Sony VAIO VGN-T350P

Freedom. That’s what separates the Sony VAIO VGN-T350P from the ultraportable pack. This tiny three-pounder is the first notebook to feature a built-in EDGE cellular modem, which means you can connect whenever and wherever you want in the U.S. at speeds up to 160 Kbps. Verizon Wireless’ EV-DO network is much faster (300 to 500 Kbps), but this VAIO is a good buy since EDGE coverage is more widely available and Sony makes managing the T350P’s cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connections simple using a single interface.

Like other T series models, the T350P is small and stylish. At 10.7 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches, it’s compact enough to slip into a briefcase, yet has enough room for a dual layer DVD burner on the right side. The color of the lid is an executive-chic midnight blue, and Sony offers two other color options (burgundy and silver) online. To the right of the 10.6-inch widescreen you’ll find the antenna for the EDGE connection, which sits flush with the system.

Otherwise, this VAIO is identical to it predecessors, with multimedia playback buttons above the keyboard, and both volume controls and a wireless switch on the front, which will shut down whatever wireless radios you have engaged. Other features include three USB ports, FireWire, a Memory Stick slot, a VGA port, and PC Card slot on the left side, plus Ethernet and modem jacks on the right side.

To get connected to Cingular’s EDGE network, you click on the Cingular Connection Manager within Sony’s slick SmartWi Connection Utility. It takes several seconds for the EDGE radio to turn on, and then 30 seconds or more for the notebook to find the network and automatically connect from a cold start. That’s a little annoying when you consider most PC Card modems find and connect to whatever networks they support in less than 10 seconds.

In our tests, the T350P delivered good enough performance for those who want to check e-mail and surf the Web on the go. Using McAfee’s Internet Connection Speedometer (not included) in various locations in Manhattan and New Jersey, we averaged 142 Kbps, which is more than 2.5 times faster than dialup. In day-to-day use, Web pages popped up between 9 and 14 seconds, which is decent. You can get away with listening to Internet radio (LAUNCHcast worked fine on the Low quality setting), but we don’t recommend using this notebook for streaming video (even a 56 Kbps stream on iFilm looked choppy).

For our last set of tests, we downloaded a 4MB PowerPoint file from an FTP server in three different locations. The T350P took an average of 3 minutes and 53 seconds, which works out to 139 Kbps. A Verizon Wireless EV-DO PC Card accomplished this task in less than 40 seconds. On the other hand, EV-DO is currently available in only 32 cities, and when you’re not in an EV-DO coverage area you drop back to Verizon Wireless’ 1xRTT network (50 to 70 Kbps).

The bottom line is that if you want reasonable speed in more places, this EDGE notebook will satisfy your thirst for wireless data. However, we highly recommend you take advantage of the free trial offer before deciding to fork over $79.95 per month for unlimited access or $49.99 per month for the 50MB plan.

Whether you’re working in Word or surfing the Web, the 1.2-GHz Pentium M processor and 512MB of memory will supply all the performance you’ll need. The 4,200-rpm hard drive is a bit sluggish, but 60GB is plenty of storage for most. In our tests, the T350P delivered a solid but not spectacular MobileMark score of 155. More impressive was this system’s battery life; it lasted for nearly five hours on a charge.

            Web pages and DVDs (including Spider-Man 2) looked great on Sony’s small but glossy 10.6-inch XBrite display, but if you work a lot in Word you’ll definitely want to zoom the text size up to 150 percent. Users with big hands will likely find the 90 percent size keyboard too cramped, but we became accustomed to the layout within a few days. The shrunken buttons beneath the touchpad take some getting used to.

In addition to the SmartWi Connection Utility, Sony packs this notebook to the gills with multimedia applications, including Click to DVD for making DVDs, PictureGear Studio for managing and editing digital images, and VAIO Zone, a Media Center-like interface for playing DVDs and CDs, as well as managing your music, pictures, and videos. A copy of Microsoft Works 8.0 and Intuit Quicken 2005 rounds out a very generous software bundle.

Sony deserves kudos for being the first to market a consumer notebook with a cellular modem built in. With Cingular’s HSDPA network launching later this year in select markets (offering speeds in the 400 to 700 Kbps range), it’s fair to ask whether the Sony VAIO VGN-T350P is worth the investment. This laptop compensates for its slightly slower speeds with its sheer convenience, portability, and endurance.