Sony VAIO VGN-FJ180/PR

Sony's VAIO FJ series of outrageously attractive notebooks will appeal to anyone who demands a notebook that isn't silver or black. The question is whether they're worth the premium Sony charges.

The first thing that pops out is the notebook's gorgeous metallic color. Our model, the VGN-FJ180/PR, has a luscious Raspberry Red color on the lid (other beautiful colors include Jade Green, Sky Blue, and Pearl White). Opened, a lighter metallic pink continues the color flow to the keyboard. Too bad we can't say the same about the rest of the casing: the bottom and sides are made with boring black plastic. The VAIO, at 5.3 pounds, is light and easy to carry. The notebook looks delicate, but the case is strong, and the screen lid opens and closes efficiently using magnets.

Powering this FJ is an Intel Pentium M 750, running at 1.86 GHz with 512MB of standard memory. The notebook has one of the quickest start up times we've seen, and applications snapped to attention. MobileMark agreed with our favorable impressions, giving this VAIO a high MobileMark score of 232.

The FJ180/PR runs practically silent, and even when the fan goes into action, it sounds more like a light breeze than a wind tunnel. However, we recommend that this laptop be used on a desk or any surface other than your lap, because after less than 30 minutes of use, the bottom of the VAIO heated up to uncomfortable levels.

Marketed as a "mobile multimedia entertainment" machine, the FJ180/PR features a built-in DVD recorder that can burn onto double-layer DVD+R discs and the usual DVD formats except DVD-RAM. Unfortunately, the eject button on the drive door is so tiny and embedded that we had difficultly pressing it. On the upside, the 14.1-inch screen is bright, using Sony's XBRITE-ECO technology, and it's the perfect size for movie watching on the plane. When you get to your hotel, you'll appreciate how loud the built-in speakers can get.

A built-in Webcam, called the Motion Eye, makes videoconferences possible anywhere that you go. The video quality was mediocre in our tests, but it's a convenient feature for those who want to add video to their instant messaging chat sessions without having to remember to pack an external Webcam.

Thanks to a huge 100GB hard drive, the FJ has plenty of room for video files. As with other VAIOs, Sony includes their own multimedia software to make your home movies look professional and burn them to discs. There's DVgate Plus for video editing and the insanely simple Click to DVD for DVD authoring.

It's a shame this VAIO uses integrated graphics. If your definition of entertainment includes gaming, then you should skip this notebook. We tried playing Serious Sam II, and even at 640 x 480, in-game visuals weren't super smooth; it even crashed the system, but we think that's the fault of the game. However, for all basic multimedia functions, the FJ180/PR delivers.

The FJ also delivers decent battery life for a 14.1-inch widescreen notebook, lasting for nearly 3.5 hours on a charge. That endurance is about the same as the HP Pavilion dv1000 and about ten minutes longer than the Toshiba Satellite M55. Turning Wi-Fi on shaved only two minutes off of this VAIO's runtime. The biggest bummer was this notebook's lack of wireless range. The FJ turned in a below-average data rate of 6.5 Mbps at 50 feet from our access point.

When it comes to ports and expansion, Sony keeps it simple. You'll find only three USB 2.0 ports (two on the right side and one on the left) and one four-pin FireWire port. A Memory Stick slot is up front, but we would much rather have an SD slot, something Sony includes on its latest TX Series VAIO. An optional port replicator ($249) adds three more USB ports, a DVI connector, and a near-useless parallel port.

While $1,599 is a reasonable price to ask for a beautiful notebook that performs fairly well, you can get a system with similar specs for hundreds less. If you're looking to shave $100 off, consider the Sony VAIO VGN-FJ170/B, an identical notebook in Onyx Black, but with a slightly slower 1.73-GHz processor. If you really want to set yourself apart, then these beauties are worth the extra cash.