Customer Reviews

Sony VAIO VGN-CR12

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Ok, I will start by saying I do "NOT" own this laptop, yet I want people to be aware of a few things. I sold laptops for over 6 years at a large retail company and I have been waiting for this laptop since early 2007 to purchase for myself. I was excited when I found out it will have the new Intel chip set and all the current video graphics and wireless technology. Then I got really excited when I found out it would not have the "usual" premium Sony price tag. I was on Sony's pre-order list when I discovered 4 things that have made me stop for a moment and ask what I am buying. 1. This series does have the 800 MHz front side bus that everyone is advertising, yet if one looks at it, the RAM that powers the chip set is still 667 MHz. The chip set can only run as fast as the RAM, therefore you're not getting a faster speed really. The 800Mhz RAM is scheduled to be released late 2007, and Sony could not answer me when I asked if it would ship with 800Mhz RAM anytime soon, or at what added cost would be incurred to the consumer. 2. The laptop does not have Bluetooth and it is not an option. Almost every laptop has the option to upgrade to Bluetooth. With everything today running Bluetooth; cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, head-phones, printers, PDA's, and etc. This is a necessity or should at least be an option to upgrade too. 3. Sony has never been great at battery life for laptops. They state 1.5 - 3 hours depending upon usage. If you plan on using this off a power source, buy the extra large battery. 4. It does not have a Blue-Ray disc drive or the option to upgrade too it. Now as I said I have been waiting for this laptop for a long time and will more then likely buy one later this fall (holding out for the 800 MHz RAM). I just want others to realize what they are buying. I dug a little further to find out why this series is missing these things. I found out in other reviews and opinions. Sony created this series to take on the HP 14.1 series that has been a HOT seller to say the least. It's just the right size laptop screen, bigger then the hard to see 12" screens and much smaller then the standard 15.4" screens. This series was also created for the home and "primarily" the college student user. NOT the business end or high-end user. This explains the Bluetooth and Blue-Ray missing. I hope others find this helpful. Best regards and happy shopping. :-)

OK, I admit it, I have always lusted after a Sony machine, then chickened out once I saw the price. Heck, I even bought one once then took it back because the price was just so ludicrously high I couldn't justify hanging onto it.

But the CR120 is really a bargain, assuming you're not looking to play the highest end games on it. The keyboard (shamelessly copied from Apple, IMHO) is responsive and nice to use; the screen is out-of-this-world clear and bright; and the specs for the price are extremely comparable to the real competition, which is the smaller Dells.

So far, I've nothing to complain about except the battery life, which is not at all bad when you're not doing much, but runs down fast with a DVD going. Odd note - unlike the HPs, the Sony actually uses up more power playing DVDs in AV mode (i.e. without Windows running) than if you just load up Windows on Power Saver mode and play them on Media Player or similar...weird.

You lose a lot configurability by going this way, but the benefit is that if the specs are in your wheelhouse, you'll save a bundle over going custom-made from any of the other vendors. For me, there is plenty on board, and I use it all day every day to work - and I'm not missing my HP or Lenovo at all!

The one thing you have to know is that Sony continue to load the thing up with unacceptable amounts of garbage tester programs. Take the time to remove them, and you've got a slick, very effective machine!

I just bought this SONY VGN-CR120E/R 14" laptop from Amazon last week for my girlfriend as a gift. This is a very elegant laptop. It was shipped very promptly from Amazon, However the package was not packed very professionally. (my box was poked with a hole, and there was not enough paper stuffing in it).
The laptop was slower than I expected for a high end Dual 2 core with 2 GB of memory on it. To my surprise, the package did not
come with a Recovery CD or user manual. When I called SONY tech support, they pointed me to a website to show me how to create a Recovery CD,and how to download a user manual. While the laptop comes with prepackaged software, It took a longtime (more than 1 hour) to bring up the laptop to its useable condition, and I noticed a bunch of trial software (60 day trials) which actually slows down the laptop. Overall, I like the sleek, beautiful appearance, and it is pretty light to carry around. However I am not impressed with the new Window Vista (very slow) and the free software that goes with the laptop, and the lack of recovery CD and manual in this package. As a side note, I got a $100 rebate for this which is good. I am quite impressed with the way Amazon handles the online purchase and how they handled the rebate processing. Regarding the product,I think Sony needs to learn how Dell and HP package their laptops (with manuals and goodies).

I'm starting college in the fall and was in the market for a laptop. Originally I was going to purchase a Dell Inspiron. A week before I was leaving for vacation Dell had taken the 14.1" laptop off their website. I started looking around to find a replacement. I looked through many different brands and came across the Sony CR series. I liked the look of the laptop because it addresses style and it also had all the specifications I was looking for. However, Dell decided to release new Inspirons, including one that is 14.1". I've used Dells all my life and have suddenly realized they aren't all that great and there are other options out there. I was set on the Sony. My next concern was whether to customize it from the Sony website or to buy it from Staples. I decided on Staples so I would be able to get it sooner rather than waiting for it up until I leave for school. It's a great computer. The one downside is how much junk is already loaded on it. Too many free trial softwares and a preview of Spiderman 3. It took a little while to uninstall that stuff. Also, it comes with Windows Vista, but doesn't come with a copy of it on a disc. I believe this is with many laptops now, but I had to copy my own recovery discs from the laptop. The keyboard on the laptop feels like a normal size keyboard. The keys have space in between them, which will make it easier to clean. Also, there is a switch on the side to switch the wireless on or off which is a cool function. Now that I have installed Microsoft Office Home & Student I believe this will be a great computer for me to use in the fall for college.

UPDATE: I've had this laptop for a year now. i'm still loving it and have had no problem with it. I've even convinced a friend to buy the same laptop!

a couple things:
- I got the laptop in Dove (white). it looks and feels very much like a mac book with a better paint job - shimmery white instead of plain plastic white. it's aesthetically pleasing, light and fast.
- the screen can't be viewed from certain angles, so if you are watching a video from your bed you will have to adjust the screen.
- The transition from XP to Vista was frustrating at first but i've come to tolerate Vista for the most part. I think Sony have provided support for XP now (driver downloads), but i'm not sure.
- sony doesn't ship this laptop with a recovery disc or a hard copy of the user guide (they're all in the laptop). to create a recovery disc, you will need 2 DVDs or 1 DVD-DL. it will come handy in case the hard drive decides to die on you
- the pulsing LED light is pretty to look at but can be annoying int eh long run especially if you have the laptop on all night while you sleep with the lights off. good thing you have the option to turn it off. here's how... copy pasted from my VGN-CR290 manual:
"Changing the default illumination lamp activity
The illumination lamp on the bottom of your computer illuminates depending on your actions or the computer's status. You can change this default activity of the lamp to make it stay unlit by following these steps:

1. Click Start, All Programs, and VAIO Control Center.
The VAIO Control Center window appears.
2. Click Illumination LED Setting in Others.
3. Click to cancel the Enable the Illumination LED check box.
4. Click OK."

Purchased on 10/9/2007 from Best Buy their special. It is this notebook and also case and mouse, all pink, it is the cancer awareness special. It looks nice. From day one the SD media card reader and also the Sony meomry stick reader both of them do not read (they are 2 different slots on the side of the laptop). Best Buy Geek Squard spent hours on it trying to fix it. It did not work and they finally had to go to get a new one from another store. I now have it and hope it works. From talkinhg with Geek Squard I gathered that this quality issue and other quality issues with new Sony Viao is now very common. It appears that Sony Viao's series the quality has declined a lot in recent months / years. What is worse is that Sony Viao is a high price line (higher than others) and yet with bad quality. My whole problem with this took 1 month and I am still unsure if this has been resolved. Had to visit Best Buy numerous times. It was a real hassle. Also this computer runs slow at the factory installed 1 GB total RAM so I had to pay extra to get it to 2 GB and I am unsure if it works considering the Windows Vista "drainage".

I've purchased this laptop about a month ago and have nothing but praise for this machine. It runs smoothly and manages all the tasks I need; after my little 10" Vaio which has served me many years, the screen looks more than generous, and yet this laptop weighs surprisingly little. The keyboard is very lovely, and the finish on this machine is spectacular. Just love it.

I purchased this computer right before starting law school because I wanted something lightweight but still with a decently large screen. I'll admit I was initially attracted to this computer because of how pretty it is; however, I was really satisfied with it at first.
After only three months of use, the backlight on the display screen broke for reasons Sony could not explain to me. I have never mistreated this computer in any way that would cause damage to it, I even bought the $70 matching protective case to keep it safe!
Sony's customer service is awful and there are no authorized repair services for sony laptops so you are pretty much forced into sending the computer out to San Diego to be repaired for two weeks. All in all I probably wasted 5 hours on the phone with sony because they have virtually no commnication between their customer service and technical departments, it proved to be very a very frusterating process.
I am now stuck falling back on my old HP that never once failed me throughout undergrad. If you aren't dependent on your laptop this is probably a fine choice. If your computer is your lifeline to the academic or working world, I would be careful because when this one breaks your going to be missing it for a long time. If I could go back, I'd buy another HP.

I am happy with my vaio, it's very excelent product and the service is very good and fast.

Thank you

This laptop is amazing! I've had it for a few years now and I'm just now getting around to reviewing it. I ordered it simply because it was pink and knowing the brand quality of Sony. It's been great to me and I'm so happy with my purchase.