At 14-inches, the smallest Sony VAIO E laptop screen size is an unusual one, sitting in a niche between more traditional 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch rivals. Don’t be fooled though by its ultra portable aspirations: it’s sporting some surprisingly impressive specs, and is a more than capable multimedia choice. Can it compete with larger machines when it comes to home entertainment? Read our Sony VAIO E review to find out.
Read the rest of our Sony VAIO E review:
Sony VAIO E review: Perfect all rounder?
Sony VAIO E review: Size and looks
Sony VAIO E review: Core i3 speed and performance
Power on the Sony VAIO E and you’ll instantly be struck by one of the most noticeable aspects of this budget machine: the excellent image quality. The 14-inch display features a resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels, which is far sharper than the 1366 x 900-pixel panels found on many rival laptops. In addition to providing sharper image quality, the high resolution also provides more space onscreen, with enough space to work comfortably with multiple windows.
The sharp screen is at its best when watching movies, with DVDs and digital content proving particularly impressive. Images are pin-sharp and clear, and although it’s not a 1080p, full HD panel, at this size the image quality is certainly good enough for watching HD films and movie clips. Although the optical drive is a regular DVD rewriter as standard, if you order the Sony VAIO E before May 10th you’ll be able to grab a Blu-ray player for free.
Colour reproduction from the Super-TFT panel is impressive, with vivid images that are perfect for photographs, but the Sony VAIO E suffers when it comes to viewing angles. You’ll be able to view the screen from a side angle without too much trouble, so a couple of people can both watch a movie, but vertical viewing angles are a lot worse, with colours losing their impact if the screen isn’t aimed straight at you.
To aid your media consumption, Sony has slotted a dedicated graphics card inside the Sony VAIO E, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 chip used. Although nothing to make high-end gaming machines turn in terror, with 512MB of dedicated graphics memory it’s still powerful enough to play the latest titles and high-definition movies without any sign of lag, and there’s also no sign of stuttering when streaming Flash video.
There are two speakers in front of the screen on the Sony VAIO E, and volume is perfectly adequate for watching films. The quality is poor, however, with an overly tinny output and no evidence of bass or mid-range, with resulting sounds proving harsh on the ear and unpleasant to listen to. As such, a decent pair of headphones makes sense if you want to watch films on the go, with external speakers a good investment for home use.
Clicking the VAIO button above the Sony VAIO E’s keyboard meanwhile brings up a dedicated multimedia interface, letting you browse through your photographs or watch movies with ease – helpful if you’re on a cramped train and don’t fancy drilling through a Windows file structure with the trackpad. The Web button is also a great inclusion, letting you browse the internet in seconds without having to turn on and wait an age for Windows to load.
There’s no doubt that you’d be better served by the 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch Sony VAIO E series models if video playback is at the top of your agenda, but with one of the sharpest screens we’ve seen at this price point the 14-inch Sony VAIO E really is a compelling option. The high resolution makes videos look stunningly crisp, and there’s also more than enough space to work with multiple documents, letting you get the best of all worlds.
Read the rest of our Sony VAIO E review:
Sony VAIO E review: Perfect all rounder?
Sony VAIO E review: Size and looks
Sony VAIO E review: Core i3 speed and performance
