the buck. The Keyboard is very comfortable, and the screen is awesome, (very bright). My only complaint is the sound...sounds like tin. My desktop is a Sony, which is why I was comfortable buying this laptop. Its six years old and still running strong...never had a problem with it. I would buy this or any other Sony again in a heartbeat.