The Sony VAIO VGN-FW198UH was one of the first laptops to showcase a 16:9 aspect ratio display, a beautiful 16-inch widescreen that fit the lines of the 1080p format to a T. (It's a format that's commonly paired with high-end LCD panels.) But as the field of 16-inch laptops grew, so did the bargains that reflected a new shopping trend in this troubled economy. That said, the latest in Sony's FW series, the VAIO VGN-FW390 ($2,099 direct), lacks the pricing aggression of its peers, as this configuration crosses over the $2,000 mark—and few laptops, right now, cost this much. In its defense, though, the FW390's pricey 128GB solid-state drive and a high-end processor had something to do with this anomaly; and there are ways to get the FW390 down to a respectable price and still get a free Blu-ray reader upgrade in the process.
http://www.sonystyle.com
- Price as Tested: $2,099.00
- Type: Gaming, Media
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo T9550
- Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
- RAM: 4 GB
- Weight: 6.3 lb
- Screen Size: 16.4 inches
- Screen Size Type: widescreen
- Graphics Card: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650
- Storage Capacity: 128 GB
- Networking Options: 802.11n
- Primary Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW DL with Blu-Ray
