Sony VAIO PCG-GRT100P3A Notebook (2.0 GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW/CD-RW Comb

Sometimes it is good to get ahead of yourself. But to get ahead requires serious thought, planning and scheduling, which can be problematic when you're always on the move - meetings, presentations, and business trips. You need a notebook designed for mobile and semi-mobile professionals - a notebook that offers portability with the high-resolution display, connectivity and power of a desktop system. The GRT Series Notebook is an all-in-one premier notebook packed with productivity and multimedia capabilities. It packs the strength and speed of a desktop system with the flexibility and connectivity of an executive notebook. The GRT Series will dazzle you and your audience with its incredible high resolution, large screen. The GRT Series not only gives you the power to work efficiently for long periods of time away from your office - it also provides you the opportunity to exhibit your hard work.

Designed for the semi-mobile professional, the Sony PCG-GRT100 notebook PC is a great choice as a desktop replacement. It's packed with productivity enhancing technology and exclusive Sony multimedia software as well as a sizeable 14.1-inch TFT active matrix screen. This model also features Windows XP Professional, a battery-saving 2.0 GHz Mobile Pentium 4 processor, 40 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, a combo DVD+/-RW and CD-RW drive, and a 32 MB Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go video/graphics card.

The Basics

Hard Drive: The 40 GB IDE hard drive is on the small side compared to other notebooks. However, it does offer a decent enough capacity for storing documents and productivity software for road warriors--but not enough for much multimedia storage.
Processor: The 2.0 GHz Mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor offers enough speed for your work today, though it is at the lower range of speeds for this processor. Thanks to its Mobile features, the processor can save power when its not needed, thus conserving battery life. It has a front-side bus (FSB) of 400 MHz and a 512 KB L2 cache.
Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (DDR SDRAM) is a good start for power users. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 1 GB (2 x 512 MB).
CD/DVD Drive: It is equipped with a combo DVD+/-RW and CD-RW drive. For DVD-RW discs, it has a 1x write/rewrite speed, while for DVD+RW discs it has a 2x write/rewrite speed (DVDs are read at 5x. For CDs, it has a 16x write/8x rewrite/24x read speed.
Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 85-key keyboard and electro-static two-button touchpad.

Sound and Graphics
The installed Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go video/graphics card offers decent, but not overly strong, 3-D graphics rendering, and it has 32 MB of allocated video memory (which will help take the load off the processor when watching DVD movies). The 14.1-inch XGA TFT active matrix LCD has a native 1024 x 768 pixel display. It also has an sound card that's integrated into the main board, and offers built-in stereo speakers.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
This PCG-GRT100P model does not include built-in wireless connectivity. You get a decent--but not overpowering--offering of connectivity options, including both high-speed USB 2.0 and FireWire:

3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) ports for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
1 VGA monitor port
1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II)
1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
1 Memory Stick slot (Memory Stick Pro compatible)

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems). It also has a hot-swappable bay for adding an optional optical drive or second battery.

Preloaded System and Software
This PCG-GRT100P comes with the Windows XP Professional operating system (which adds Microsoft's IIS Web server, back-up and recovery utilities, Remote Desktop, and other enhanced business features), and it features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). It also is loaded with a bevy of Sony multimedia software: PictureGear Studio (digital photo) and DVgate Plus (digital video). Other preloaded software includes Microsoft Money and Encarta, InterVideo WinDVD, and Norton Internet Security Center (with 90-day subscription).

Dimensions and Weight
Measuring 2.0 x 12.9 x 10.7 inches (H x W x D) and weighing just 7.9 pounds, the PCG-GRT100P is bit larger than other notebooks in its range. It's best used as a desktop replacement while offering portability when you need it.

Power
The included rechargeable lithium-ion battery offers an average battery life range of 1.5 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the Sony Vaio PCG-GRT100P notebook PC (model PCGGRT100P3A), rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It's backed by a 1-year warranty for parts and labor, and 90 days of phone support.

- Sony Computer Peripherals