Sony VAIO VF111FX/B 16.41-Inch Laptop (Black) | 
| Brand: Sony
Category: Personal Computer
List Price: $1,149.99
Buy New: $1,099.00
as of 3/12/2010 17:59 CST details
You Save: $50.99 (4%)
New (10) from $1,099.00
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  3 reviews
Color: Black
Media: Personal Computers
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium
CPU Manufacturer: Intel
CPU Speed: 1.6
CPU Type: Intel Core i7
Processors: 4
System Memory: 4
Memory Type: SODIMM
Hard Drive Size: 500
Display Size: 16.4
Shipping Weight (lbs): 6.9
Dimensions (in): 10.4 x 15.3 x 1.6
MPN: VPCF111FX/B
Model: VPCF111FX/B
UPC: 027242790346
EAN: 0027242790346
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item.
| |
| Features:
| | 1.6GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor | | | 4GB Memory; 500GB Hard Drive | | | Blu-ray Disc Support - BD ROM | | | 16.41" (1600x900) 16:9 Widescreen LCD Display | | | Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Sony VAIO VPCF111FX/B Notebook PC offers maximum performance and amazing HD entertainment on a top-notch 16.4” widescreen notebook with a backlit keyboard and integrated number pad. And with a quad core Intel Core i7 processor, dedicated NVIDIA GeForce graphics, and a Blu-Ray Player/DVDRW Disc drive, you will experience the ultimate in smart performance and a razor-sharp picture with amazing depth and clarity with the Sony VAIO VPCF111FX/B Notebook PC.
Amazon.com Product Description
Sony VAIO VPCF111FX/B: Born to Perform Perfect for professional grade multimedia mixing and entertainment, the Sony VAIO F Series notebook features an extra-wide, theater inspired 16.4-inch display that uses energy-efficient LCD technology and offers a high-definition resolution (1600 x 900). The true 16:9 aspect ratio ensures that you won’t miss an inch of the original picture from your favorite movie while also providing valuable extra workspace. And you'll be able to compare two documents or websites side-by-side without the hassle of having to tab back and forth.  The Sony VAIO F Series laptop in black. |  Forged for gaming and built for quickness, the VAIO Series F laptop features a brilliant 16.4-inch display and Intel Core i7 720QM with four cores of processing power. |  A backlit keyboard frames the keys with a soft glow and illuminates the keys for convenient typing day or night. | Also great as a gaming rig, this F Series model (VPCF111FX/B) packs serious firepower with a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics processor featuring 512 MB of dedicated video RAM. The laptop is powered by the 1.6 GHz Intel Core i7 720QM processor with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology that enables each of the four processor cores to simultaneously work on two tasks. The Blu-ray Disc optical drive (read-only) lets you play high-definition Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal-clear resolution. You'll also enjoy the Dolby Sound Room suite of audio technologies for immersive surround sound pumped through a home theater speaker system or just a pair of headphones. And with the HDMI A/V output, you can connect the VAIO F to a compatible HDTV to display video and presentations to a larger audience. Enjoying your media has never been more fun with the uniquely smart and easy-to-use Sony Creativity Suite. Get instantly organized with smart sorting features, create personal masterpieces with easy-to-use creative tools and rediscover forgotten music and memories with breakthrough technology that recommends content based on your unique listening and viewing habits. Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.
Key Features - 16.4-inch high-def display (1600 x 900-pixel resolution) with 16:9 aspect ratio ensures that you won't miss an inch of the original picture from your favorite movie while also providing valuable extra workspace.
- 1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM processor (with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.80 GHz) delivers maximum processing power in response to peak demands. You'll fly through everything you do on your PC--from playing intense 3D games to creating and editing digital video, music and photos. Intel Hyper-Threading Technology accelerates multitasking like never before thanks to the processor's unique 4-core, multi-thread design. Intel Advanced Smart Cache technology minimizes wait times by allocating more access to frequently used data to the processing core that needs it most.
- 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
- 4 GB of installed RAM (DDR3 1333 MHz; expandable to 8 GB)
- NVIDIA GeForce 310M with 512 MB of dedicated video memory (up to 2263 MB of total available graphics memory) provides up to 10 times the performance of integrated graphics with amazing visuals and Windows 7 compatibility. Let your GPU do the work for video playback with NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology--helping extend battery life, reducing fan noise, and freeing the CPU for multitasking.
- Watch Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal clear resolution with the read-only Blu-ray drive; also supports reading/writing of CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, and DVD-RAM
- MOTION EYE webcam with face tracking capabilities lets you quickly snap photos and video chat with friends and family.
- Stereo speakers with Dolby Home Theater suite of technologies delivers virtual surround sound from stereo speakers or any pair of headphones.
- Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for greater speed and range
- Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity enables you to communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones as well as enjoy wireless stereo music streaming (thanks to its embedded A2DP profile).
- Gigabit Ethernet
- HDMI output provides single-cable full 1080p connectivity and is complemented by an analog VGA output for standard monitors
- Memory card readers: Memory Stick PRO (Standard/Duo) slot with MagicGate functionality; Secure Digital memory card slot (compatible with MMC cards)
- ExpressCard /34 slot lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features
- Two USB 2.0 ports and one eSATA port for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players. Also includes FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals.
- Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
- Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process.
- Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works SE 9.0 for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
- Up to 3 hours of battery life
- Dimensions: 15.3 x 10.4 x 1.62 inches (WxDxH)
- Weight: 6.9 pounds
- Warranty: 1-year limited hardware warranty, and 1-year of toll-free telephone technical assistance (a 1-year international service plan is also available).
What's in the Box
This package contains the Sony VAIO VPCF111FX/B laptop, standard capacity rechargeable battery, AC adapter, power cord, printed user manual It also comes with the following software: Norton Internet Security 2010 (30-day trial); Microsoft Works SE 9.0; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 (60-day trial); VAIO Creativity Suite includes VAIO Media Gallery and VAIO Media plus for accessing movies and photos stored on computers anywhere in your home.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Questionable build and a questionable warranty!! March 10, 2010
Aaron Mark Cambridge (UK/US)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Whilst beautiful, the materials used in the construction of this machine are questionable. Within mere months of ownership you will note that the wrist pad, which consumes a large surface area of the machine, will scratch and scuff away leaving black plastic underneath. The reason being is that the outer skin comprises of VERY cheap plastic and NOT magnesium, carbon fibre, steel or any other rhetoric quoted by Sony. The screen will also probably fail (check Google).
To top this off ALL Sony Vaio F and FW series machines carry a limited 1 year warranty. Limited meaning that if you buy a machine in the USA, THE WARRANTY WILL BE INVALID OUTSIDE OF THE USA.
WARNING: Do not buy this machine if you require a durable laptop (i.e. one that will last longer than 36months)
WARNING: Do not buy this machine if you are a traveller as it will not be repaired when it fails.
WARNING: Do not buy this machine if you are a non-US resident as it will not be repaired when it fails.
If you require the above, purchase a HP as these machines enjoy a worldwide warranty.
 Good value and Performance March 2, 2010
Bank Of America (Houston, TX,)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I built my own f series only deference is graphics card (330m), (1080p LCD screen) , back-lit keyboard.
Pros: This laptop is great, the processor is pretty fast. The graphics card is pretty good, i am able to play most games, cs:s, dod:s, half life, crysis mid settings minor lag, but pretty decent frame rates! Quake wars, enemy territory and Fallout 3, no lag, everything at high. The keyboard is great, though it makes squeaky noise at times still pretty good. The computer is built pretty good construction. Bluetooth has some good functions, the quick vaio assistance button is a good feature. The lcd screen is decent.
Cons: Firstly 2 USB ports! May sound sufficient for some, but 2 is hardly enough for me, maybe at least 3 would of been preferred. Then the LCD brightness, not great, it is a bit dim, brightness is not the best, my sisters Toshiba has a greater brightness at under 600$. Then the speakers, they are not that great, the sound is fine, could of been improved.
Overall good laptop for $ 1200. Overall i am satisfied with it, it is a stylish yet fast laptop. It lacks some things which i would of preferred, but i payed for what i really wanted and needed!
"UPDATED" To restate the 2 usb ports, i have found out that the (E-Sata can be used as a 2.0 USB PORT). So to clear some things up, this computer technically has 3 usb ports. Thanks to Mark D. Neathery.
Sony Vaio F series: A Preliminary Review (Updates to follow) February 16, 2010
Jimi (Birmingham, AL USA)
44 out of 45 found this review helpful
Note: I have only had this laptop for a week, which really isn't enough time to speak on longevity, durability, or performance for several applications/programs. I will update this review periodically to let you know how it handles gaming (still haven't bought any games as I have been strictly a console gamer for a while now) and other high-end computing tasks.
First, I'd like to write a little on how I decided on this laptop, as I found such descriptions to be helpful when I was first starting to research. I was looking for a powerful desktop replacement that would have the processor speed to satisfy my computing needs for at least the next three years. I also wanted a multimedia machine (i.e.: sufficient screen size with high resolution, large HDD). I looked extensively at ASUS, Sony, and Toshiba, the three companies with the highest rated customer service and reliability. Based on product reviews and articles I have read, these are the only three notebook companies that were even worth my consideration. Hands-on testing at Best-buy confirmed this. The build quality in those three brands just seem to be on a whole other level. Customer feedback seems to support this. Search the web and I'm sure you'll come to the same conclusion.
At first, I fell in love with the Toshiba Satellite P505-S8980 18.4" Notebook - Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 2.2GHz / 6GB RAM / 500GB HDD / Blu-ray Read / Built-in webcam / Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit with it's HD screen, blu-ray capabilities, and awesome speakers. However, I really wanted to be able to use this as an actual "lap"top, and this massive machine would hardly be comfortable in your lap. Throw in the unlikelihood that I would ever be willing to take this out of the house, and I began to look for a smaller solution.
So, I checked out that laptop's little brother: Toshiba Satellite A505-S6004 TruBrite 16.0-Inch Laptop (Black/Silver). It looked good and was getting great reviews from online publications. But ultimately, the glossy finish of that machine and lack of blu-ray caused me to look elsewhere.
That's when I came across this Sony F Series. This laptop seemingly had everything I could ask for from a laptop: blu-ray, HD, and the core-i7. The backlit keyboard was icing on the cake. And let me tell you, this is the nicest keyboard I have ever used on a laptop. It's even better than the famed macbook's (although that's probably just a matter of preference). It's hard to describe just how nice it feels to use this laptop. If word processing is going to be a regular part of your normal uses for your new laptop, I highly recommend checking this baby out. The keys have great feedback and presence. I really can't think of a single aspect of the keyboard that needs improvement. The backlight can be a little blinding if you are viewing the laptop from too shallow an angle. You can see the LED light source under the keys unless your eyes are positioned pretty much above the keyboard, and it can be a little distracting. It's not a huge issue, but I felt it was worth mentioning. Using proper posture and/or using a laptop stand or lapdesk (such as Logitech Comfort Lapdesk) should completely eliminate this minor complaint.
When I received my new laptop, it was immediately evident just how well built this product is. This machine is sexy. I love the understated design and textured chassis, which is very smudge resistant. Nothing too flashy (except for the backlit keyboard, but it's more cool than anything else), just solid, efficient construction and design. It feels extremely well constructed. Absolutely no flex in the keyboard or chassis. The lid is also very solid, and no matter how hard I press on the back of the lid, there is no discoloration or distortion in the corresponding section of the screen nor is there any flex to the lid whatsoever. I feel like I could step on this with the lid closed and not hurt it a bit. Probably not the case, but this laptop just screams quality.
It took me a little while to get used to the left of center touch pad, especially when lying down one the couch or in bed. It causes you to hold your right arm closer to the center of your body than your left, and that causes a bit of strain in the right shoulder and in that area of the back. I quickly got used to this design (which admittedly is found in nearly all 15-inch or larger notebooks on the market today) and honestly won't be using this one while lying down too often unless I'm just watching video or doing light browsing and reading.
The heat is hardly noticeable, something I wasn't expecting with the quad core i7 (which was rumored to run quite hot in most reviews I read for other laptops). I can attribute this to the ventilation and fan system, another plus on this laptop's design and construction. It never became uncomfortable even after hours of use on my lap.
Now, for performance. WOW! This thing blazes through any task with lightning quick response times. When I click on a youtube link, the video immediately plays. The buffering is complete even on huge video files within seconds. It's really incredible. It's the equivalent of changing channels on a tv. The video is immediately playing with no lag, no waiting, no loading. Awesome. I used to never have more than a few windows open on my old dell because it would just get too sluggish. Not so on this MACHINE. I have literally dozens of firefox tabs open along with many programs and applications running. Nothing slows this thing down. This laptop should serve me well for an extended period of time (which is why I splurged for the 3 year squaretrade warranty; more on that later). I can't even imagine where processors go from here. CAN it even get faster than this?
That brings me to the aspects of this notebook that I didn't really like:
1. It is a little difficult to get a perfect viewing angle on this screen in dim lighting. It really is only an issue when I'm using it in a room with the lights turned off. I believe part of the issue comes from the ambient light sensor which automatically dims the screen. It immediately becomes difficult to get an optimal viewing angle, but it is possible at just the right angle and viewing distance (being too close to the screen increases the difficulty). Either the top or the bottom of the screen is too dark in this situation. It's a minor complaint for me, since this screen is almost too big to focus on all at once anyway, and it really only occurs when the room is pitch black. Additionally, the screen gets way too dark for my tastes when the light sensor causes the screen to dim. The aforementioned backlight that seeps from the edges of the keys doesn't help this situation, as it makes the screen seem all the more dim in comparison. I haven't yet found a way to override this feature. I'll try to call Sony's support line and update accordingly if I find a solution (feel free to post a solution if you have found an answer).
2. The speakers are notably tiny sounding, with absolutely no low end. This too is a minor issue for me since I use Shure SE530PTH Sound Isolating Earphones with Push-To-Hear Control for almost all situations. It would be nice to have a better set of speakers for watching videos or listening to music with others. External speakers are absolutely essential if this will be used as a true desktop replacement.
3. The battery life is lacking. This is unavoidable with a quad core processor like the power sucking intel core-i7. You really have to know what you are going to be using your laptop for to determine how much this will be an issue for you. I for one began to immediately regret my decision. It gets anywhere from 2 to 3 hours during browsing with wi-fi (it's closer to 3 unless I am watching videos or streaming music). When I was watching blu-ray movies, it became apparent that I wouldn't be able to finish an entire movie in High Def (except for maybe the shortest comedies). This made me feel I had made a mistake and I began to consider returning the laptop. What's the point of having blu-ray playback if I can't get through a single film? I began to look at high battery life alternatives, and I really came close to buying the following:
ASUS UL50VT-A1 Thin and Light 15.6-Inch Black Laptop - 11.5 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)- This laptop was an attractive choice with up to 10-12 hours of battery life. It also has switchable graphics which would be able to handle moderate gaming. ASUS also has the best warranty in the industry with 2 years plus 1 year of accidental damage protection. I was about to buy this laptop even considering it didn't have blu-ray playback and had a lower resolution. I still think I would be very happy with either choice, but after a lot of time thinking over it, I decided to keep the Sony. This laptop will rarely be far from an outlet, so I decided the ridiculous battery life wasn't an acceptable trade off for the F series' high end performance. Also, I read a couple of reviews that really frowned upon the UL50vt's build quality, stating there is a lot of flex in the keyboard and referencing the cheap high gloss plastic chassis. I had really become so in love with the Sony's design and overall comfort of use that I couldn't see myself being happy in the end by sending it back for a laptop of inferior quality. Of course, it would be essential to have a long battery life if you plan on traveling with your notebook a lot or need to use it for extended periods away from an outlet. But, I simply don't see myself needing the portability enough to justify returning this awesome laptop. If I ever absolutely need additional battery life, I'll buy a high capacity battery (although I will definitely be waiting for them to drop in price).
That's all I can really comment on at this time. I really love this laptop. It's as close to perfect as I was able to find. It just feels right, is lightning fast, and the build and design quality are unparalleled at this price (I paid 1059.99; it looks like it has already gone up since I bought it).
A word about the square trade warranty: I love SquareTrade! I called before ordering and spoke at length with a very helpful and knowledgeable representative who answered all my questions and really made me feel comfortable buying their product. I went with the 3 year warranty for 129.99. This seems like a good idea, especially with a newly released machine with cutting edge technology. If the core i7 fries my computer down the road, I am covered (and I don't think that will happen considering it runs at comfortably cool temp). Even if I never use the warranty, the piece of mind is easily worth the price.
I will be updating this review soon with gaming performance. My friend has Mass Effect 2, and I really want to buy this game (I have a ps3 which this game will not be released for). I am going to install his copy and see if this laptop can handle it first. I will update this review with the performance.
**UPDATE**
I just wanted to mention how easy it is to manage mp3 and other media with this laptop. I was able to transfer a ridiculous amount of music from an external harddrive to a SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 8 GB MP3 Player (Black) in a suprisingly short amount of time. What was really awesome is windows 7 automatically transferred any AAC (unsupported i-tunes format) music files to the proper mp3 format. This saved a lot of time so I didn't have to transfer the files, then find the new files. It doesn't save an extra copy of the file, and it doesn't require me to go and find the mp3 copy among a list of AAC files. Very simple to manage music files.
**UPDATE 2** I found a cool website that checks your system's information and lets you know if you can run certain games: <[...]>
I checked Mass Effect 2 and Modern Warfare 2, and the website said my system exceeded both games recommended specifications by a ton. That was reassuring. It told me my CPU speed is insufficient for Crysis, but everything else met requirements. I find this a little confusing, considering this processor overclocks to 2.8 GHz. and is a quad core with ridiculouse processing power. I just may try to run it (although I'm sure I'll have to tone down the effects). I will update with Frame Per Second ratings for each game I try.
**UPDATE 3** I'm happy to report that I have contacted Sony Customer Support regarding the screen dimming issue I referred to in my review, and the results were extremely positive. I was not transferred a single time. I went through a few short prompts, and the representative who answered my call was extremely helpful.
At first, he did not know exactly how to do this on my particular model, he stated that since it is so new, he was not immediately familiar with the f series and that it was not yet listed in his support software. He had me go to a website that gave him temporary remote access to my computer. He took control of the cursor and proceeded to demonstrate exactly how to adjust this feature. Viola! The screen immediately brightened to max settings. I felt really stupid when he explained the answer. Just type 'Vaio' into the search field on the start up menu. Go to vaio control center> display> automatic brightness settings, and turn the automatic brightness off and choose your desired brightness. Also, the shortcuts for adjusting brightness on the fly is Fn + F5 for dimmer and Fn + F6 for brighter. He also showed me some other very cool tricks that were features I hadn't yet stumbled upon. It was easily the best customer service experience I've had in a long time.
I have found that adjusting the brightness according to the environment helps to reduce the difficulty of finding an optimal viewing angle. That being said, the display is still a bit of a disappointment overall. There is just something about it I can't put my finger on. It could use a little more color saturation I suppose, and definitely just lacks the pop that I would like for this price. I did a side by side comparison with my cousin's macbook, and it really suprises me that the screen on his looks more defined, bright, and colorful despite being a much lower native resolution.
It's one thing about this computer that truly deserves to dock the score a bit, especially considering this laptop is geared toward multimedia and gaming. So, at this point, I am going to lower this score a smidge and give it 4.5 stars. It performs fabulously, looks slick, has a great feel and is a pleasure to type on and use. It feels solidly constructed and Sony support was top notch and resolved my question in one call with one representative. It's a shame the display and speakers leave something to be desired, I really wanted to call this my perfect laptop. It's a close as it gets though for the price I paid. A great value considering no taxes. I'm happy.
**UPDATE 4** I have discovered another very helpful hint that will allow you to enjoy media on this laptop. Edit the sound card and sound settings to turn all effects off. I was watching a bluray movie with my Shure 530's to check how accurate the sound was. I was very disappointed at first. There are a lot of effects that come preset that are supposed to provide ambience and depth, but it absolutely ruins the sound experience on my headphones, making everything seem distant. The same was true when listening to lossless audio (straight from a CD or from a FLAC file). Once I turned all the effects off, everything changed. Prestine audio quality with incredible clarity and presence. The sound on blu-ray through the 530's is superb with amazing depth. This is a very important fix for those that will be using headphones.
**UPDATE 5** Mass Effect 2 runs fine. I have the resolution at 720p and just about everything set to high and it is definitely playable. Can get choppy in heavy action, but that happens even on my PS3 during some games, so it's not that upsetting. This laptop was not purchased with gaming power as a priority, it's just a nice perk and goes to show this laptop has some horsepower under the hood. However, if you want some serious gaming power, opt for the models with better graphics cards and full HD.
|
|
|
|
