Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
I'm new to the Forums so forgive me as this is not a detailed review, more of a first impression.
Background: I use my Notebook heavily for both work and play. Work is mainly Office applications so power is not the be all and end all. Play includes Video editing, 3D gaming, Music and Web Surfing. I work for a large Cruise Line and spend my life on the open waves therefore I have to carry my life in my backpack, thus the need for portability. I was using a GRT290ZP mainly for work although I do also have a TR1MP for taking ashore and checking mail etc. The GRT made the trip from My Cabin to Work everyday which is 7 flights of stairs (or the Elevator normally) therefore weight is not an issue. I decided, as most of the work I do is spreadsheet based, to take the plunge and invest in a 17" widescreen model.
Choices: I looked at the Toshiba P25 S676 but decided against it as the low screen resolution defeated the object of having a 17" model (being less than my old GRT) and it was somewhat bigger than the Sony although no doubt that P4 3.4g processor would have left the A190 dead in the water. It had to be available over the counter in the usual high street stores as shipping to a ship can be difficult. I chose the Sony A190 as I have had 6 prior Sony Notebooks and only one minor problem with any of them. This is now my 12th Notebook PC and all other manufacturers I have used have had problems on every model within the warranty period.
First Impressions: The Screen is fantastic, I know some people don't like Xbrite technology, but it really pushes my buttons and I work in a bright environment all day long with no problems. The whole unit looks and feels like a quality product. The Keyboard has a good response and has as close to full size keys as you will find on any Notebook. My wife walked in the cabin and instantly filed for divorce as she knew that getting me off this baby was going to be too much of a chore. With it's AV dock and S Master Speakers straggled either side of it, it is a beast with a larger footprint than a lot of desktops.
TV Times: After installing all the usual office software and performing all the updates from Microsoft, Sony & Symantec, I was ready to try out the TV & Video features..... Okay, this is where I have to admit, I think Sony made a mistake. They have installed it with their own "Giga Pocket" & "Vaio Media" software which in my opinion isn't in anywhere near as good as Windows Media equipped PC's. The included remote does not have the functions of the Windows Media Remotes and it is difficult to use, although including the IR receiver in one of the speakers instead of having a "Dongle" was a nice touch. I found the software difficult to configure and the results on the High Resolution screen were disappointing. If this is a major buying point for anyone, make sure you look at Microsoft Windows Media equipped machines.
Work Horse: It was time to take it upstairs and do some work. Immediatley she redeemed herself, having so much space for my Excel spreadsheets on the screen and being able to display two easily readable pages of a Word document side by side makes my life a little easier, once again this fabulous screen gets 10 out of 10.
Play Time: After work I installed my copy of Colin Macrae 4 to see if it lived up to the GRTs P4 power I was amazed that there was almost no difference in performance on this game. The 735 processor handled the game in its stride and although the Radeon 9700 could use an extra 64 meg of RAM to give it a better resolution, I was quite impressed.
Juicing it up: On her first full charge, I managed 2 hours and 7 minutes of work before having to tie her back up to the mains. (Screen on Auto brightness) This is somewhat of a bonus for me as I was getting a mere 55 minutes on my GRT. With a little tinkering, I am sure I could get that to near 3 hours by setting the brightness to its minimum.
Other Notable points: After reading the threads in this Sony forum, it seems some people hate the Fan thing! Yes it runs constantly but under normal operation it is barely audible and I mean barely. I make more noise breathing .. At this moment, my A190 has been powered up for nearly 3 hours and there is a slight amount of heat from the screen lamp and the underside is warm to the touch but certainly not hot. *Tip* Leave the labels on your Palm rests or take your watch off when you are typing as I know this one is going to scratch easily
All in all, I am over the moon with it and despite my disappointment at the TV functions, I would recommend it to anyone.
Please let me know if you find this useful or if you would like to know something specific about this beast of a machine.
Peanutt uses
Sony TR1MP / Sony A190 (New) / Toshiba E805 PPC / Sony Ericsson P900
My A190 After 2 days.
Discussion in 'VAIO / Sony' started by Peanutt, Aug 6, 2004.
