Sony Vaio VPC-EB1S0E/WI review

The screen is also not as impressive as we'd hoped. It has a glossy finish which will reflect overhead lighting, and vertical viewing angles are tight. Colours are natural and vibrant, but without LED backlighting, contrast isn't as good as some screens we've seen recently. The backlight isn't as bright as some, though it is mostly even, with only a couple of darker patches along the bottom edge.

Sony used to include a generous software bundle including Adobe Photoshop Elements, but that's missing from this model. You still get a lot of Sony utility software, although its usefulness is questionable, and you get Sony's media centre replacement, accessible via a dedicated button above the keyboard, which is slick but doesn't really add anything that Windows' own Media Center can't provide. Another button launches the Vaio Care support software, which gives you access to troubleshooting, backup and recovery tools.

The keyboard has keys which are flat-topped and have a gap between them. Their action is light, with distinct feedback that makes them a joy to type on. The layout is standard too, with a double-height Enter key, and there's even room for a four-column numeric keypad and dedicated page navigation keys.

The touchpad is a recessed area of the wrist rest with a roughened finish that's actually quite responsive, although we can see it getting a bit grubby in everyday use. There are two large, separate buttons with a light action and enough travel to provide feedback, and it's set close enough to the edge of the case to be easily accessible by your thumb.

Sony hasn't included a FireWire port, as it usually does, but instead the USB port on the left edge of the case doubles as an eSATA port for high-speed external storage. The other three USB ports are all clustered on the right side. An ExpressCard/34 slot gives you a few expansion options - for example, you could add a TV tuner or broadband modem - and there are dedicated memory card slots for both Sony's proprietary Memory Stick HG-Duo and the more popular SDHC card format.

Design-wise, the EB1S0E stands out from the crowd with its quality materials and build. Underneath the hood, Intel's latest processor provides impressive performance for the money, and a decent graphics card means you have access to a respectable range of games. The keyboard is also worth a mention, and even though the screen isn't as bright as some we've seen it's still good quality.

Overall, the EB1S0E offers very good value for money and if you're keen to buy a new laptop today then this is certainly a contender, but we're going to hold off on giving it an award until we've finished testing a few more Core i3 models.