Customer Reviews

Sony VAIO VGN-TXN15P/B 11.1-inch Laptop (Intel Core Solo Processor U1400, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer Drive)

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

 

 

The VAIO VGN-TXN15P/B and the VAIO VGN-TXN15P/W are identical except for case color so I am posting this review on both websites.

The Sony is really a little gem. People look at it and say "wow".

But, why would anybody pay more than $2,000. for this computer when a machine (even a laptop) with larger capacity, bigger screen, more USB ports, more memory, larger hard drive, better warranty and less expensive parts can bought for much less?

The answer is: a footprint smaller than a letter sized sheet a paper; full networking; a built in CD/DVD drive; built in fingerprint reader; bright, high resolution screen; a seven hour battery life even when networked; more than adequate memory and hard drive suitable for all but heavy graphics; the ability to play DVD's without starting up Windows and a total weight of less than 3 pounds.

My first concerns were: Can someone with "older" vision and reflexes actually read the screen and use the keyboard?

I found that, although bright and clear, the screen is definitely small. The saving grace is the Fn F10 key that immediately expands the central part of the screen by temporarily reducing the resolution to make viewing easier. The magnification feature on IE7 is also a big help.

(Note that the Fn F10 and resolution settings did not work when the computer arrived. The Sony customer service knee jerk reaction was to ask me to reformat the hard drive and reload the operating system. However, some digging on my part showed an undocumented advanced graphic media setting some six menus down in desktop - properties that needed to be changed.)

Also, regarding initial set up: I found I could not separate the Bluetooth, wireless lan and wwan settings and needed to talk with customer service again, but they were used to this call and quickly walked me through the network setup (incidentally, the wait time to talk to a techie was about 1 minute).

As with most laptops, the keyboard is flat, not tiered. It is full sized but unforgiving and a special effort to hit the keys dead center is required.

The Sony comes with a one year warranty. For the first two months of ownership, Sony will sell you their own extended warranty (with telephone service) but there is a catch. The extended warranty starts the day you bought your computer so that you lose the "free" one year. (If you buy the Sony two year extension, you get two years, not three).

Extra batteries, AC adapters, etc. are available through Sony at very high list prices (currently a 20% discount if buy when you register the computer on line). These parts are also available for less on web auction sites but be aware of the difference between a genuine Sony part and a generic part "made to fit" that might affect your warranty.

Sony's web site has extensive information on the computer (including the operating manual), warranties, parts, etc. and can be read by potential buyers.

In summary, based on many years of computer experience, I would NOT recommend the Sony as one's only computer. It is not meant to be a substitute for a good, large screen desktop or even a large portable model. Under any circumstances, with only two USB ports, either a port replicator or, at a minimum, a USB hub would be needed. Heavy users would also need extra memory and an external hard drive as well as better speakers. Indeed, for desktop use, I would probably give it 2 or 3 stars.

I also question whether, given its complexity, small size, extra effort needed to read and use, and, of course, high cost, it should be one's first computer.

However, as an experienced user, I find this Sony to be an outstanding travel computer. It has more than enough capacity to handle email, web browsing, Word, Excel, bill paying, and similar software. It is light, requires little space, does not need an external DVD, will simultaneously take a mouse and one additional USB device and, with the settings noted earlier, can be viewed easily enough.

Comments or questions welcome.

This is our third laptop - second ulta-portable. Sony really did a nice job with this one. They've managed to package everything into a very small unit, including the DVD drive. The display is amazingly sharp and clear. Physically it's beautiful, the materials and construction are first class. More importantly, the battery life is phenomenal.

The keyboard is a little on the small side for me, but perfect for my wife, who is the main user. With laptops, and especially ultra-portables, it's very important to try the keyboard before you buy (if possible). My wife tried it out at the Sony store, but they couldn't match the Amazon price.

I didn't notice any issues with the DVD software, I was able to watch a movie in full screen.

Also, as another reviewer noted, this computer ships with a lot of garbage on the drive - applications you'll never use, links to free offers, movie trailers, etc., etc. Many of these start up at boot and really slow things down. I spent a considerable amount of time uninstalling all that stuff, which speeded up the boot time considerably and also freed up a lot of HD space. Very annoying. However, all that is behind us and I have nothing bad to say about this PC, other than the sticker shock. It is expensive, especially in these days of falling laptop prices. But if portability is your goal, you owe it to yourself to at least consider this one.

As noted in other reviews, this product is not designed or built to the usually high Sony standards. The LCD screen WILL break under normal use and Sony will not honor the warranty if the screen fails. My screen failed after six months and I returned the computer to Sony for repairs. Sony charged me over $700 and refused to return the 'physically damaged screen' as I requested so that the 'intentional damage' that I 'caused' could be verified. To confirm that this is a design flaw Sony included with the repaired computer NEW instructions as to how to prevent damaging the screen noting that 'the LCD screen may be sensitive to pressure or added stress'. This product is a sad commentary on Sony's design standards and on its unwillingness to stand behind its warranty.

There are many nice things about this computer - weight, size and decent speed. BUT - normal use can still cause the LCD to crack and it is NOT covered by warranty. Sony considers all LCD cracking to be accidental. When you press the top of the computer, behind the screen, the screen flexes and is not strong.

Sony did not offer an accidental extension to the warranty when I registered the purchase online. (CompUSA, for example, offers one for an additional $350)

The cost of repair is about $750, even if it occurs in the first couple of months.

I do NOT recommend this product.

I bought this laptop specifically for work on the road. I spend about 3-4 months on the road per year, usually in some pretty out of the way places (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan). THat means a lot of airport lugging. After years of dragging medium sized laptops around I finally decided to buy one I liked and which I can hardly notice I am carrying.

THis is the lightest laptop I have ever used (2.8 lbs.), except for the Sony UX series, but, being near 50, I cant read the screen on that, so there was not much sense in buying it.

But a laptop obviously needs to be more than light to make it worth this kind of money. And here is where this Sony lives up to what you would expect to get for your $2000. It has an incredibly bright screen, easy to use built in VAIO software, reasonable (though a bit crowded) keyboard, built in wireless, bluetooth, WWAN and a CD/DVD double layer drive. The processor is not as fast and the hard drive not as large as a heavier laptop, but how many of us actually use that speed and room?

THe only drawback is that Sony preloads the computer with all sorts of promotional software that slows down boot time and takes up a lot of space. It took me a couple of weeks to finally get that all off. Once I did boot time vastly improved and there is plenty of room on the laptop.

If you are tired of lugging heavy laptops around airports you owe it to yourself to look at this one.

This thing is tiny, REALLY tiny, and weighs in about the same as the first handheld calculator I ever owned. Perhaps I'm just getting too old, but I'm tired of carting around a heavy laptop computer. And the complicated airport security in our post-9-11 world coupled with the fact that it was simply time for a laptop upgrade were the factors that tipped me in favor of purchasing a new, ultra-light-weight notebook computer. I'm inching past middle age, and I dwelled long and hard about trying to read such a small screen. But in the end, the light weight seemed more important. It was tricky trying to set up icons and fonts large enough to read for someone my age. But I added a second LARGE flat-widescreen monitor at home for serious working, which means that I only have to get by with the small monitor on the unit itself when I'm on the road -- and that's not very often. What I really needed was something easy to cart back and forth to the university, take to class and lectures to plug into classroom overhead projectors and classroom-based computer equipment.

For my purposes, I think I made the correct compromise, giving up screen size (bifocals be damned) for light portability. There are a couple annoying downsides to this notebook: The sound is tinny and often not loud enough for my seasoned ears (damaged from my early rock concert years), and (2) you have to save the thin sheet of plastic foamy stuff to keep in-between the screen and the keyboard so as not to scratch the screen. Beyond this, I went out and bought a soft case designed for those portable DVD players, and I can just toss it in my backpack and off to my school office. I keep a universal docking station at home with the extra-large monitor, and it's a breeze going back and forth.

Not for the gaming crowd, but for those on the go who value light weight above other amenities.

Pretty darn light. Keyboard takes a little getting used to. Screen/keyboard has very tight fit. Suggest a plastic cover for screen to keep oils from hands/keyboard off the screen.Don't waste money on the Sony privacy filter. Screen size takes a little getting used to. Two memory slots, but one is built in on motherboard allowing only one slot for expansion. If you are going to travel. Buy it.

As I was satisfied with a Sony T150, I bought a similar but advanced newer model TXN15P. Like the T150 I am satisfied with my TXN15P in overall, but its fan noise is really annoying. It's much louder than the T150. In libraries, when I turn on the laptop, some people look back to figure out where the noise come. This may be a defect of only my system or may be a characteristic of TX15P. Is there anyone who has the same fan noise issue?

Smaller than my average textbook, this little sweetheart is a beaut. Without the battery, the laptop is light as a feather, and the screen is crystal clear. I have been working on it (unplugged) since about 7 this morning, (it is 2:30pm now) and the battery is still going! The other reviews on here talk about the scads of junk pre-installed. They are more than right, but when you get rid of that, I don't notice any difference in speed between this laptop and my old one, which had a 1.8 Ghz. As to the screen "crackling", I haven't seen any of this but it would be possible. This is a small and fragile laptop (what did you expect for less than 3lbs???), but with proper treatment should hold up.

This machine is perfect for travel.....clear screen..easy keyboard.....

and naturally lightweight.............My only complaint,the manual is loaded in the computer not in your accompanying literature which is minimal...