"The VPCY21S1E falls in to the ultraportable category with a compact 13.3 inch screen making it small enough to be portable but large enough to enjoy a movie."
Karim Beerahee
Part of Sony VAIOs Y series the VPCY21S1E is a lightweight machine that comes in an array of colours, as you may have noticed it comes in pink but is also available in blue and silver as well as your standard business black.
The VPCY21S1E falls in to the ultraportable category with a compact 13.3 inch screen making it small enough to be portable but large enough to enjoy a movie, play game or do some work on.
What we like best
At a mid-level price you get a respectable standard of equipment with the Sony VAIO VPCY21S1E. Four Gb RAM and 320 Gb storage with a battery said to last up to 8.5 hours is about right for the pricing. It also comes with a decent set of ports including FireWire and HDMI, although the lack of a USB 3.0 is a bit of a pain. This model is marketed mainly for students and young people, so a more extensive spec could only really be expected if you were willing to spend more on a higher standard machine.
The Sony VAIO VPCY21S1E sports the VAIO patented keyboard which is a favourite around here, you get the extra spacing to let your fingers dance across the laptop with a satisfying click. The matte touchpad has up to date multi-touch features allowing you to scroll and zoom quickly.
What we like least
The VAIO VPCY21S1E certainly won’t win any races, although we find the Intel Pentium U4500 processor a reliable chip, it’s not a favourite of those that need a powerful machine. 1.2 GHz, you certainly won’t easily be able to manage HD video editing and just forget about 3D. Having integrated graphics rather than discrete is rather a pain, but it will allow you to play some of your favourite games problem free.
The issues we have with the VPCY21S1E are performance based, but these problems all mean a longer battery life. So if you are going to be away from the mains doing some mid-level work this Sony VAIO would be a pretty good option.
The Sony VAIO VPCY21S1E is a standard ultraportable that gives you more power than you would get from a netbook. Although it’s not a processing powerhouse it works well enough as a light machine that’s suitable for getting a bit of work done on the go. As long as you don’t have substantial requirements then the Sony VAIO VPCY21S1E is a fine choice.
Processor Speed
1.2 GHz
2.5 GT/s DMI
Processor
Intel Pentium Processor U5400
RAM
Up to 4 Gb
Screen Size
13.3 inch
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics
Hard Drive Storage
Up to 320 Gb
Battery
up to 8.5 hours
Multimedia
Stereo Speakers
Webcam
Built in Mic
Ports
3 x USB 2.0
FireWire
VGA
HDMI
Mic Jack
Headphone Jack
Extension card slot
RJ-45
Weight & Size
(W) 326 x (H) 23.7-32 x (D) 226.5 mm
1.78 Kg
Connectivity
Ethernet
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Sony VAIOs VPCY21S1E is a mid range buy, a fun laptop targeted at youngsters for low strain computing. It comes in a variety of colours and has a cool layout with great usability thanks to the VAIO designed keyboard and touch pad.
Sony VAIO VPCY21S1E
The Sony VAIO VPCY21S1E has a moderate spec, rather low on processing power and graphically adequate for mild gaming though I wouldn’t recommend putting this system through its paces with some of the more demanding ones out now, especially not if they’re of the 3D variety.
Despite the power deficiency you get a long living battery with the Sony VAIO VPCY21S1E, the moderate to lower standard spec are designed to improve battery life. For an ultraportable like the Sony VAIO VPCY21S1E this is all important, a great student laptop.
If you want to find out more about its features, read the PC Site Sony VAIO VPCY21S1E review.
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