Sony Vaio?

[Robert Dewey]

Has anyone every bought/used a Sony Vaio (specifically the PCG-K27 model)? I am thinking about getting one, since I found a pretty good deal ($950 fully loaded off eBay).

 

[JR Hehnly]

I've had the pcg-fxa53 for a couple of years, has worked well considering the abuse I give it. Goes chasing, to work, to school... 1 of the 2 USB ports quit working, it got rammed when I hit the brakes and everything flew forward, cramming the usb plugged in there into the jack. Recently the ethernet port quit, but I have not determined if it is a software or hardware problem.

I have the 4 year service plan so all the problems will get fixed whenever I can go without laptop for a few weeks.

Did have to replace power supply pack... service company just sent a new one after I called.

I'd buy another Vaio again... and another service plan.

 

[Andrew Booth]

Originally posted by rdewey
... (quite long, LOL)

Try this for shortening long URL's: http://tinyurl.com/

I find it to be pretty useful.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Originally posted by Andrew Booth+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Andrew Booth)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-rdewey

... (quite long, LOL)

Try this for shortening long URL's: http://tinyurl.com/

I find it to be pretty useful.[/b]

Nice

 

[Graham Butler]

I have 2001 Sony Vaio 850mhz model with 128 ram......cant say I am all that happy with it. It seems to run far far slower than my 500mhz desktop, ports were quick to break, screen broke easily (but then again dont they all). It treated me well for the first couple years but its to the point now that I had to get new one. Using programs such as DeLorme and Adobe Photoshop or Premier it had major crashing and freezing problems. Oh, and the batteries.....they suck, you WILL have to buy more. I am now to the point that if I want to move to another room without powering down (or it doing it for me) I have to plan ahead and run to the next room!!!

I have also been told they are expensive and hell to upgrade hardware.

This could be an isolated case but just my experience.

good luck

-Graham Butler
graham.butler at ttu.edu

 

[Robert Dewey]

Thanks for all of the replies!

I decided to go with a manufacturer refurbished Compaq R3000 (from ebay) instead, and hopefully that works out

For $899.00, I got:

2.4Ghz P4 processor, 512MB of DDR333 ram, 40GB HDD, ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics, WXGA 15.4" display, Firewire port, S-video out port, and a CD-RW/DVD-ROM

The only problem I have is that there is no integrated Wi-Fi support. I tend to have a problem breaking the pcmcia wi-fi cards, and have been through about 3 of them in the past year (well, one lost it's soul while I was trying to modify it)

 

[Stuart Robinson]

no fire wire ??? - for a chase laptop I would want this for video uploads.

 

[Graham Butler]

Originally posted by Stuart Robinson
no fire wire ??? - for a chase laptop I would want this for video uploads.

Very easy to add. You can get a pc card that has USB 2.0 and firewire for like $20. My new HP doesnt have either so I have a card on the way.

-Graham Butler

 

[JR Hehnly]

Originally posted by Stuart Robinson
no fire wire ??? - for a chase laptop I would want this for video uploads.

Amen to needing one on any chaser's computer, hard to find a newer camcorder that doesn't have a firewire connection. Looks like Robert's Compaq has one, though.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Just got my Compaq Presario R3000 yesterday, and so far so good. It has actually run some pretty good games with decent settings, and seems pretty quick (just ran Far Cry at 1024x768 with low settings, and ran very well (graphic quality is still excellent, even on low settings)). This one actually includes a firewire port, built in media card reader, remote control (I purchased that seperately), S-video output... You would have thought though, with all of that, that they could have included a built in wi-fi card... So, purchased one of those, and so far that card has been pretty crappy (it's a very low end card, $20.00)... I can barely get a signal a few rooms away from the wireless LAN router. And of course, battery life seems pretty short, but I guess a P4 2.4Ghz, overclocked video card, and a bright WXGA 15.4" widescreen LCD pretty much drains the power.

I payed a total of $950.00 for the laptop and accessories (its manufacture refurbished with 6 month warranty from HP), and bought it off ebay. All in all, I would recommend this laptop if anyone out there is shopping around.