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Naturally the C2SL also comes with a DVD Rewriter drive, while the 120GB SATA Hard Disk is very much as expected too. Sony also includes an ExpressCard memory card adapter adding support for xD, SD and MMC memory cards along with Sony’s own Memory Stick and Memory Stick Pro formats.

On the left, starting from the top is an Ethernet port, modem port, microphone in, headphone socket, optical drive and the ExpressCard slot which is situated above the optical dive. On the front edge is a Wireless on/off switch and a Magic Gate memory slot for Sony branded memory cards.

On the right edge you’ll find the power socket, security lock, the single cooling vent, VGA output, S-Video out, four-pin FireWire port and finally two USB 2.0 ports.

Overall this is a nice selection of connections, though one or two extra USB ports would have been a nice addition. The inclusion of S-Video is, however, a significant bonus making connecting your notebook to a TV a quick and easy process.

The C2SL has you well covered for communication methods too, with a standard 56K modem, 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR all built in. All in all, it ticks most of the boxes for features you’d expect to find on any notebook these days.

The display is also perfectly serviceable, with a 13.3 inch viewable area and a native resolution of 1,280 x 800 that is very much the norm for a notebook of this size. It also has the now ubiquitous glossy finish that helps produce excellent blacks and vibrant colours for great DVD performance – though viewing angles do suffer accordingly.

Overall the weight and dimensions put the C2SL somewhere between an ultra-portable and a desktop replacement, making it eminently portable. It weighs in the region of 2.3kg and, though it isn’t as svelte as some of Sony’s more expensive offerings, the colourful styling helps make it look rather more attractive than a typical mid-range offering.

The larger form factor also provides plenty of space for a large, well laid out keyboard. The Insert, Delete, Home, End and Page Up/Down keys are all arranged vertically down the right hand side and apart from this and the lack of a number pad, the layout is just like any normal desktop keyboard.

If anything the keyboard is a little on the large side compared to other notebooks, and at times it feels like you’re stretching for the keys. Whether this is a problem is very much a matter of taste, while those more used to desktop keyboards may well appreciate the larger keys. Below the keyboard is a wide aspect touchpad, which is generally fine though the default speed settings seemed to be a little unresponsive.

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