Customer Reviews

Sony VAIO PCG-K23 Laptop (2.8 GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The first thing I did after I turned on this laptop was create the recommended recovery kit, which required burning 8 CD's total. When I started burning Disc 6, a write error occurred. Initially I thought I did something wrong and was about to start over, but after looking on the Sony website I discovered that Sony already knew of this problem and was working to resolve it.

I am glad that Sony has already recognized this problem and I really do believe they're trying to fix it with a patch or whatever. Sony's reputation for quality laptops makes me confident that they will solve this problem.

As far as other characteristics go, this laptop has an amazingly clear and crisp screen. The XBRITE technology for the screen is definitely the wave of the future and I WOULDN'T get ANY laptop without it. Traditional TFT's are going to be obsolete soon, and as the XBRITE's become more prevalent, TFT's will be gone. There is such a significant difference in clarity that it is better than my stand alone LCD monitor. Fujitsu was the original developer of the XBRITE technology, and Sony licensed it. So be sure to check out Fujitsu's laptops as well, but I don't believe any other company's have this technology so far.

15.4" for a screen is quite large, and the fact that it's widescreen makes it even sweeter. Widescreen is cool especially for watching DVD movies. No more of those annoying black borders that surround a horizontal screen.

2.8GHz Pentium 4 is one of the fastest processors for any laptop available, and a 64MB Radeon graphics card is good for a laptop, and 512 DDR RAM is very good for a laptop as well.
THE POINT IS: all these wonderful features for such a GREAT PRICE and especially for a Sony VAIO, which generally is more expensive and Sony's reputation for laptops is very good.
-The full size keyboard is nice, not as cramped

DRAWBACKS:
-8 pounds is considered heavy for a laptop, although you would have to spend significantly more for a weaker, lighter Centrino laptop
-Battery consumption is slightly high due to it's incredible processing power.
However, I feel that battery consumption is a non-issue because most of the time when you're working, there are places to plug your laptop into a wall outlet.

However, I do not recommend this laptop if you're constantly moving around without being close to wall outlets or are too weak to carry this laptop. Although be forewarned, laptops are generally around 7 pounds anyway, so you won't find that much difference unless you spend significantly more. And even then, you'll get a much weaker system.

OVERALL:
The low price for such a powerful, quality laptop made by a highly reputable brand far outweighs the weight and battery consumption issues.

This K23 has a great monitor--better than any other monitors on this planet. It's brighter, sharper and displays great colors and overall it's even better than my 20-inch Dell desktop monitor with a DVI interface.

Cons: The battery cap is too loose and it's easy to fall out. Software-wise, there's probably a conflict between the Windows and the Microsoft's update website. After I updated the Windows, it was dead and I couldn't start the Windows. A Sony technician who fixed the problem on the phone told me to update Windows in the future by first downloading it to my desktop and install it from there, instead of using its automatic installation. A friend of mine who also bought a K23 at the same time had a similar problem with the software. I hope Sony can address this problem as most of us use the computer for mission-critical tasks.

Buyers watch out for private sellers
There are a lot of private sellers trying to rip you off .prices look cheap when you send the money you wont get the product or your money back.

Look for the specific items that scammers try to do:

1. Look at the seller's id they look like some what irrelevant. Example (amazon_cheap)(Sony_Amazon)
2. Look at the sellers rating it says just launched because the sellers like to create many e mails as they can.
3. In the sellers comments they will say like "please contact me before buying. Otherwise I won't send you the item".
4. When you send the e mail to them they will say "we are a small company in Romania or UK or Spain trying to evolve to sell outside the country". They will say send money through western union. When I get the money you will get the notebooks with in 2 business days.
5. They will send detailed sellers address where to send the money western union (Spain). I said "I know the address in Spain can I come and pay to that address" he said "I will do only through online" this is cheater.


When you send money through western union you won't get your money back.

Escrow and Amazon secure payment are the trusted payment.

I got an e mail from a seller he said "I will get transaction only through Amazon secure payment. I thought he was good seller. Next e mail he wrote "tell me your complete address I will forward the address to Amazon" I gave him my address .

With in 1 day I got a e mail from "Amazon secure payment" from address looked like it was from Amazon, but when I clicked on reply the to address said "(something@yahoo.com) it was not a e mail from Amazon in that message it said Amazon wants you to make payment through western union. I wrote the email to Amazon they said we will not allow any one to pay through Amazon these are fake e mails trying to rip peoples money.

This is the first time i bought something online that is so costly.So you can imagine i have done a good deal of research. Sony VAIO K23, indeed was THE BEST pick of them all, (I simply dont like DELL notebooks, all of them have a monotonous look). I got it in 2 days. I am very much impressed with its look and the screen ranks it above all laptops available till date. you also get a bunch of useful softwares with it. I was concerned about the weight, but its really not that heavy.So it was a good deal at least for me.

In my review, I initially complained about the error in making recovery discs. I mentioned that I found out the problem had already been mentioned online. After calling Sony customer service, they decided to mail me the recovery DVD free of charge even though it would normally cost money if bought online. The expedient and hassle free response to my problem proves how Sony excellent Sony support has been.

No other complaints!

Except one thing, if this laptop is too heavy for you, go to the gym and work out.

First a disclaimer - I am Sony fan, so with everything in my life (Clie, camera, Camcorder, etc.) takes memory sticks and whatnot, I am almost locked into buying a Sony Laptop.

I got this laptop as a replacement to my PCG-GRZ630, which was a pile of steaming crap - literally. Three repairs and the thing still overheated and itself burned out. Thank goodness for extended warranties.

So I got the K23, and I have to say so far it has been a wonderful machine. It loads fast enough, performs most business apps well, and only stutters when I get into some more hardcore graphic and video work. The screen is amazingly crisp and clear, but does have some glare from its mirror-like surface. The built-in wireless is extremely strong at capturing weaker signals throughout my house and office. The laptop has a better-designed cooling system and I haven't had it overheat or be unduly hotter than other laptops I've used.

The only problem I have had so far is with the touch pad. It seems like it just flakes out every now and again - like it is either slowly responds or it dropping its refresh rate. Also the thing is a monster. It isn't overly heavy but the dimensions are huge.

I do strongly recommend that the first thing you do when you get the machine up and running is to grab 7 CD-Rs and make system recovery discs, since this model does not come with them. I also quickly uninstalled all the security and Sony stuff to alleviate a lot of the overhead demand on the machine.

A big warning though - Sony is not a computer company - they are an electronics company. They are more accustomed to answering how to set the clock on your VCR than why your laptop isn't recognizing your network. Their support is almost non-existent when compared to a Dell or Gateway. If you traditionally need some assistance with your computer equipment or lack a propeller on your beanie, then you might want to steer clear of Sony computers.

I ordered this laptop not even 4 days ago and I didn't even pay for the shipping, as I checked their Super Saver shipping method. I received it, along with a few other things, within 4 days total!

The XBrite screen is great. It makes the colors SO vibrant and it makes my older laptop, also from sony, look pretty weak!

If you're not a super freak about wanting to burn DVD's, having the max processor and what not, then this laptop is definitely better than the K27, which is $400 more.

Take your basic PCG-K23 Sony Vaio laptop computer and turn it over on its back. Remove the two OEM sticks of RAM and replace them with two 512mb pc2700 333mhz chips, and then replace the OEM 4200rpm HDD with a Hitachi Travelstar 7K100 80gb 7200rpm HDD and - Vola'! - instant hotrod computer for a decent price (and with a superb screen to boot)!

Let me start by saying this is a review as of DEC 2009. This PC was a great buy when it came out and like most all notebooks, has become outdated. I recently upgraded to Windows 7 and wanted to share my findings in case you are contemplating or doing the same thing.

My advice:
Only consider upgrading to Windows Pro or Ultimate due to the ability to run programs in XP compatability mode which is not available with Home Premium edition. Install a clean copy, not upgrading from XP or Vista. Think about upgrading the RAM to 1G (512 x 2).

The install:
The first thing you will notice is that once you install the screen is smaller then the physical size. To fix this download the XP driver from sony.com for the model. Then run this program in compatablity mode (XP SP2) and it will install fine. When you reboot check the box to not tell you of this problem and run the program as is. This will allow you to fill the screen as it did with XP OEM install.

Virus protection choices:
I tried several anti virus programs including free and paid versions and ran tests. Due to the amount of available RAM the best performance for paid versions was Norton 2010 and best for free was Avira. These are just suggestions from my experience.

When all is said and done you will have a machine fully upgraded to Windows 7 and functioning. This is capable and practical notebook for most average users.
Hope this helps and enjoy.

-My battery died within 6 mos
-The internal wireless card went bad after about 2 yrs. Unfortunately it also causes Windows to crash if I even switch it on. Luckily it doesnt bother Linux.
-The HDD has just died at a little under 3 yrs.

These failures are common in laptops that travel often and used roughly. However I used this as a desktop comp with very little travelling.

OTH I very much like the LCD. And I will be upgrading the memory and the HDD to extend its life, as well as pull the wlan and upgrade cooling as it always ran hot.