Customer Reviews

Sony VAIO R505 SuperSlim Pro Notebook (1-GHz Pentium III, 256 MB RAM, 30 GB hard drive)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I absolutely love this machine. People are going to say that you probably could get a better machine for the same price, but if it's thin and light that you want, this is the computer to get. Naturally, you're going to sacrifice some things like a larger screen, faster processor, etc for the portability, and yes, it's a little pricey... But it's not pretending to be a desktop replacement, it's perfect if you're looking for something that won't break your back when you're traveling back and forth. Compared to other ultra-lights out there, the Sony definitely has more bang for the buck. Sometimes I have to check my bag to make sure the computer is still there - I'm used to lugging my old Dell around. I use it for law school and it suits my needs fine - the combo DVD/CDRW is a nice addition, and the sound and graphics are of course SONY's forte. Plus - you can't really see them in the description, but the laptop itself has all the network connections, so you don't need to take the docking station with you if you want to hop on the internet. The only flaw in this machine is the shallow keyboard, which is not a full size keyboard so they've also moved certain keys around, so you have to get used to typing on it. Other than that, this is a great machine for the price, and I've received dozens of compliments on its cool and sleek design. Perhaps not the most quantitative reason to get this machine, but it's an added bonus.

Last week I bought my first laptop. I used amazon.com's product comparison's and consumer reports online to evaluate quality of service,cost and service. My journey took me from IBM's Thinkpads to Toshiba's Satellite's, to Compaq. But after I found this VIAO, my journey ended. I really love it's unique design and it's portability.

This is what I really like about the machine.
1.I like the ability to undock the laptop which reduces the weight to 4.7 lbs! I was so relieved to learn that I can dock/undock the machine while it's running.
2.I like the size. For me I think 12" screen is plenty. I simply don't like the laptops with large screen. As a result this laptop is highly portable.
3.I like the Jog Dial. If you do a lot of browsing like I do I like to be able to easly scroll up and down the page with the jog dial. I have this feature on my mouse and am addicted to it. Sony was the only laptop that I saw that had this feature.
4.I like that there are 3 USB ports. I bought a USB mouse, and have two more ports that I can use.
5.I like that the CD has DVD and RW capabilities.
6.I like the design. The machine looks sleek, especially when undocked. The Toshiba Satellites were highly rated, but they looked cheap. Some of the buttons looked like they would easily break off.

Surprises.
I have to admit I wasn't aware that the R505 comes with the i.Link(IEEE 1394) but I'm very please to know it's there.

I'm also comming to appreciate Micorsoft XP. It has some improvements for tracking many opened applications, and has reorganized the Start menu.

Dislikes.
There are a few minor items that were disconcerting.
1.Sony has Support program to assist in troubleshooting. This program has crashed everytime I boot and I need to uninstall the application. This could be a fluke, but I don't miss what I've never used.
2.The keyboard is small. I knew this when I bought the laptop. I'm finding that the only difficulty is getting used to the right hand 'shift' key. I wish it was a little larger. There is no 'Home' or 'End' key also, the Function key has to be used in conjuntion with the arrow keys to simulate the HOme or End keys.

In conclusion I'm very pleased with my choice the Sony VIAO R505 and look forward to years of computing pleasure.
Justin

This is the fourth laptop I own after two Compaqs and a Gericom - a high quality German brand. I have also come in contact with quite a few more brands of which if you take apart IBM (high quality products but too expensive for what they offer), the Sony beats them all by far. I own the R505DL(1GHz, 30GB, DVD/CDRW, 256MB) and have been using it for a bit more than 2 months now. This model is discontinued but the EL series is available with an extra 1.13GHz on the speed (goes up to 1.2GHz for better equipped models) and a faster DVD/CDRW.

The laptop is not flawless but it is the closest to that I have seen. What you might not like...

1. The processor at 1GHz or even 1.2GHz for the newer models sounds little and by todays standards it is but if you are not planning to play any of the latest graphics intensive games and the like it is fine. It is fine with new games like Warcraft 3 or a bit older ones like RedAlert 2 or even racing games. And of course surfing the net listening to music ripping CDs working on Excel and Word and all the rest it is more than great.

2. The memory won't go above 384MB and in this model you will have to "throw away" your 128MB and add a 256MB one in order to get that high.

3. As everybody else has said the right "Shift" key is small but with time you will get used to it.

4. You need to remove all the connections in order to attach or remove the docking station.

5. No tilt to the design. Especially with the dock on, the laptop is high on the desk and completely flat so it is a bit uncomfortable to type.

6. The speakers are week although an external pair or a pair of nice earphones connected to the laptop gives very nice sound.

7. Given the size of the laptop the power supply is big.

8. No SVideo port

9. One of the 4 USBs is covered when you attach the docking station.

10. No dedicated CDRW software - you can write to CDs and RWs with the XP copying engine - a bit slow and not powerfull at all, and can make music CDs or MP3 CDs from SonicStage but you might still miss a dedicate CDRW suite.

Now what I (and hopefully you will) adore about the laptop.

1. Absolutely gorgeous to look at especially with the dock not attached (you will be asked a lot about it and you will turn a lot of heads when you take it out)

2. As portable and light as they come.

3. The screen is excellent no matter how bright the sunlight you can see clearly and nicely on it.

4. The "crash proof laptop" award. In more than two months this laptop has NEVER crashed, locked or freezed on me and I do have tones of tones of extra programs installed and several windows running the same time. My compaqs were crashing constantly even the latest compaq that was equipped with WinXP as the sony does. Awesome! thit is one reliable machine. Now that I am writting on it it is the 5th day in the row that it has stayed on without shut down or restarted.

5. The feel of the keyboard is excellent sturdy and soft.

6. Even without the dock you got all the ports you need - ethernet, modem, PCMCIA, line out and mic, VGA, 2 USB, firewire or ilink or whatever you want to call it and a memory stick slot - very very handy for transfering files, (more expensive models come with WiFi or bluetooth too).

7. With the dock you get the DVD/CDRW, a parallel and serial, an extra 2 USB (but it covers one USB on the laptop), and the floppy disk, so nothing essential is missing maybe IrDA but i always hated it cause it was very unreliable if you need wireless communication get a model with Bluetooth or WIFI or buy a pcmcia that gives this kind of capability.

8. If you have time and feel like it you can make the Jog Dial a handy tool. It also incorporates an alarm function that is able to wake the laptop form stand by or hibernation on set times and days - really nice automatically.

9. Very quiet or at least much more quiet from the compaqs I owned the toshiba's I have heard and the HPs

10. The keyboard simply does not get hot. On my last compaq the keys were getting hot enough to feel unpleasant typing on it.

11. Battery life is long. 4 1/2 hours if the brightness is at the lowest the dock is off and you are doing light work. In full brightness it should see you through a 2 - 2 1/2 hours movie or a bit more of 3 hours of light work

12. Given the size and the specification is fast.

13. Loads of apps that you might never use but if you want them they are there - the very nice one is the Adobe Photoshop Elements - a cut down version of Photoshop which for personal use and given it comes for free it is more than what I could have asked for.

All in all this is an near perfect laptop that combines reasonable speed, excellent portability and killer looks in a full featured package and all that with a price that is at least right on spot if not on the low side. Congratulations to Sony for such a product. I love it...

I have used Sony laptops since 1999 and tend to get a new one every few years giving the old one as a hand-me-down to someone else. I like Sony because they typically make the very lightest laptops available, the keyboards have a smooth action, and the design/style of the products are usually "cool" looking.

This laptop was an exception. Something about it is awkward and clunky. It's larger than my 3 previous Sony Vaio laptops, the edges are squared off, not rounded...in fact there's something very "square" about the entire product design!

The design is bad enough to hurt functionality, too, as there is a fan on the bottom of the computer which easily becomes obstructed if you use it outside of the docking case (where 100% of my use occurs).

Now about quality. In general, I had been really happy with Vaio quality, but this laptop is making me think twice. If you leave the computer on for a long time (a couple of weeks), the hard drive starts screaming. This is probably due to overheating. I have to turn off the computer and let it sit and cool, then turn it on again. The power cord connection was always loose in the machine so that I would have to wiggle the cord to ensure a connection. That connection would invariably disconnect from time to time during use, and I'd be on battery power without realizing it. Eventually, 1 year and 4 months after I bought the machine, the power connection failed altogether and would only connect sporadically. As I write this, the computer is at Sony for repair, and they seem to just want to send me an entire refurbished computer rather than diagnose and fix the problem. I've also found an article in today's (May 22, 2004) San Jose Mercury News (see the action line feature) in which another person ALSO had problem with the DC jack line. A reader wrote the paper to get help with Sony service because he kept seeing the problem over and over again. He says "When I plug in the AC/DC power cord, I have to hold the cord or move it around a little to get a good connection". This is exactly what happens with me, and I therefore think this is a general problem with the machine.

So, because of problems with the design, overheating, and quality, I cannot recommend that you buy this item.

To leave on a good note: the laptop IS really light. One of the lightest you'll find, with a keyboard that is large enough to actually use.

I had my r505 for just about four months now and am very disapointed, its so called 'shell' is very nice looking but is only a cheap plastic, and is sratched very easy. Also the LCD conectors are very lose and the corners break right away. Finally don't leave this monster on while trying to speak or sleep, its fan is too loud. I took my r505 to work and placed it in a line with all the other notebooks at work, blind folded my boss and told him to pick out mine. No problem he walked down the line twice and then put his hand right on it. Tink twice about buying sony's r505 series, stick to the GR, SR, or even a picturebook instead.
Compaq Presario 725US Notebook (Athlon-4 1600+, is better and cheaper! Much faster than Sony!

I've owned a Sony R505TL for about 2 years. During those 2 years, it has been through very heavy usage; you might even call it abuse.

My laptop is on about 12 hours per day. It gets tossed around in the car while I drive like a maniac; sits in 100+ degree temperatures while I'm in clients' offices; and gets banged around against walls and floors in an attache not made for laptops. Then I get home and abuse it some more.

Pros:
- Great to look at.
- Light and mobile.
- Takes abuse and doesn't complain.
- Developed using alien technology.

Cons:
- You can't make love to it.
- You can't eat it.
- It doesn't dispense cash.

Bad news: The R505TL finally died last week. Her demise can be blamed on idiot designers of wireless network PCMCIA cards. Why do those things stick out so much?! I accidentally swung my attache into a wall, cramming the protruding pc card into the slot, breaking the slot and shoving it into my laptops innards.

Good news: I'm getting another one! Just won the auction on eBay. This one's faster and newer. I'm also getting a Sony Vaio 802.11G card that DOESN'T protrude; this is the only 802.11G card on the market that's almost flush with a laptop's side.

The R505 has been replaced by the V505. They must have bought some new technology from the aliens. I'm sure it's also a good product, but I'll stick to R505's until I need something faster.

I've used my Vaio R505 for 2 years and it hasn't dissapointed me in any way. The size and weight are the best part. I leave the docking station at work and carry around the laptop to client presentations and business trips. It fits in my slim tote bag so I don't have to lug around those big computer bags that weigh just as much as the laptops themselves. The memory stick slot makes it convenient to upload images from my Sony digital camera. If I were to buy another PC, it would be a Sony. But I've been dissapointed with the Windows OS and may convert to a Macintosh.

My CD-burner gradually began to deteriorate within a few months of buying the computer. Sometimes it would burn CDs ok, and sometimes not. It finally broke for good, right after the warranty expired! I think it's a recurring problem with this model. If anyone knows how to fix it or how to get Sony to fix it after the warranty has expired, email me at the following address (minus the spaces:) j i m w c a @ y a h o o . c o m

I've had this laptop for 2 months now and it is wonderful. Very Light and very quiet, unlike what someone else had to say. My guess is he got a lemon. This notebook is just as quiet as any other I've used. The case is rock solid and made of Magnesium Alloy which weighs as much as plastic but is as strong as metal. The screen hinge covers are plastic but that's a minor problem. The 1ghz processor is spiffy and it's perfect if you need a thin light notebook.

Rarely am I disappointed by a product to the point that I feel that I have to tell others not to buy something -- this is one of those instances.

1. The power management isn't. The software will not allow you disable powersave modes for anything other than your current session. Once the system is rebooted, the default scheme returns and you run the risk of the display going dark in the middle of a presentation.

2. The video card on the docking station is horrible. I like to "dock" my laptop, and bring up my display on my new LCD, then I can undock and go on my way with my documents -- the display to a flat panel screen is sorely lacking. Lack of color depth and resolution.

3. XP support is horrible -- there was no way to "export" your display out to the projector in XP by doing the "function-f7" sequence, you had to manually go through software and select that you wanted to export your display. One of the reasons I had to return to Win2K.

4. The standard install includes more junk that you'll never use -- AOL, Microsoft Network, etc. These applications would constantly pop up and ask you dumb questions. I understand that most new PCs come loaded with this kind of software, but most PCs allow you to reload the system from scratch with the bare-bones applications and build from there. If you go with Sony's build, get yourself the Autorun application from sysinternals.com and nuke these things. If you try to load your own software NOTHING will work.

5. Plugging a mouse into the docking station is less than responsive, the pointer skips around on the screen instead of smoothly moving like it's supposed to.

All in all, this laptop is junk, and at the price that Sony is selling these things it makes the insult that much worse. It's nice because it's light, but then again so is a Palm Pilot. I'd seriously get yourself something else from a company that has budgeted more money into Quality Control. I've really tried to work with this thing over the last year, it just keeps letting me down.