Features:
Everything about the Sony Vaio NW240F is pretty pleasing. For starters, it looks good and unlike its glossy plastic shelfmates, the textured chassis doesn't feel cheap or end up covered in fingerprints from simply picking it up. It's well configured for general home and office duties and the port assortment is more than just basics. Some might see it as slightly pricey for what you get--similar configurations can be found for less--but the Sony is not what we'd consider overpriced. In the end, the NW240F is just a respectable mainstream notebook with a look and feel above much of its competition.
The Vaio NW240F we tested has a textured plastic shell with a wenge wood pattern and walnut brown color; the texture is both on the lid and inside on the keyboard tray. The pattern gives it a strange, though not unpleasant feel, and certainly helps it stand out. As does the giant Vaio branding on the lid.
More importantly, the keyboard is the same flat chiclet-style Sony keyboard we've come to know and love. The keys are well spaced with good travel offering up a pleasing typing experience. The touch pad, too, is comfortable; it's amply sized and has a slight texture that seemingly helps keep your finger moving smoothly.
Though the Vaio NW240F's keyboard tray leaves plenty of room for multimedia control keys, you won't find any here with the exception of a mute key and another for shutting off the display. The AV Mode button that we've found on previous Vaio models is now a Web button that launches a Splashtop browser so you can quickly access Web sites without booting into Windows. The Display Off button comes in handy for when you've connected to an external display through the VGA or HDMI outputs as well as if you're doing some late-night downloading and don't want the screen to disturb your sleep. The Mute button, by the way, can be reprogrammed to do other things like launch an application or instantly maximize screen brightness.
