Customer Reviews

Sony VAIO PCG-SRX99 Laptop (LV 850 MHz-M PIII, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Highlights for this little computer:
Small Footprint - Even in economy with the passenger ahead of you leaned back so far you are certain they are sitting in your seat, this computer still has ample room for seeing the display and utilizing the keyboard.
Lightweight - I haven't actually weighed it but I do know that the whole system with battery weighs the same as one of the batteries from my previous laptop (2 yr old Dell). Its weight and size make it very convenient for carrying to meetings and on the airplane.
Respectable Battery Life - Stock battery that ships with this unit gets 3+ hours with Wireless LAN enabled and 4+ hours with Wireless disabled. I used it during a east to west coast flight and I actually had to stop using it because of preparation for landing rather than the battery running out of charge.

Low Points:
Screen Size - The ~10" screen keeps the footprint down but it does cause me to squint sometimes.
Keyboard - Two things I really dislike about the keyboard: the right shift key is very small (I miss it often during touch typing)and the Fn key must be used in combination with the arrow keys for PgUp, PgDown, Home, and End functionality.

Note about Amazon.com's description of the SRX99: Their review indicates that it has an internal CD/DVD drive. This is not true. It actually comes with an external drive.

The Sony Vaio SRX99 is the latest in a line of ultraportable sub-notebook computers produced by the multimedia giant. It is very comfortable in the hand (the battery side of the clamshell is wider than the front, and when closed, this provides a very convenient place to hold the computer). The speed is very acceptable - not desktop replacement, but good enough for DVD viewing, word processing, and simple image and movie editing. The battery life is exceptional - 3-4 hours with the default battery. Typing on the 80% keyboard is surprisingly accurate (this review was typed on the Vaio SRX-99). The touchpad is responsive, and the built-in jog wheel is very useful and highly configurable. The external DVD-ROM/CDRW drive is very cute, but works well.

One feature which really stands out is the clamshell itself. Unlike most notebook computers, which open only about 90-100 degrees, this one can open nearly 180 degrees, which provides a huge advantage in selecting viewing angles.

It comes with a fairly large pile of software, including Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop Elements, and even Everquest (although I wouldn't recommend this as a gaming computer). There are full restore CDs for both the OS and the bundled software.

It does compromise a bit on external connections compared with a desktop replacement, and the hard drive is a bit cramped at 20GB, but all in all, it's highly recommended for people for whom mobility is the ultimate requirement.

This notebook is small and light, has built-in wireless with PCMCIA slot to spare, and has a good keyboard. What more could you want? The speed is more than adequate. I have had this for about a month and a half, and I am very pleased with it. Get an extra charger on ebay, so you can have one at work and one at home. I am getting about 4.5hrs battery life (thats without the DVD drive). I did try watching Lord of the Rings and it looked great! It didn't seem to affect battery life too much.

For you Linux nuts, I am dual booting with XP. Here is what you can expect: You can install redhat if you have a USB floppy drive []. The firewire CDROM is not yet recognized by Linux. Redhat 8.0 works well, but you have to install a newer kernel or patch the 2.4.18 kernel to get the wireless card to work. The patch is needed to deal with the ACPI IRQ sharing. Suse Linux wouldn't even install! The boot floppy loads half way and hangs. hmmm.

This little jewel of a computer is really a laptop. It's light weight and built in wireless (2.4 ghz) make it great to use on the go or just around the house with a wireless network. I got the extended battery and get 6-8 hours of use on one charge! Wish DVD/cdrw were built in but it is not. At least it comes witht the unit (Japanese version does not. I shopped a long time before buying this unit. Considered smaller picturebook but hated that little pointer stick. Touch pad works much beteer on the srx99. I also got the 384 Meg Ram version. Wish HD was larger (only 20 Gigs and it is partitioned as ttwo 10 gigs)
Two thumbs up from Me.

I bought this in 2002 and it was the smallest "real" laptop computer available. It still works great for me. Make no mistake, this is not a "main" computer. It is a second computer. The 20gb drive is enough for the OS and a few applications. I basically only have IE and Office XP on it. It works great. I travel with it all the time. The original battery died - probably because I used to leave it plugged in all the time. I now have two batteries from ebay that work fine ~3 hours each with wifi on. I almost never use the CD/DVD drive, and am actually happy to leave it at home when I travel. I used to load DVDs onto the HD to watch on flights.

I have been trying to find a replacement, but really don't see anything that meets my needs. I keep looking at the Samsung Q1 Ultra, but it gets poor reviews.

The only thing this is missing, that I wish it had, is a built-in camera for video conferences with my kids when I am traveling.

I have had this notebook for over a year and a half. It is reliable, practical, and cost effective. The size is perfect for mobility and the built-in wireless has been one of its best features. My only complaint is that the hard-drive is slow. I am thinking of upgrading the hard-drive to give it some new life.