The Sony VAIO VGN-P530H: High Price, Low Performance
With the Sony VAIO VGN-P530H (the "Sony P"), Sony continues its long and oddly proud tradition of making overpriced, underpowered, completely useless netbooks. The netbook audience has always been a tiny niche market, mainly targeting people for whom a laptop is too big and a PDA is too small. Given the Sony P's poor design and limited functionality, it measures up poorly against its competitors (especially since it is more expensive) and is destined to end its shelf life in the bargain bin.
The first look we get at the system specifications tells us where the biggest programs are. It operates on two GB of RAM, which are not upgradeable, sixty GB of hard drive space, and 1.33 Gh of processing power. It also runs Windows Vista, an operating system known for its resource consumption. Operating this OS on this computer will have disastrous results. This is the first of the design problems, and there are lots more.
Before criticizing the Sony P to death, it is only fair to mention its strong points. It is a very convenient and portable computer. At less than ten inches long, five inches wide, and an inch thick, it is a very small computer, yet still comfortable to type on. At only 1 pounds, it is incredibly light. Although not quite small enough to fit in your hip pocket like the Sony commercials claim, it does fit easily into a purse or briefcase. It also looks very stylish. Once you look past the physical appearance, however, the problems start.
Users of the Sony P have one big complaint - there's not enough power here for Vista. Microsoft says that one gigabyte of RAM and a gigahertz of processor speed will run Vista, but that's a bare minimum. Speed issues abound with a configuration this light. The Sony P has barely enough power to keep its OS going, and can't really do a lot once you load up other programs.
The obvious solution is to remove Vista and install Windows 7 or Windows XP instead, or even to turn the Sony P into a Linux machine. However, this can be pretty difficult. After all, like most netbooks, the Sony P lacks a CD-ROM drive. Installation from a flash drive can be extremely tricky, and to make matters worse, the new video card for the Sony P (the Intel GMA 500 chipset) has no available Windows XP driver, and there are similar problems with Linux. Installing Windows 7, which does have a driver for this video card, may be possible.
Unfortunately, the next problem is that much of the Sony P's features, such as its wireless internet software, which can use Ethernet, wireless 802.11b/g/n, and Verizon's 3G Mobile Broadband (for an extra $45 per month), requires special Sony software. Unfortunately, much of this specialized software only runs on Windows Vista. In other words, if you switch to Windows 7 or XP, you lose much of the Sony P's functionality. Even if you keep Vista, the operating system and all the Sony bloatware takes up 20 GB of the already small 60 GB hard drive.
Another problem with the Sony P's video card is that it has no dedicated memory for video. Instead, up to 760 MB of system memory is allocated to the video card. Unfortunately, as we already mentioned, the Sony P already needs all of its available memory to run the operating system at a decent speed. The result is that many users of the Sony P report frustrating skipping, slow-downs, and flickers when trying to watch DVDs-and watching streaming video, such as YouTube, is all but impossible.
The Sony P just isn't meant to be a primary computer. As a secondary one, portability has been made most important, making this the appropriate netbook for someone who wants a computer to do extremely simple jobs. Inventory or notetaking are going to be this computer's best tasks. If you want to purchase a netbook for any other purpose, you're best advised to look elsewhere for more power and lower cost.
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Laptops For DummiesLaptops For Dummies, 3rd Edition shows you how to use your laptop to its fullest potential, from how to purchase a laptop and what to do when you first open the box to how to keep your laptop safe and running smoothly. You will discover how to choose and purchase the right laptop for you, how to set up and maintain your laptop, customize user accounts, adding your laptop to networks, printing, and connecting to the Internet. In this updated and revised edition, find information about synchronizing with the desktop, coordinating email pickup between two machines, remote access to the desktop, networking, power management, storage, and especially laptop security. You’ll find out how to:
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In addition to the basics, find lists of ten battery tips and tricks, ten handy laptop accessories, and ten things you should keep in your laptop carrying case in Laptops for Dummies, 3rd Edition, a convenient and handy guide!
Laptops For DummiesGet a move on! Learn to roam free with this guide to choosing and using a laptop
Laptops come with everything you need to get going — everything, that is, except a guide to buying and using one. This book covers portable computers from laptop to lap-bottom, with useful advice on picking one, setting it up, managing power and peripherals, going online, and hitting the road.
Which one fits your lap? — learn what to look for, what to ignore, and how to find the laptop you'll love
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Prepare for takeoff — protect your laptop and your data when you travel
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Learn to:
Make the most of the latest laptop features and capabilities
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Laptops for the Older and Wiser: Get Up and Running on Your Laptop Computer (The Third Age Trust (U3A)/Older & Wiser)Helpful, easy-to-follow guide for new laptop users over the age of 50 Laptops are fun and more popular than ever, but they are still computers and come with their own set of issues: easier to steal, more likely to be dropped, often dependent on wireless Internet access, and other concerns. If you're entering the computer world as an older adult—and wondering about laptops—this straightforward, helpful book is for you.
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