Sony has never been afraid to make a statement when it comes to launching an innovative new product. Not content to be just a face in the crowd, the electrical goods giants pride themselves on being the market leaders across a range of products and, forging a reputation for quality at a price, have lived up to that billing for decades across the globe.
It will come as no surprise then that the Sony Vaio C Series, launched in the UK at the end of March, stands out on first glance – quite literally. This striking new laptop simply refuses to blend in, with models available in vibrant green, pink, orange and the more traditional black and white. This array of colour choices is topped off with the added bonus of being able to customise the notebook further with coloured accessories, like keyboard covers and carry cases.
Choose to invest in one of these dazzling devices and, according to Sony, the Vaio C Series laptops will emit light through its “unique material finish”. Some reviewers have gone as far as to suggest that it will glow in dark, even when the unit is turned off, due to its translucent lid. Such a feature is likely to divide opinion and provoke debate. It is quirky if nothing else, but then what do you expect from Sony, when they are attempting to keep with perennial innovators like Apple?
There is more to the 14-inch Vaio C Series than just bold colours, though. Much more. It sports a HD webcam powered by Sony Exmor and a one-touch button that allows quickfire Internet access, ideal for people on the go. It saves not only time, but also battery power as it enables users to get online in a flash without the necessity for the PC to boot-up fully. Surfing the net has never been more convenient. A backlit keyboard also makes it functional as well as aesthetically pleasing, depending on which colour scheme you choose, of course.
Within its tidy shell sits an Intel Core i5 processor (2.3 GHz), Windows 7 Home Premium, AMD Radeon HD6470M graphics card, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive, while it also has a battery life of 3.5 hours, a rewritable DVD drive, a screen resolution of 1,336x768 and HDMI output.
Since hitting the shelves earlier this year, the keyboard on the Vaio C Series has received criticism from some quarters for being noisy, while some believe the laptop itself is slightly heavy at 2.45kg. As Sony know only too well, there’s no pleasing everyone.
The most prudent bargain hunters may be unlikely to consider parting with the best part of £700 for a Vaio C Series, but the old adage that you get what you pay for certainly rings true here. The Vaio C Series is a clear reminder as to why the Sony brand is synonymous with brave design and technical excellence.