Credit: Sony

(First Look) - Sony has recently introduced a new series of notebooks, codenamed FJ series, that offer the latest in mobile technologies, but don’t cost as much as the ultra portable or ultra performance counterparts. The FJ series of notebooks come in five colors that all look sleek and classic.

In regards to actual specifications, the FJ series feature an Intel Pentium M 750 processor that operates at 1.86GHz and has 2MB of L2 cache. They also have a 100GB 5400RPM hard drive, 512MB of DDR400 (PC3200) memory (expandable to 2GB), Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Adapter, 14.1" WXGA display with XBRITE-ECO technology (1280x800), a DVD+R double-layer/DVD+RW drive and Microsoft Windows XP SP2. The notebooks weigh in ~5.3lbs with standard battery, which will give you about 1.5 to 3.5 hours of battery life.

In addition to what’s stated above, you get the standard multimedia functionality and other features that are common to notebooks of the same caliber.

The MSRP of the FJ series of notebooks start at $1499.99.

Initial Thoughts: Considering how the consumer electronics industry is moving rapidly towards the hybridization of functionality and style, Sony VAIO FJ series is up to the speed with latest developments in that regard. The exterior of the notebook is very sleek and impressive, so it’s bound to impress the majority of you. Although Sony considers this to be a valued product at $1499.99, the price is still quite elevated, especially consider the substandard battery life of the notebook. The onboard memory is also limited considering the ridiculously low prices of system memory at wholesale prices. The remaining specifications appear to be all well and good, but we must also point out that the FJ series doesn’t have the multimedia controls that you would expect on a half decent notebook. Keeping the drawbacks in mind, the price is inflated and it doesn’t look like the notebook holds too much value for the buyer.