Sony VAIO SZ320P/B Notebook (1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile T5600, 1GB DDR2, 60GB, DVDRW DL, Windows XP Pro, 13.3" LCD)

Not Much RAM for Multitasking

This laptop has a relatively low amount of RAM. Generally speaking, 1-2GB of RAM is okay for light usage on a netbook or ultraportable laptop, but if you want to run Windows 7 or newer apps, you'll want more than that.

The more RAM your laptop has, the faster programs will run and the greater number of windows you can work in at one time. If your needs are simple and you rarely do more than two things at once on your PC, the relatively modest amount of memory that comes installed in inexpensive laptops will be enough.

Suited for Commuting and Other Short Trips

Because of its midsize screen and other middle-of-the-road characteristics, this notebook qualifies as an all-purpose portable. Though it might not have the biggest hard drive or all the latest card slots, its features--and accordingly, its price--are a good fit for most people who need to get work done in mainstream applications. On this laptop, you'll be able to compute comfortably in word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail, and browser applications, and enjoy music or a DVD movie with headphones. This laptop, lighter and easier to carry than a desktop replacement, is also a better choice for commuting and other short trips.

Dedicated Graphics Card Improves Video and Gaming

A laptop equipped with a dedicated graphics card does a better job of playing videos--and video games--than a portable lacking a discrete board does. That's because video cards come with their own memory to make images look good on the screen; you get 128MB of video memory on a lower-cost card, and 256MB, 512MB, or 1GB on better ones. Without a dedicated card, your laptop has to borrow video memory from the main store of memory that the system uses to run other programs. As a result, everything slows down, but 3D games in particular will stutter, look bad, or not run at all. A good-quality graphics card in your laptop ensures that you'll be able to play any type of video, without adversely affecting other programs.

Supports DVD Burning

This laptop is equipped with a DVD burner, a slightly older type of optical drive. If you don't need the ultrahigh recording capacity of a new Blu-ray optical drive, and you don't care about watching high-definition movies on your laptop, a DVD burner should suit you fine. It can read and burn data, music, or video discs up to 8.5GB in capacity. A DVD burner is, of course, backward-compatible with CDs, but it cannot play the newer Blu-ray media because the two types of optical-disc technology use different lasers. In a couple of years, Blu-ray will completely replace the DVD disc format.

Expand Memory and Multimedia Through the ExpressCard Slot

The built-in ExpressCard slot on this laptop lets you easily expand the memory, wireless communications, multimedia, or security of the system. There are two types of ExpressCards: the ExpressCard/34, which measures 34mm by 75mm and is shaped like a stick of chewing gum, and the wider ExpressCard/54, which is 54mm by 75mm. The ExpressCard/54 slot, which accepts either type of card, opens up a wider world of expandability, including SmartCard readers, CompactFlash readers, and 1.8-inch disk drives. Few new laptops come equipped with the old PC Card slot that preceded ExpressCard, but if yours does, you can buy an adapter that lets you use ExpressCards in the PC Card slot. 

Supports Memory Stick Cards

Usually, a multiformat card reader, such as the one in this laptop, can accept several different types of flash memory cards, including Memory Sticks. A compact proprietary flash memory card, Memory Stick is a Sony and SanDisk product intended chiefly for Sony devices, including its laptops, digital cameras, camcorders, PDAs, and cell phones, as well as the PlayStation Portable. Five variations have been released since its introduction in 1998--each faster, smaller, and more capacious than the last. Check this laptop's specs to see how many variations of Memory Stick it can read without an adapter. Not much bigger than a thumbnail, the Memory Stick Micro (aka M2) is the one of the smallest flash memory cards in existence; only the competing microSD, a type of SD Card, is tinier. The 16GB Memory Stick Pro Duo stores the most data.

Supports xD-Picture Cards

If you own a Fujifilm or Olympus digital camera, or an Olympus digital voice recorder, this laptop might be appropriate for you since it can read the xD-Picture Card format. xD is a niche product, not as popular or ubiquitous as other types of flash memory cards. Small and thin, and about the size of a quarter, it's comparable in size to Memory Sticks and SD Cards--but it doesn't hold as much, topping out at a mere 2GB. If you own (or are thinking of buying) a Fujifilm or Olympus digital device and need xD compatibility, that won't matter. This laptop will make sharing xD data a breeze.

Supports SD Cards

Like most new laptops, this one has either a multiformat card reader or a dedicated slot that accepts an SD (Secure Digital) Card. More popular than Memory Stick, CompactFlash, and xD-Picture Card, SD is found in a large number of digital cameras, PDAs, printers, and other devices. SD Cards have built-in security functions to protect data, including music copyright protection. (The cards have a small write-protection switch on the side similar to that of a floppy disk.) The latest SD card, the microSDHC, is the tiniest flash memory card to date, measuring only 11mm across. It's also the fastest and roomiest, capable of holding up to 16GB of data. 

Supports MultiMediaCards

Any laptop that can work with SD Cards can also take MultiMediaCards in its multiformat card reader. These small, thin cards look like their SD counterparts (and are often lumped into the same category), but the technology inside is different, as these cards lack SD's encryption and have only half the storage capacity. They're also slower. If security and speed are not critical issues for you, MultiMediaCard can be a cheaper alternative to the more popular SD; many devices that accept SD will also take the slightly thinner MultiMediaCard. Regardless, this laptop gives you the choice of using either format.

Connect Peripherals With Bluetooth Technology

This short-range wireless technology is everywhere. Whether you activate it on a laptop by way of an external on/off switch or through software, the small internal Bluetooth card automatically detects other Bluetooth-equipped devices within 30 feet and sends and receives radio signals over an ad-hoc "piconet," or personal wireless network. Bluetooth is an especially convenient way to add external peripherals or partner the laptop with other devices, such as a cell phone, printer, or digital camera. Bluetooth works only over short distances to connect devices around your home or office, sending small chunks of data at a leisurely 1 megabit per second.

Windows XP Installed

Currently Microsoft's Windows XP operating system remains an option for sub-$600 mini-notebooks (also known as "netbooks"). Although it debuted back in 2001, XP is still popular among many computer users, especially in businesses that have standardized on the OS and have no desire to switch to the 3D-heavy Vista. XP introduced a lot of the useful built-in applications we now take for granted, including the ability to burn CDs, as well as Remote Desktop, which lets telecommuters connect to another XP computer across a network or the Internet and access their programs and files. This streamlined operating system should run fine on this notebook.