S580P Review

Just yesterday I recieved my Sony Vaio S580P with: 2.0 Processor, NVIDIA 6400 Geforce, 512 MB, 120GB, DVD+-RW/CD+-RW DRIVE, Wireless A/B/G+ Bluetooth. Overall I am pleased with my machine.

Screen:
To start off let me tell you that I was worried that the screen would be terrible because almost all of the s-series owners were complaining about the dark edges. ---The truth is that this X-brite 200 is very bright, but not as bright as the X-Brite ECO or X-Brite 400. On my s-580 there are no dark edges! The only problem is that if you view the computer from an angle other than straight, some part of the screen will seem darker. But when you look at that spot it will look clear and bright. I am very amazed at the quality of the screen when playing games or watching movies. It is not as bright as my previous FS500P or an FJ but it is brighter than most notebooks.

Performance:
My notebook came with a 2.0 Pentium M processor 512MB (will upgrade later to 1.5 GB) and 120 GB 5400RPM. With all the junk sony included on the system the computer seemed slow but after I deleted most of the trash, it loaded very fast and played my games without slowing down or seeing problems. I can imagine it will run even faster when I upgrade to 1.5 GB of memory.

Sound:
The sound on this computer is very good for a notebook of this size. (Not enough Bass though) When you use good quality headphones like the BOSE Sound Cancelling headphones, the computer's sound is excellent.

DvD/Cd:
When watching a dvd you will not be dissapointed at the screen quality. I Have not tested the battery life on this computer, so I do not know if the notebook will last a whole 2hr movie on one charge. The CD/DVD drive is not as loud as my previous FS500 or my desktop, so to me it seems pretty quiet.
CD's play with no problem and the sound with headphones as I stated above is amazing!

Keyboard:
The keyboard on this computer is very roomy and excellent. I have been typing for three hours and only have a minor complain: the keys squeak a bit(the spacebar and P and L). Over all I am happy with the new design of the click buttons and s1 and s2 buttons. THE COMPUTER DOES NOT RUN HOT! This is the good news!You can keep your hand rested on the right hand area and barely feel heat. The fan should have been placed on the left hand side because when I use my bluetooth mouse I sometimes feel some "warmth" as I move the mouse around the area of the fan.(Something minor)

Battery Life:
I have not tested the battery lifeyet but will by wednesday. I'll post the results later. I expect 3hours on the regular battery and at least 5 on the high capacity battery.

Size/Weight:
This computer is the perfect blend of performance and portability. The computer weighs 4.2 lbs with the standard battery and without it weighs about 3.5lbs. I was amazed at how light it feels/seems. I will be carrying this computer from Queens NY into Manhattan everyday so to me size and weight were major issues and I picked this machine. It is a major improvement over my old FS500 because my FS only had a 45 minute battery life and was very heavy weighing 6.2 lbs. The screen is the perfect size for me because the TX's screen seemed to small and it's performance was weak when I tested one.

Fan:
The fan is barely noticable. When running a game like the Sims 2 or a DVD the fan runs more than usual but isn't as load as many have stated. It is quieter than the fans on the FS and FJ Series.

Graphics:
The graphics are better thanI expected. The NVIDIA 6400 performs very well. And many of the games I have played on this machine run flawlessly.

Conclusion:
If you want a very portable computer that can handle all your tasks and games this machine is for you. The design is amazing and its performance is flawless. I love this machine my only complaints are minor and as follows:
-Spacebar squeaks alot
-When viewing screen from an angle it appears dark
-Sony should have included a hindge on this computer.
-CD/DVD Drive should eject on the left hand side.

I will be posting images of my Sony S580 when I recieve my NEW DIGITAL Camera DSC-N1.

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me.

Matshita DVD+-RW

My S-Series has a Matshita UJ-832D DVD+-RW/CD+-RW Drive. I'm curious, Is there something wrong with this drive, since it dosen't suit you? Do you think its to loud/to slow?

The build quality is excellent. (what you'd expect from a sony) It does not flex anywhere. I was paranoid for the firts day and a half but since then have been treating it like a textbook(rough without being careful) and up to now it is perfect. My little nephew hit the screen with my bluetooth mouse really hard and the screen does not have a single scratch. I am overall content, and the fan noise is barely noticable even in a quiet room. When you are running a DVD the noise increases but not that much a tiny bit only.

Since my 30 Day Sony warranty hasn't expired yet I will be sending back my s-580P for a SZ-180P. I like to have the most recent notebook out there. Since the SZ is an improved S notebook It will be as good if not better than my s-series. I reccomend you to wait until Jan 17. and then make your decision.


The screen on the FS-series is the best but the New SZ-series is suppose to be as good as any sony x-brite because it has LED's and hopefully even backlighting.