I am impressed
Written: Jun 05 '02 (Updated Jun 30 '02)
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Pros: Excellent multi-media capabilities, big screen and good graphics
Cons: Heavy especially in a laptop bag with other things, BIG AC Adapter
The Bottom Line: SOMETHING FOR ALL - EXCELLENT BUY
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| rahulthakur's Full Review: Sony VAIO GRX550 PC Notebook |
I would like to start by stating that I did a lot of research on laptops before I bought this one. I wanted Win 2000 OS and Sony GRX was one of the few systems that offered that along with other cool features.
I also wanted the 512 MB RAM and 40 GB HD and I packaged the whole things together, I was impressed with the price
Pros: Sony has a bunch of multi-media software installed on this laptop. Right from music mixing and playing to movieshaker (editing and modifying mpeg clips). For somebody who is into multi media stuff I would certainly recommed this system. I was also impressed with the size of the screen which really makes a difference. Ofcourse there is a weight trade off.
I also like the cool jog-dial feature which is a small wheel just below the touch pad which can be turned in either direction to get to any program that you may like. Programs can be added and deleted using the custom feature of this utility. This is especially helpful when you want to run some program when you are in the middle of something else without going to Start - Programs. All your favorite programs can be listed in this utility.
The DVD viewing software is also good as is the graphics card that is provided. The CD-RW is easy to use and is substantially fast which makes burning CDs a lot easier.
The display is absolutely fantastic typical of Sony and I am sure that the 16" monitor is absolutely fabulous.
SUPPORT: I am a little skeptical about Sony's support team as they were not as helpful as I has thought. Although, there are a lot of support features that Sony has installed on this laptop which will help you trouble-shoot minor problems. The system CDs provided with the laptop are good as I found out when I had to redo the system because of a small fault of mine. The whole C drive was up and running in about 45 minutes, restores to the original settings.
CONS: The weight is the biggest drawback of this system. Because of the larger screen size if makes the system rather heavy (atleast in laptop terms). Also, because of the size of the laptop it is difficult to find a bag that it will fit in. I had to order one of Sony's website (www.sonydirect.com) which is custom made for this laptop.
Also, the Hard disk makes some unusual sound sometimes (like it is working very hard), but that is not a concern to me.
The AC Adapter is rather big. I feel it because I have used IBM Thinkpad which also had a big adapter but Sony has really not made any effort to shrink the size of that. Especially if you are travelling, it is going to be a problem not initially but when you have to carry it around every week. Should not be a determining factor, but certainly a big consideration.
OVERALL: I would strongly recommend this system. Make sure that you take Sony's 1 year warranty and also then use your VISA cards warranty help to get an additional 1 years warranty.
My System:
Sony VAIO GRX 500, 1.6 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB
Win 2000 OS
Win Office XP
15" LCD monitor
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2349.99
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 15
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 31-40
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Epinions.com ID:
rahulthakur
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Reviews written: 6
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