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    Question for Sony "A 190/290" Owners

    Discussion in 'VAIO / Sony' started by GregP888, Feb 3, 2005.

  1. GregP888

    GregP888 Notebook Guru

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    Question for you guys......How noisy is this notebook? It's really tough to tell in the stores because of so much background noise.

    I'm looking at the newest version of this which was just released the VGN-A690

    I need a quiet notebook where the fan isn't running all of the time and the hard drive isn't whining. My old Toshiba is driving me nuts.

    Thanks
     
    GregP888, Feb 3, 2005
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  2. drpje

    drpje Notebook Enthusiast

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    Greg:
    I have the Sony VAIO VGN A-290 I bought it during Christmas and am VERY
    happy with the laptop. Previously I owned the Apple Powerbook 17" and a G5 iMac. I am very sensitive to noise as you seem to be. The G5 iMac was a nightmare and it sounded like a hair dryer. The 17" Powerbook also had noise issues when driven hard. My Sony A-290 is very quiet. Occasionally the fan runs at high speed but it is barely noiceable. I use my computer in a room where there is no outside noise at all. I am never aware of the fan noise. One thing I will tell you is that the X-Brite screen is AMAZING. The brightness and clarity is something else. I do a lot of work with digital photography and the colors and clarity must be seen to be believed. I have not had any problems with the laptop. The entertainment dock is a nice feature for watching and recording TV programs. The speakers sound very clear. Your A-690 is a nice upgrade to my A-290 You will gain the following: faster processor, faster front side bus, faster RAM, faster hard drive, and double the video RAM. I bought my computer from Amazon and they are offering a $150 rebate and free shipping. They offer a 30 day return policy and no sales tax. This should save you some money. PM me if you need any more information
     
    drpje, Feb 4, 2005
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  3. PhilipS

    PhilipS Newbie

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    No complaints from me. I went with a customized A270 from sonystyle.com, which is the same laptop as the A290. It's worth noting that the fan *will* be running most of the time, but it's extremely quiet and barely noticeable.

    My experience with both Sony and Dell's new centrino-based systems is that fan noise is no longer an issue. Not sure if this is due to reduced fan speed requirements, improved fan design or a combination of the two, but they're all extremely quiet systems.


     
    PhilipS, Feb 6, 2005
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