The Sony Vaio VGN-FS195XP

he Sony Vaio VGN-FS195XP is a real head turner, combining the widescreen, performance and good looks of Sony's top of the range A Series, with the low cost and compact size of Sony's entry level laptop K Series. You knowwhat they say about a family's middle child. They're usually themost practical and reliable of the bunch, offering the bestqualities of their older and younger siblings in one package.Such is the case with the new Sony VAIOVGN-FS195XP. It inherited the exceptional screen size andperformance of Sony's top-end A Series with the low cost andcompact size of the manufacturer's starter-notebook K Series.

Take the FS195XP's good looks. This Vaio'swidescreen spans 15.4 inches and features Sony's X-blacktechnology. Two lamps light up the screen instead of one. Theyprovide greater control over contrast and brightness. So thescreen produces less glare in bright settings in an office oroutdoors, for instance, but can easily compensate with stunningclarity when needed, such as in meetings or on a dark plane.

To make it easier to lug the widescreen onto said plane, Sonyfit this Vaio into a chassis that's only 1.54 inches (39 mm)thick and 6.4 pounds (2.9 kg).

Just because it's lithe does not mean Sony forgotsomething on the inside. They stacked the VGN-FS195XP with anIntel Pentium M740 that boasts a 1.73GHz speed. Combined with a512MB DDR SDRAM and 100GB hard drive, the package was timed at azippy score of 221 when tested on the MobileMark 2002.

For wireless features, the VAIO offers a middle-of-the-road 10/100 Ethernetconnection and soon-to-be-outdated Intel PRO/wireless 2200BGadapter. Let it be known, however, that Sony promises that theVGN-FS195XP will be Sonoma compliant at sale time.

When it comes to multimedia performance, this Sony is abit of a flip-flopper. Its High-Definition Support blesses thenotebook with the power to edit 3-D footage from a high-defcamcorder. But the laptop's GPU is the basic-level NVidia GeForce Go 6200. Although this GPU can support DirectX9 extensions, don't expect it to handle your wildest gamingdesires.