New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

SONY VAIO A190 review - Page 2

post #21 of 56
6/8/04 at 9:44am
Quote:
Adapter : Intel(R) PRO/1000 MT Network Connection
Until now I tought that the only thing missing on this machine was Gigabit LAN, but seeing this proved me otherwise.

Can you confirm this???
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 56
6/8/04 at 11:12am
Thread Starter 
no slot for extra battery

no fan noise when playing games but I know its on... just a whisper quiet fan

keyboard layout is normal (CTRL key bottom left corner instead of FN) on the left side but on the right the SHIFT key is 2/3 length of the left SHIFT key. Far right edge has these keys from top to bottom : DELETE HOME PAGEUP PAGEDOWN END RIGHTARROWKEY... they are normal sized

when i connect to Verizon DSL here I only get 10mbps but my DSL is only 1.5Mbps so maybe its not utilizing the gigabit. The info above was copy/pasted from Sisoft so I assume its correct

i havent even opened the port replicator this came with (also 2 triangle shaped speakers came with it)

SOUND... the built in speakers are adequate ... 200% better than G556 and 100% better than HP nc6000 speaker sounds. But the port replicator looks like it has built-in amplifier and the whole top part of the replicator is a speaker grille plus it has 2 external speakers that plug into the back... ill test later (also has DVI out on back)

this morning i had to turn down the brightness of my screen because it hurt my eyes
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 56
6/8/04 at 12:15pm
Thread Starter 
update

YES it has bluetooth VIRTUAL COM4 and the Wireless Link control panel that searches for BT devices...

but sadly I do not have any BT devices hehe so cannot test

whats the big deal with BT anyway?
Reply
Reply
post #24 of 56
6/8/04 at 1:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PLC
update

YES it has bluetooth VIRTUAL COM4 and the Wireless Link control panel that searches for BT devices...

but sadly I do not have any BT devices hehe so cannot test

whats the big deal with BT anyway?
I am guessing its people wanting to use it to connect their PDAs or Cell Phones to get internet access, maybe even a keyboard and a mouse. I personaly dont use BT.
Reply
Reply
post #25 of 56
6/8/04 at 3:01pm
Exactly:

With bluettoth you will have a wireless mouse with no need for a receiver.
Just the notebook and the mouse...nothing else!!

PLC: What about the battery duration? How long can it hold?
Reply
Reply
post #26 of 56
6/8/04 at 3:28pm
Thread Starter 
Sitting out by the pool now. Battery testing. Screen testing.

Usable in sunlight? Well the brightness and contrast is high enough to see the screen but the reflections from environment with sunlight reflecting off them is much worse than in my house with house lighting. I am currently typing this under an umbrella shade and I can see myself quite clearly (damn Im good looking). I can also see the screen good as well (better than any other LCD display outdoors). So yea it is usable outdoors but you just have to deal with alot of reflection. I can see this website screen clearly in direct sunlight also but the colors a slightly washed out.

Best way i can describe it is like a laminated plaque. If you seen the way people laminate University degrees mounted to a wooden block thats how things look on the screen.

And no dead pixels... of course in this sunlight I can see every speck of dust on my screen
Reply
Reply
post #27 of 56
6/8/04 at 3:57pm
Thread Starter 
BT phones for internet access?

First off no US carrier can reliably get 100kbps... usually around 40-60kbps

we are talking kbps guys... you know like the 56kbps dialup modems?

i hate wires and cables more than anyone, but this is not a substitute for WIFI internet access points... maybe good for checking emails... but then you also have to pay for the internet plan with the cellphone carrier anyway

as for wireless printers or mice... well i suppose if you dont mind changing the battery in your mouse every month ok... for me retractable cords are the way to go

Ive been on for about 1 hour with WIFI and screen full bright and I have 41% battery left.

Gotta return my G556 see yas

Viva la S Type!
Reply
Reply
post #28 of 56
6/8/04 at 4:00pm
While I agree that it is slow, when you need it on the road, there isnt much else you can do, besides GPRS. A lot of guys with PDAs use their bluetooth phones to connect to the net, which doesnt sound that bad. You have your phone in ur pocket, and you are pda in your hand, and you are on the net without wires, walking around in the middle of the desert (or some other place where one doesnt have access to wifi hotspots).

I personaly think its too much of a hassle, but I have met a large amount of people who do this.
Reply
Reply
post #29 of 56
6/8/04 at 5:49pm
thanks for all the replies, it is very useful to read all the reviews before buying a new machine. I was wondering if the sound with the 2 speakers is good, if it is enough bassy (is there a subwoofer too?) i have a vaioNV series with subwoofer and the sound is really good compared to other laptops....i was just wondering if the A190 is going to even better with those 2 speakers. (last question, maybe a bit silly, those speakers work with batteries or the need to be plugged to the wall?)
thanks a lot and sorry for all those questions

Gio
Reply
Reply
post #30 of 56
6/8/04 at 8:04pm
how is the pixel response time (ghosting in fast games, black and white text scrolling, etc) and the dock speakers?

thanks!
Reply
Reply
post #31 of 56
6/10/04 at 10:18pm
^bump

any word on ghosting or speakers?
Reply
Reply
post #32 of 56
6/10/04 at 10:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by xdcc
how is the pixel response time (ghosting in fast games, black and white text scrolling, etc) and the dock speakers?

thanks!
can't speak for the built in speakers, but the dock speakers sound really good. On par or better than those stylish ~$100 "mini-stereos" you can buy. A huge step above built in speakers, but not as good as a system with a subwoofer.
Reply
Reply
post #33 of 56
6/10/04 at 11:00pm
Thread Starter 
havent tested port replicator

no ghosting
i dunno how to test pixel response time

basically it works just like any other laptop display i have used... except it is incredibly brighter and more vivid

im not ever switching back to a normal LCD... sony knows how to hook their customers
Reply
Reply
post #34 of 56
6/11/04 at 8:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by PLC
havent tested port replicator

no ghosting
i dunno how to test pixel response time

basically it works just like any other laptop display i have used... except it is incredibly brighter and more vivid

im not ever switching back to a normal LCD... sony knows how to hook their customers
That's exactly why I am getting the Sony ... I think the xbrite is stunning ... and no, the reflection does not bother my one bit.
Reply
Reply
post #35 of 56
6/11/04 at 8:22am
xbrite

bluetooth is alot like wi-fi

its based on rf but used to utilize peripihals in conjunction with the bluetooth notebook

rather than having an RF adapter that sticks out, bluetooth is just an internal one that works with all bluetooth devices

u can for example synchronze ur address book and notes from your bluetooth pda/phone to your laptop with a push of a button no wires... or u could use a bluetooth wireless mouse w/o any dongles sticking out etc

its nice to have and its effective range is 30meters
Reply
Reply
post #36 of 56
6/11/04 at 8:52am
Which program can I use for overclocking an ATI Radeon 9700 mobility?

____
JAGO
Reply
Reply
post #37 of 56
6/11/04 at 8:54am
powerstrip
Reply
Reply
post #38 of 56
6/11/04 at 1:45pm
Response times are no better than most decent notebook screens. So they're OK, but not as good as a 16ms desktop screen. Probably around 25ms sort of performance.
Reply
Reply
post #39 of 56
6/11/04 at 8:24pm
Thanks!

Sony's 16.1" LCDs had a 50ms PRT with terrible ghosting and I haven't been able to find tech specs on this new screen, yet.
Reply
Reply
post #40 of 56
6/11/04 at 8:45pm
Like rince said, having Bluetooth and a wireless mouse is fantastic. No dongle, no wires, no nothing. Absolutely love using it on my 8790.

In fact, it's probably a good thing (for Sager) that the A190 wasn't out when I bought my 8790. Since my last laptop was a Sony, I most likely would've opted for the A190 instead. The 128mb VRAM might've been the only thing to sway me to the 8790 side.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Other Brand Notebook Reviews