VGN-FJ
More actions

| VGN-FJ | |
|---|---|
| [[File:|center|280px|Type F Light]] | |
| Series | Notebook |
| Release | 2005 |
| Processor | Intel Celeron M/Intel Pentium M |
| Graphics | Intel 915/950 Graphics Media Accelerator (128MB of dynamically allocated RAM/video memory) |
| Chipset | Mobile 915 Express |
| Memory | 512MB/1GB DDR2 SDRAM (2 slots, PC2-4200, max. 2GB) |
| Display | 14.1" WXGA 1280x800 XBRITE-ECO LCD |
| Storage | 60GB/100GB 2.5" SATA HDD |
| Audio | |
| Networking | |
| OS | Windows XP Home Edition (later models were sold as Vista-capable) |
| Battery | |
| Weight | |
| Dimensions | |
| MSRP | |
Overview
The Sony VAIO VGN-FJ (aka. Type F Light) was a line of stylish, thin-and-light 14.1" notebook computers released by Sony in 2005 and were available in a variety of finishes to their magnesium-alloy-plus-plastic casings depending on domestic markets and configurations (White, Black, Blue, Green, Red, Violet, etc.).
The VGN-FJ notebooks were primarily designed for Windows XP, with later models intended to be Windows Vista capable. Notably, they shipped with XBRITE-ECO 1280x800 native resolution displays and utilized Intel's Sonoma platform (2nd-gen Centrino platform) which featured the Mobile 915 Express series chipset, the mPGA478C CPU socket and either the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG or 2915ABG mini-PCI Wi-Fi adapters. However, no Bluetooth adapter of any kind was included throughout this lineup's production run.
Based on configuration these notebooks shipped with anything from a Celeron M (~1.6 GHz) to the markedly more powerful Pentium M (~2 GHz). Of importance to note is that the lower-end models, in addition to settling for Celeron CPUs, do not include the built-in MOTION EYE webcam and came with a 60GB HDD rather than the typical 100GB.
Initially targeted as a home and office-ready computer (FJ190), more capable models (FJ270/370) were then released and marketed to be home, office and student-oriented computers instead. The otherwise lower-spec models enjoyed a more colorful selection of casing finishes, later further expanded for a definite deal of time as the extra finishes were exclusive to the Japan-only 10th Anniversary limited edition, featuring bespoke lid art. The VGN-FJ series was later succeeded by the VGN-C series.
Daily Usage Today



As is true of several machines of the era (VAIO or otherwise) the VGN-FJ makes a fair case for itself in terms of continued light-duty usage well into the modern day. Office work, "3D Leap"-era gaming and Media Center use cases should pose little challenge to its hardware even today so long as one keeps the limitations of the Intel 2nd-gen Centrino platform and the 2GB RAM hard cap in mind. A consistently good way to bring performance back to a tolerable level is to swap in an SSD as a boot device.
Resources
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Recovery Discs & Downloads
| VGN-FJ270 Windows XP HDD Image + Recovery Partition | VGN-FJ270 Windows XP HDD Image + Recovery Partition |
| VGN-FJ270 Windows XP Recovery DVDs | VGN-FJ270 Windows XP Recovery DVDs |
| VGN-FJ drivers and utilities archive | VGN-FJ drivers and utilities archive |
Articles & Reviews
| Sony VAIO FJ170/B review | Sony VAIO FJ170/B review |
| Sony VAIO FJ180/B review | Sony VAIO FJ180/B review |
| Sony VAIO VGN-FJ190PS product page (JP) | Sony VAIO VGN-FJ190PS product page (JP) |
| Intel Technology Journal (Vol. 9; Issue 1; published Feb. 17th, 2005) | Intel Technology Journal |