As we mentioned, the swapping out of the older N270/N280 processors for the Atom N450 has resulted in dramatic battery improvements. The older Vaio W only got 2 hours and 19 minutes of battery life from its three-cell battery, while the Vaio Eco VPC-W212AX achieved 6 hours and 36 minutes of continuous video playback from its included large-capacity battery. That's a huge improvement, and as good a reason to buy a next-gen Atom Netbook as any. Still, Sony's battery bulges significantly from the backside of the Vaio Eco VPC-W212AX, making it a useful laptop riser but a bit of an eyesore, plus, other Atom N450 Netbooks we've tested offer even better battery results.
Sony includes an industry-standard, one-year, parts-and-labor warranty with the system. Upgrading to a three-year plan is an extra $169. Support is accessible through a 24-7 toll-free phone line, and a well-designed support site with a knowledge base and driver downloads.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Sony Vaio Eco VPC-W212AX
Windows 7 Starter; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz;
250MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 3150; 250GB Seagate 5400rpm
Asus Eee PC 1201N
Windows 7 Starter; 1.6GHz Intel Atom N330 Dual-Core; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 2050MHz;
256MB Nvidia ION; 250GB Hitachi 5400rpm
Acer Ferrari One
Windows 7 Home Premium; 1.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core L310; 4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz;
384MB (Dedicated) ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200; 250GB Seagate 5400rpm
Acer Aspire One 532h-2326
Windows 7 Starter; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz;
250MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 3150; 250GB Seagate 5400rpm
Asus Eee PC 1005PE
Windows 7 Starter; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz;
251MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 3150; 250GB Seagate 5400rpm
HP Mini 5102
Windows 7 Starter; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz;
248MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 3150; 160GB Seagate 7200rpm
Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN
Windows 7 Starter; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz;
250MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 3150; 250GB Hitachi 5400rpm
