The best of the Sony VAIO laptops are known for coming with very high-quality components, and the current range doesn’t disappoint. The processors are Intel Core Duo (Intel’s latest dual-core processor), Fujitsu supply the hard disks and Samsung the memory – no cheap knockoffs from the Far East make it into Sony’s laptops.

Each laptop also comes with a special kind of Sony screen, called X-Brite, that makes the image on the screen appear brighter and clearer. These screens are widescreen, to allow you to view films easily on your laptop and have a wider area to work with when you’re just using the computer normally.

Each series of models within the VAIO range is identified by two letters, such as AR or TX. They all have quite similar specifications, always keeping up with the latest advances in technology, with the main difference being the weight and size.

The heaviest VAIO is the 17-inch AR series, which still only weighs about 4 kilos. If you’re looking for something really light, Sony make an 11-inch laptop, the TX, which weighs just over one kilo, and an even tinier one, the UX, which weighs under a kilo.

Sony is also known for the quality of the bundled software that they include with their VAIO laptops (although you can choose to leave it out if you want, and get a discount). This includes Windows XP Professional, other Microsoft software such as Office, and then Sony’s own Movie Shaker (a movie-editing program, like Windows Movie Maker or iMovie), SonicStage (a music management program, like iTunes) and PictureGear (a photo album program, like iPhoto or Picasa). It is clear that Sony intends for VAIO laptops to be used as part of a larger Sony entertainment system, and often builds-in software that can be used to connect Portable Playstations, Minidisc players, Memory Sticks and other Sony devices.