![]() During our review we had Chrome open with 3 tabs, Evernote, Norton and played music in Windows Media player without a stutter. The VAIO EC series laptop we reviewed only had a dual core Intel Pentium processor, but it was able to keep up with multitasking. The built in webcam on the VAIO EC did a decent job, allowing us to record a short video message in a decently lit room and comes with a few extra tools like tracking which will detect motion and begin recording, the ability to track your face for several in camera functions and more. If you plan to get a laptop this big you’ll probably use it at a desk, so we recommend that you pick up an external mouse. The mousepad is pretty accurate and didn’t fail during extended use, but the need to search for a scrollbar instead of scrolling wherever is annoying to say the least. There’s no reason that a mouse shouldn’t allow you to scroll using two fingers these days. Unfortunately the mouse experience isn’t nearly as good. The keyboard also offers a dedicated number pad which is great if you need to enter numbers into any document on a regular basis. Thanks to the button placement and a very nice spacing we were able to type almost as fast as we do on keyboards from Lenovo and on the MacBook Air. ![]() The keys do have more travel than some keyboards, meaning that you have to push them down a bit further, but it doesn’t detract from the overall typing experience. The keyboard on the EC offers a very desirable typing experience with good feedback on an island style keyboard. Thankfully the display tilts back pretty far, so you are able to find an angle that works, but if you are looking down at the notebook from a standing position you will notice that the screen is a bit washed out. Side to side viewing angles were pretty good, enough so that you could share a movie from the included Blu-Ray drive with 2-3 friends and wouldn’t have to pick favorites, but the up and down viewing angles were not very good. The display does get sufficiently bright and in the lowest setting is still usable if you need to conserve battery power. The screen is glossy like you will find on most consumer notebooks which means you will need to adjust the display to find a good viewing angle if you are near direct light. The screen of the VAIO EC is massive! At 17.3″ and offering a 1600 x 900 resolution we didn’t even need to plug in our external monitor to get work done while comparing web pages and documents side to side. While it isn’t a business class notebook we were happy to find a very strong hinge that keeps the screen where you position it and keeps it closed when carrying it, something that bothered us in our first look at the Lenovo Z360. The build quality of the EC series from Sony is also pretty good. Like the Samsung RF510 we recently reviewed the keyboard area is a slightly different color and texture than the palmrest which gives the notebook a nice upscale look. The VAIO EC series notebook, like many of the Sony laptops we have had time with shows an obvious thought for how the final product will look. The model we reviewed has a dual core Pentium processor which isn’t the latest and greatest, but when paired with the dedicated ATI graphics allows us to edit some photos and short video clips using Microsoft Live Essentials, but it’s not suited for heavy gaming or lots of video work - unless you upgrade to a faster processor. This notebook is a good fit for home or school users who don’t need a machine to take to class on an everyday basis, but are simply looking for something to take from room to room or around the dorm. Our review unit retails for $839. If you order right now you can save up to $848 in upgrades including a free Adobe Bundle. This notebook has a 17.3″ display with a lovely 1600 x 900 resolution that lets you do more on screen. Our model also comes with 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5740GPU, Blu-Ray Drive and a Motion Eye Webcam. ![]() The VAIO EC series can be configured with up to an Intel Core i5-580M processor, or on a budget configured like our model with a dual core Intel Pentium P6100 2.0GHx processor. Sony VAIO EC Series (VPCEC3BFX/BJ) Quick Specs: With a 17.3″ display and a weight of close to 8 pounds you won’t be putting this in your backpack every day, but if you want a computer to keep by the couch or on a desk the VAIO EC is worth a look. The Sony VAIO EC series is one of these notebooks. ![]() While the crazy thin MacBook Air and Lenovo U260 have been getting a lot of attention, there are many users who are looking for a much larger computing experience one that replaces their desktop instead of something that can go everywhere they go.
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