Light Weight, Heavy Features
Written: Feb 03 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Light weight, excellent features, clear monitor
Cons: CD-ROM not really optional, bad placement of right shift key
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| Shinsen's Full Review: Sony VAIO Z505R PC Notebook |
For the last several weeks I have been working with my new Sony Vaio PCG-Z505R. This machine is a dream to use. As a working professional on the go, I often find myself carrying documents, manuals, and other equipment in addition to my laptop. Needless to say I often was carrying a lot of weight on my shoulders and not in a figurative sense!
After the mouse on my previous laptop started getting possessed, and started moving around erratically I figured that it was time to get a new laptop. I decided right away that I wanted a super slim laptop. My reasoning was thus. I have a powerful desktop computer already and would only be doing light to medium work while mobile; therefore I don’t need a laptop that included the absolutely latest integrated gear. I was more interested in portability.
The features that drew me to the Z505R
·It’s light weight (3.5 pounds)
·The large screen size (12.1 inches)
·The integrated 10/100 Ethernet port
·The integrated 56k modem
·The built in i.Link port and memory stick port (great to connect digital cameras and video recorders to)
·The nearly full size keyboard (95%)
·Very stylish (Come on! If you got to shell out major bucks, might as well get something that will look nice!)
My only complaints or critiques of the system are that the optional CD-ROM unit is hardly an optional piece of equipment. Whichever route you choose, be it attaching a USB CD-ROM, buying the Sony CD-ROM, or using a parallel port CD-ROM, this device is a necessity as the disks that Sony provides you are on CD and not on floppies. One thing that needed to be learned about the placement of keys on the system is that the up key is too close to the right shift key and one can hit this too often before learning to avoid it.
One of the things to keep in mind when buying an ultra-portable laptop is that you have to maintain the mindset that you do not need every single device with you always. It took me quite some time, before I was able to leave the external floppy drive, the external CD-ROM, and the AC adapter behind in the car. Carrying just the laptop itself makes it easier to slide it into a briefcase, backpack, or carried by hand.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID: Shinsen
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 5 members
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