better than humans (Sony Vaio PCG Z600RE)

Member Name: ryanbritto

Product:	Sony Vaio PCG Z600RE
Date:	05/01/01 (335 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: sleek, small, light

Disadvantages: none

Yes, you heard correctly; the XG29 VAIO is better than you. It is smarter than you and it is much better looking than you are. In fact, the VAIO probably has more character than you do. Sorry, and yes, it did hurt for me to break all of that to you. However, most of it is true.

I came upon the VAIO when I needed to replace my Dell laptop (For reasons explained in a previous epinion) and since my company was paying, well, I decided that I would go for the best laptop that I could find. I checked all of the well known brands and decided that the VAIO had more to offer than any other brand for the price and since I did not want to look overly abusive, price was a consideration.

THE XG29 TAKES AN EARLY LEAD OVER HUMAN:

* 14.1 XGA screen (See bigger than your head!)
* 18.1" hard drive (I will withhold the obvious joke about size)
* Approx. six lbs and 1.75" thick (Thinner and more fit than you)
* 128 MB SDRAm and expandable to 256 MB (More capacity than your brain)
* Windows 98 second edition (Ok, so your brain usually works, but still)
* Swappable multi- bay for CD-RW DVD- ROM (Wish I could swap certain things as easily as the XG29 does)
* Intel Pentium III processor (Faster than your tired brain)
* Lithium Ion battery (Does not last as a good heart)
* i.link that supports digital applications (More interesting than you, I am sure)
* Jog Dial control (Ok, fingers are better than Jog Dial, but the device is better than most)

Ok, human. Your losing 7-3. I told you the XG29- VAIO is better than you are. Essentially, the XG29 has all of the options that you could want or need and it also has more than enough memory. The Jog Dial quite an improvement over other navigators in that it is not as touchy as some are. I do not mean that it is tough to use- more that it is easier to control than other navigators.


THE GOOD (Or, furthering the lead):

* See above for the Jog Dial.

* The XG29 is not a lot bigger than one of your old college textbooks and at six pounds it is lighter than some of those ever interesting Biology books that we were forced to know inside and out (Why, oh why, did we have to know all of that stuff???). Additionally, the XG29 is one of the thinnest laptops I have ever come across.
* I have yet to see such a aestetically pleasing machine that is also functional (No, I am not falling for the XG29- I still like Ingrid). Granted part of the appeal is the "uniqueness" of the XG29 and the small size. However, the XG29 is not just beautiful, but also functional and that is a big plus. For instance, there is a contraption at the rear of the laptop that allows it to sit in a manner that makes typing and viewing easier. Nice touch. Oh, and tender as well.
* The internet is a breeze with the XG29. The processor and the ability to hook up high speed internet access make your time online fun and easy.
* The ability to play DVD's and get an excellent picture and sound is impressive. Do you get theater quality? No, but you do get a pretty good picture and the sound is surprisingly good when you consider the audio difficulties that many laptops suffer from.
* The XG29 is durable and that is quite surpising when you consider the small size. I was quite surprised at the sturdiness and liken it to shutting a car door- on a good car shutting the door produces a solid noise. You do not get any rattling or vibrations. The only noise you hear is the sound of the door closing. I find the XG29 is similar in that it is durable (Note: Do not slam XG29 in your car door. It will break).
* The battery life is good, but nothing spectacular. I do not hold this against Sony since the battery is from another unassociated manufacturer and most all laptops use the same basic battery. One battery provides 2.5- 3.5 hours of usage.


CAN HUMAN MAKE A COMEBACK (Or, the bad):

I really do not have m
uch to complain about when it comes to the XG29. However, in an attempt to be completely unbiased, I will add two negatives.

* The customer service options are limited in their scope. Here are the breakdowns:
- One year limited express
- One year parts and labor (90 days if you do not register)
- One year phone support for hardware
- 90 days for software and your OS
I know that this is not necessarily bad, but it also does not stand out and say we are going to take care of any and all problems. Nor does it suggest that problems will not occur down the road. In my opinion, Sony could have done better with the customer support service than they did. I will add that the support people are knowledgable and polite and the wait is never too long. Do keep in mind that the VAIO XG29 is a new model so a lot of questions are likely.
* The XG29 is not human! Sorry, but this is the only other negative that I could find. I swear if this thing could breath and talk (Ah, maybe not talk) I would dump my girlfriend and date it. Though the XG29 is better than a human in many respects, it is still lacking when it comes to relationships. *#@%!!!!

THE FINAL SCORE (Or why you should buy it)

The final score comes down to, well it really does not come down to anything. The XG29 is clearly better than you are. In other words, the XG29 is more than worth what Sony would like for you to pay. While not cheap, I can assure you that you will be impressed with all that get with the product. Best of luck.

Summary: