Schweeet

I am writing this review because I wish there had been a full length one when I considered this model. I bought this laptop in May 2005 during a sale at Best Buy. To bring you up to speed on my vast knowledge of laptops, I have never owned one, and only briefly ever used one. I own a Sony Vaio desktop that is 1 1/2 years old. I have really enjoyed it, and due to my various Sony devices and using memory sticks, a Sony was the brand I was most drawn to when buying this laptop. I wanted something that would last many years without being obsolete, look old, or run out of space for all my junk.

So, what do I think? My desktop is still my primary work station…only because I already had it. For three months this summer I was away from home and only had the laptop, and not once did I miss having the desktop.

If you want all the technical features, I suggest checking out the following link, as blathering on about such details is not my favorite activity. For me, it was fast enough, with enough memory but not so advanced as to be super expensive. As it is, it is just as fast and has almost as much memory as my desktop does, so performance has not been a problem for me. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7126978&type=product&id=1109938021253

I compared it to comparable models, and although the Sony was more expensive even with $200 in rebates (big surprise eh?), I was drawn to what seemed a more comfortable working environment; a nice keyboard, great monitor screen and easy to use touch pad. Those were my initial impressions, and those have just been reinforced with more time.

Using the laptop could not be easier. I know that when I tried to use my palm pilot for wifi internet surfing, I had nothing but problems getting it to work. From the moment I switched on the WLAN in this laptop, it was smooth sailing. Having Microsoft office 2003 on here as a trial version was great, as I had 97 prior, and it was great to use the newer version (I purchased the upgrade).

I remember using my father’s old laptop with the mini nub for a mouse…how frustrating. And initially I was worried about the drag pad on this model, but I very quickly got used to it, and the added features of being able to scroll, minimize/maximize/close windows and go back or forward are great once you get used to them. Sure, I still screw it up from time to time, but for the most part, it has been a huge plus for me, and I actually am not fond of going back to a regular mouse. Same for the keyboard. Although flat and attached to the laptop, unlike my wireless keyboard at home, I feel more at rest and have an easier touch with the laptop keyboard. Bottom line here: My hands like the laptop for sure.

My eyes too. Even now, looking at my new 17” Samsung monitor versus the laptop…the laptop is crisper, and easier on the eyes, even in dark situations. The Sony screen saver only shows how good the screen is even more. Usually I hate built in screen savers, but this one is a keeper.

The battery for me has been just as expected. I can usually get 2 hours or so out of a charge depending on what I am doing. But…just in case I try not to go too far from home without bringing the clumsy large AC adapter. It feels like I am packing a transformer for my computer stereo speakers, but oh well, I suppose the laptop is light enough that I can put up with it.

I have not burnt any DVDs on this machine yet, although the double layer technology certainly is something that could come in handy on down the road.

No cosmetic issues have developed yet. It takes a licking with out showing it so far. No scrapes or anything, even though there have been run ins with pens and such that could have done so.

Now, the negatives. We all have to be negative at some point right? Nothing is perfect!

Sony’s customer service…keep in mind they do not have the best reputation. Thus since I bought this model at Best Buy, I opted for the usual sucker’s bet of the extended comprehensive warranty. Another reason is that my working situations can be somewhat dangerous for such equipment, and I plan to use it quite a bit.

I have grown rather attached to the giga pocket, aka TV tuner in my desktop. Having to buy a docking station to get the same feature on the laptop is not something I am ready to do, but this is relatively minor, especially in my case, since I do have the desktop to use and do not have to have the laptop for this purpose.

I do quite a bit using power point and video projectors. Doing this, once I figured out how, is a snap. However there are some projectors (ok, old ones) where a S-video connection would really help a ton. Usually thought the monitor out connector works fine and is easy to use (remember function F7!)

There is a tiny door on the bottom of the unit, for connection to the docking port I assume (I have never had use for it). It comes open by itself from time to time. A minor annoyance, but I would hate for it to get damaged while I am moving about….you never know, I might actually need to use it some day!

This is probably only my machine, but very often this little baby does not want to shut down. I have to manually turn it off. It boots up fine afterwards, but this is kind of annoying. I like just shutting the lid and having it go to hibernate mode. Very handy for when I am on the go.

This is probably just me as a novice, but can there not be an easier way to connect this thing to my desktop? I have tried USB and firewire so far, with no real success to manage my outlook express, etc. At least I can just transfer files to my memory stick back and forth when absolutely needed.

Ah, one thing…the onboard speakers: They suck. Plan on packing some headphones if you really want to listen to music…or just about anything. The speakers will work if nothing else is available, and you want to be really close to the laptop, otherwise, plan on something else to be able to listen to anything.

So, you have read all this, what is the bottom line? If you need something portable, fast (enough anyway), handy, easy on your body, and so far pretty tough, this is at least something you should consider. I could realistically sell my desktop and not feel much adverse affects.

How good are they? My dad went out and bought one. Nuff said.

*************UPDATE*****************
In mid September the computer one day refused to boot up. Pushing the power button simply did nothing. This, as you can imagine, was fairly disconcerting. I took the computer back to Best Buy (remember those no hassle service plans they sell...it paid off this time, read on..) and although they said I would be without the laptop for two weeks, I received it, well packed, via Fed Ex, fully functional, and fortunately, with the hard drive intact. The explanation enclosed said they had to replace the motherboard. Also fixed were the two latches, that as my daughter tried to help me one day were "broken" or significantly loosened.

Is this a common problem with these laptops? I do not know. I have used the laptop now again for a week, with everything working as before, but obviously losing a motherboard when the laptop is not even six months old could be of a potential concern if you are considering buying one new, especially used.

I am still satisfied, but more so that I spent the $200 on the service agreement...sending the computer back cost me absolutely nothing, just the loss of having it for a week. Although one would hope (emphasis on hope when thinking about Sony service) that this would have been covered under warranty.

By the way, I used my father's (as mentioned above) while mine was in the shop. His has presented no problems whatsoever.