Sony VAIO VGN-TX650P/B 11.1" Laptop (Intel Pentium M Processor 753, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive)

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 10.7 x 1.1 inches ; 2.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000BKJOQ0
• Item model number: VGN-TX650P/B
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,095 in Computer & Accessories (See Bestsellers in Computer & Accessories)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 27, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Take a load off your shoulders when you're racing for your plane with the sleekly designed and ultra-portable Sony Vaio VGN-TX650P/B notebook PC, which weighs just an amazing 2.76 pounds. It also features integrated wireless Wide Area Network (WAN) technology to keep you connected and productive when away from your workstation and a dual-layer, multi-format DVD/CD burner with Click to DVD software, enabling you to create high-quality, customized DVDs for presentations or home movies. It also has an 11.1-inch widescreen LCD with XBRITE technology, 1.2 GHz ultra-low voltage Pentium M processor, 60 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM (1.5 GB maximum), a battery life of between 4 and 7.5 hours, Bluetooth wireless capability (for connecting to peripherals such as PDAs, cell phones, and printers), a multi-format memory card reader, and a wide assortment of pre-loaded software titles.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is becoming the average size for notebook PCs, providing enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and productivity software.
  
• Processor: The Intel Pentium M Processor Ultra Low Voltage 753 (1.20 GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 400 MHz FSB) delivers outstanding mobile performance and low-power enhancements for sleeker, lighter notebook designs. The 1.2 GHz clock speed can be misleading--for most tasks, this processor will be faster than a 1.6 GHz Pentium 4-M. It sits at the top of the spectrum for this processor class (as of October 2005).
  
• Memory: The VGN-TX650P/B has two memory slots and comes loaded with 512 MB of DDR SDRAM (PC3200, 400 MHz DDR RAM; 1 x 512 MB), and it can be expanded to a maximum of 1.5 GB.
  
• CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, the multi-format DVD/CD drive is compatible with both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer DVD+R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. For both standard, single-layer DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs, it has a 8x write/4x rewrite speed, while double-layer DVD+R discs have a 2.4x write speed. For CDs, it has a 24x write/10x rewrite speed. It also has a separate DVD-ROM drive with 8x DVD read speed and 24x CD read speed.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has an 82-key keyboard with 1.7mm stroke and 17mm pitch and an electrostatic touchpad.

Screen, Graphics and Sound
The 11.1-inch XBRITE LCD has a resolution of 1368 x 768 pixels--perfect for watching movies in their intended 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Sony's Smart Display Sensor feature instantly adjusts resolution when you connect to a display or projector. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900, which uses Intel Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT) and provides up to 128 MB of shared video memory. The integrated audio card provides 16-bit stereo sound via the built-in stereo speakers.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The VGN-TX650P/B features Sony's SmartWi technology, which seamlessly integrates wireless Wide Area Network (WAN), 802.11b/g wireless LAN and Bluetooth technologies, enabling you to toggle among your wireless connectivity options depending on your surroundings. With the Bluetooth connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones. You get a good offering of connectivity options, including both USB 2.0 and iLink (Firewire):

• 2 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 headphone jack
• 1 microphone jack
• Port replicator connector
• Memory card slot, compatible with Memory Stick and Memory Stick DUO media with MagicGate functionality and Secure Digital Media (SD)

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems). The optional Port Replicator unit also includes 3 additional USB 2.0, VGA, RJ-45, and parallel ports.

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Professional Edition (which adds Microsoft's IIS Web server, back-up and recovery utilities, Remote Desktop, and other enhanced business features) with Service Pack 2 featuring Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes loaded with a bevy of Sony multimedia software: Click to DVD (DVD creation), SonicStage (digital music), SonicStage Mastering Studio (with MP3 encoder), Vaio Media (network file sharing), DVgate Plus (digital video), and Image Converter (for PSP transfer). Other preloaded software includes Quicken 2005 New User Edition, Microsoft Works 8.0 (with word processing, spreadsheet, and calendar), Norton Internet Security (with 90-day subscription), Intervideo WinDVD, Roxio DigitalMedia SE, Adobe Photoshop Album starter edition, and SpySubtract (with 30-day subscription).

Dimensions and Weight
Amazingly small and light, the VGN-TX650P/B weighs 2.76 pounds with standard battery and measures 10.7 x 1.12 x 7.7 inches (WxHxD).

Power
It's powered by the VGP-BPS5 lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which produces a battery life of between 4 and 7.5 hours.

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGN-TX650P/B notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, Cingular Wireless SIM card, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty, and Sony offers 1-year of toll-free telephone technical assistance.

Product Description

Includes: lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, Cingular SIM Card, Microsoft Windows XP Professional w/ Service Pack 2, Photoshop Album Starter Edition, Quicken 2005 New User Edition, WinDVD, Works 8.0, Norton Internet Security with a 90-day subscription, & more. Sony VGN-TX650PB VAIO(R) Notebook Computer - Thanks to it's cutting-edge carbon fiber case, this ultra-portable notebook computer is only 2.76 lbs. and extremely durable. Packed inside it's slim and rugged frame, you'll find that Sony has managed to provide you with a solid, full-featured computing experience. Including an Intel Pentium M Processor Ultra Low Voltage 753 (1.2GHz), which preserves your battery life while being able to easily run your day to day applications. An integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi wireless network adapter, so you can wirelessly connect to the web and check e-mail. Sony even managed to fit a Double Layer DVD writer in there, so you can watch your favorite movie, or make your own! Integrated Wireless WAN accessing Cingular Wireless National EDGE Network with SmartWi technology Integrated Bluetooth Technology 11.1 Widescreen LCD with XBRITE(TM) Technology Native Resolution - 1366 x 768 60GB 4200RPM ATA(TM) HDD Double Layer DVD Writer - (write speeds) up to 4x DVD-R, 4x DVD+R, 2.4x DVD+RW, 2x DVD-RW, 24x CD-R, & 10x CD-RW Double Layer DVD Writer - (read speeds) up to 8x DVD-ROM & 24x CD-ROM Intel Graphics Accelerator 900 with up to 128MB of shared memory (memory is taken from the main system's RAM) Integrated v.90 Fax Modem Ports - 10/100 Ethernet, 1 VGA, 2 USB 2.0, 1 4-pin Firewire, 1 Microphone Jack, & 1 Headphone Jack Memory Stick Media Slot - supports Memory Stick(R) & Memory Stick(R) PRO media One PCMCIA Type I/II Card Slot with CardBus support Unit Dimensions - 10.7 (w) x 1.12 (h) x 7.7 (d) Color - Charcoal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A true go-anywhere office, November 18, 2005

By	Headbang8 (Bogenhausen, Munich) - See all my reviews

I just bought a TX690, which I believe is the same as this model except with a blue cover and a half a gig more RAM.

Light, thrifty with the juice, and just as powerful as some of its larger cousins, I am very happy with this purchase overall. I can see no reason to go back to a bigger notebook for any reason. It fits in a backpack with the rest of my gear; no need for a separate laptop bag.

The connectivity is superb, and once you get the hang of it, the VAIO connections manager software makes it incredibly easy to switch from one internet connection to another.

The Cingular EDGE feature is extraordinary. You can pluck broadband out of the sky across wide stretches of the USA--no more searching for Starbucks or other hotspots. And if the EDGE network doesn't reach where you are, the Bluetooth feature makes it easy to do dial up via your mobile phone.

Just a couple of gripes that bust my rating from a 5 to a 4.

Sony has integrated the EDGE system into the software, so you can't switch telcos. And with the most common plan at $80 a month, it's a bit pricy.

The screen is exceptional for its size, and the keyboard works as well as can be expected in such a small space. But Sony could have improved the array of outside controls. There's a set of buttons above the keyboard which is supposed to let you operate the machine as a dumb-terminal personal DVD player without booting up the whole system, but it's never worked 100% properly for me. The touch-pad is, if you'll pardon the expression, touchy. And the volume and mute buttons are fiddly.

The tight packing of so many components does cause a little interference in the built-in speaker--this disappears when connected to external speakers, but it kind of makes it useless as a personal DVD.

That said, if you really want a full functioned office that you can operate from anywhere, you can't go past the new TX series.

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Would be the best if not the fragile screen, November 25, 2005

By	Dr Stone (New York) - See all my reviews

I almost bought this computer, but decided to go to Best Buy to actually see it. I am very glad I did: the Best Buy's floor sample had many glass cracks on the LCD panel. I wondered why, and the answer is actually simple: the screen is made very thin and while the "polycarbonate" cover touted by Sony is strong in terms that the cover itself does not break, at the same time it is very flexible and unfortunately the glass inside the screen is not flexible, so the LCD glass cracks when the screen is bent a little.

So, I imagine the glass would often break if you put your computer inside a bag with something else that could bend-in the cover or if you drop it or you are not handling this thing like a baby. None of the other computers I saw in Best Buy had the cracks on LCD panels. So, if you ever decide to buy it, I would highly recommend buying an accidental damage protection, which adds $300-$500 to the price depending on where you buy it.

I also looked at Portege R200 from Toshiba. The battery life of this computer is not as impressive as Sony's and it lacks the optical drive. On the plus side it weights the same and has a much better protection of its Polysilicon screen - it does not bend and the Polysilicon screens are known to outlast the regular screens by many years. Sony might also use polysilicon screens, but unlike Toshiba they refuse to tell which components they use, which is unfortunate because you don't really know what you are buying and how long will it last. One of the reasons I looked at Sony's TX is that it might use the polysilicon screen from Toshiba, based on Toshiba's announcement of mass production of LED powered 11.1 screens with the same resolution as in TX. That screen would work very well if not the critical design flaw with the screen cover that bends easily.

The Portege's hard drive also seems to be very well protected: they used a smart sensor that detects abrupt laptop movements and parks the hard drive's head to avoid damage to the disk. Not only that, it is also installed in a shock absorbing material. The hard disk and the screen are the two components that break sooner or later 99% of the time and Toshiba wins the durability test against Sony hands down. So, regretfully, while Sony's TX looks great, I just can't waste my time and money on something that would break in a few months.

As far as the WAN option goes, the Cingular's web site sells the PCMCIA cards for free when you sign up, so having the WAN option built-in does not make much of a difference pricewise.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Notebook, February 24, 2006

By	Caffeinator "Caffeinator" (Modesto, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I recently purchased this from Amazon. They offered an OK price, but also gave a $150 rebate, so the net price was about $60 less than any other vendor (online or brick-and-mortar). Filling out the rebate form on-line was easy.

I purchased it to replace a Fujitsu p1120 sub-sub-notebook. The LCD on the Fujitsu died just outside of the 1-year warranty. I expect the Sony LCD will last longer, given the quality I usually find in Sony products. The Sony is much faster (as one would expect comparing a Pentium M 1.2 GHz processor to a Transmeta 0.8 GHz processor), and has a much nicer screen. It comes with the usual Windows/MS junk such as MS Works, MS Office Evaluation Copy, etc. I deleted these to make room for OpenOffice for Windows and Cygwin.

Regarding recovery disks, they can be made easily by following the instructions that appear after you first log in. It is true that 6 GB of disk space is devoted to a Windows Recovery Partition. This partition can probably be deleted after making recovery disks, but this would likely require a re-install of Windows. I have not done this. I did shrink the Windows partition using Knoppix and installed Fedora Core 4. It works well with Linux, including screen, touchpad, sound, and wireless. I am told power management works under Linux, but haven't yet tried it.

I do not believe the screen is as fragile as some reviewers fear. A co-worker has 2 of these (for herself and her husband) and says she and her kids have treated it quite roughly without any screen damage. Moreover, I went down to the local CompUSA and saw the screen on one of their demo models torqued significantly without damage to it.

I am so far happy with this notebook. If I had not yet purchased this notebook, I would also look at the Panasonic Toughbooks.