RATING 8 PRICE £1351/£1150 (EX/INC. VAT)

IN BRIEF: Slim and sleek - the latest VAIO has the style and performance to impress everyone

Sony has never been one to idly sit by and watch other laptop manufacturers steal its thunder. The VAIO range has always been about change and innovation. To this end, the release of the new FS Series is set to cause something of a stir. The new range takes the best attributes of both the entry-level K Series and the high-end widescreen A Series and combines them in a cost-effective solution with high-end appeal.

The Sony VAIO VGN-FS195XP (£1351 inc. VAT) takes the larger widescreen offering of the A series, but manages to fit it into a chassis size that is some 40 percent thinner than the A Series. What this means in real terms is you get a 15.4-inch screen that uses Sony's X-black technology to offer greater contrast. The screen is also an improvement over older panels, as the use of two lamps means that the light emitted from the screen is more evenly balanced. In day-to-day use this meant that the screen can run at a lower level so as to avoid reflection in high light settings, such as an office, and switches to a higher contrast setting when using the laptop for presentations or watching DVD movies.

Given that it has a widescreen panel, we were surprised the VAIO had an overall weight of 2.9kg. Size is kept to a minimum with a depth of 39mm, 10mm of which is made up by the laptop's lid.

The usability of the laptop is extremely comfortable, with the overall feel of the VAIO being robust and strong. This is followed through on to the inside of the casing with a strong keyboard. The keys appear a little on the poor side, but this is due to the pale colour of the plastic rather than their feel and use. The keyboard is fl at-mounted, so there is no bounce as you type. However, this does mean there is very little travel in the keys, making it ideal for touch-typists as well as finger-peckers. The touchpad has a wide aspect to it, which is better suited for use with the widescreen panel and proved responsive. The mouse buttons are flush with the chassis but, being of a good size, it means you won't need to search them out.

THE RIGHT CONNECTION

On the inside, Ethernet connectivity is provided by the 10/100 standard. The faster Gigabit standard would have been preferable, but this is only a minor fl aw. Windows XP Professional is shipped as standard. Our review unit came supplied with the standard Intel PRO/wireless 2200BG wireless adapter, but Sony assures us that this model will be fully Sonoma compliant as and when
it hits the shelves.

Powered by an Intel Pentium M 740, which has a clock-speed of 1.73GHz , and supported by 512MB DDR SDRAM, the system offered outstanding performance with a MobileMark 2002 score of 221. Fitted with a Toshiba 100GB hard drive, this laptop has sufficient space for all your multimedia needs. Which may well be necessary as the laptop comes with the addition of High-Definition support, which means the VGN-FS195XP can edit footage from a HD camcorder natively. The graphics support in the VGN-FS195XP is the latest mobile GPU from nVidia, the GeForce Go 6200, which is an entry-level GPU aimed at the mainstream market, as opposed to the dedicated gaming market. Capable of supporting DirectX 9 extensions with ease, this adapter should offer outstanding 3D performance.

However, in test this adapter scored a 3DMark 2001 SE score of 8717, which is some way behind what we have come to expect from a cutting-edge graphics processor. The Sony VAIO VGN-FS195XP manages to pack a punch, combining powerful performance with an attractive and highly desirable look. While we were disappointed by the graphics of the system, we expect that users will be satisfied with what the VGN-FS195XP has to offer.

PROCESSOR Intel Pentium M 740
MEMORY 512MB DDR SDRAM
HARD DRIVE Toshiba 100GB
SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 15.4-inch TFT
DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1280 x 800 pixels
GRAPHICS CARD nVidia GeForce GO 6200
DIMENSIONS 365 x 248 x 39mm
WEIGHT 2.9kg
PC CARDS (TYPE II/III) 1/0
WIRELESS LAN Intel 802.11g
ETHERNET 10/100
MODEM Yes
USB PORTS 3
FIREWIRE 1 (mini)
STANDARD WARRANTY 3 yrs RTB
WARRANTY UPGRADE Price On Application
CONTACT 08705 424424

www.sony.co.uk

VALUE FOR MONEY 8
PERFORMANCE 8
FEATURES 7
MOBILITY 7
BUILD QUALITY 8
OVERALL 8

BATTERY LIFE140 MINS
MOBILEMARK 2002 221
3DMARK 2001 8717