VPCX115KX/B
4.8
5
8
9
Incredible for travel
I just traveled with this for two weeks and am so impressed at the practicality. At <1.5 pounds, it has to be seen in person (and picked up) to be believed; pictures don't do it justice. Because this is so lightweight, it opens up new possibilities during travel: I can slip it into a paper folder and keep it with me in a cheap thin bag all day without any fatigue whatsoever (and not attract any suspicion that I'm carrying a computer); conversely, can leave this inconspicuously behind in a hotel room. In comparison, my last notebook, the Macbook Air, would cause fatigue after some amount of walking (yes even 3.0 lbs!), as well as was harder to hide.
Couple more observations:
- Durability: I was initially VERY concerned about the fragility of the LCD screen (it's easily bendable). Then I did a ton of research into the technology Sony used (which they introduced with the Vaio Z two years ago) which is a flexible polymerized LCD panel that won't crack where an ordinary glass LCD panel would! And the flexibility of the screen is by design: it better absorbs shock upon impact (a rigid screen would have to absorb all the shock because it cannot be transferred). I saw a lot of reviews slamming the bendable lid, and I think this is the most misunderstood aspect of the X and Sony should do a better job explaining it. (I had someone ram right into my bag at the airport once and it was fine.)
- 2GHz Atom is fine for web browsing, Office, Skype, WMP, itunes, Bloomberg, etc. It doesn't "feel" zippy but actually handles tasks better than it initially feels. Recalculating a 3MB Excel spreadsheet was quite tolerable; you can do real work on this (unlike a standard netbook, where recalcing spreadsheet would take double the time)
- Hoping that either Adobe enables Flash support for the Intel GMA500 graphics chip (right now depends only on the processor); as it stands now, for example, Hulu videos are smooth at standard size but jittery at full-screen
- On the other hand, GMA500 is adequate for non-Flash videos, e.g. all XVID AVI movies were smooth at full screen. Even WinTV live HDTV 720p was perfect (1080p a few dropped frames but very watchable) (even the Macbook Air 1.86GHz would freeze sometimes during WinTV, perhaps because of heat issues?)
- *SILENT* 90% of the time; when fan does comes on (under taxing usage), it's high-pitched but at least pretty quiet.
- the 128GB SSD model is noticeably heavier than the 64GB SSD model due I think to the PATA to SATA adapter. The 0.1 lb stated difference doesn't sound like much, but it's noticeable. If you can live with the smaller 64GB SSD, go for it (unless you need the improved data latency performance of SATA)
- 11.1" screen is bright, crisp, VIBRANT, and perfect. (Unlike my previous Macbook Air, which had the dreaded "grey lines" issue which Apple would not acknowledge as a defect and therefore not repair. Shame on Apple.) However, due to the smaller screen size and high-resolution, I sometimes hit CTRL++ to increase font sizes in Chrome. (When will Google release permanent zoom? IE has it, but is slow.) So the difference from a 13" screen (e.g., Macbook) is real, but still acceptable, and the tradeoff with vastly better portability is for me worth it.
- AC adapter is small but ugly, not nearly as elegant as Macbook Air AC adapter (with its folding prong). At least I found a replacement plug "stump" that eliminated the heavy cord side...not too bad now.
- Solid connectivity: two USB, VGA (still most universal standard, even though derided as low tech), Ethernet (for some reason, still the only way to connect in much of Asia as Wifi is uncommon in hotels), Bluetooth. Much better connectivity than MBA where I had to carry Ethernet and monitor dongles everywhere (especially in Asia).
- Sony includes lightweight "S" (3 hours) and gigantic "L" size (12 hours) batteries in U.S. models of the X. Idiotic move, they should've just included the "M" battery which is the same size as the "S" battery (adds 0.2 lbs though) and doubles th battery life to a solid 6 hours (I understand in Europe, they configure it this way). I won't use the "L" battery because it doubles the thickness of the X and defeats the portability. I won't penalize the X for this because I can always sell my L battery and get the M battery later.
December 29, 2009
Exactly what I was looking for.
I am very picky when it comes to electronics. i have been a fan of Vaio notebooks in the past but this is definitely my favorite. i was looking for an unltra portable laptop that still had a lot of style and performance and i feel i got exactly that. everyone comments on how stylish it is. the battery life is fantastic (i no longer rush thru computing or avoid a quick web surf due to battery life fears). it is so light and small i can slip it into any bag i happen to be carrying and can finally make use of all of those wifi hotspots. the display has a high resolution and looks bright and colorful. my only negative comment would be that the single core processor does lag every now and then. however a few simple tweaks of some visual settings can greatly improve this (simply turning off the transparent glass window setting helps tremendously) perhaps my favorite element would be the Solid State Drive. there are no moving parts to this netbook and therefor it operates in complete silence and stays very cool. a fantastic netbook all around.
December 23, 2009
Very Good Sony X. Install Windows XP on X
In Europa Battery Life from Vaio X series is 8 hours Standard & 16 hours Large Capacity Battery but only standard Battery in the box.
In US Battery Life from Vaio X series is 3 hours Standard & 12 hours Large Capacity Battery but both in the box.
Also European have Drivers for Windows XP for X series.Here is the site for XP drivers.
http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/downloads/updates/index.aspx?l=en_GB&m=VPCX11Z1E_X
December 20, 2009
Infatuation that grows to love
If you see this machine in person, you will have a hard time resisting it. My advice--it you travel, or just like taking a laptop with you--get it. The machine design is just stunning, and you'll continue to find hidden gems (like the sturdy yet hidden fold-down RJ-11 jack).
Overall Design: 10/10 wow. yum. wow.
Screen: 10/10: just beautiful
Keyboard: 8/10: keyboard is workable--I'm a very fast (100+wpm) typist on my ThinkPad, and the slightly smaller keyboard does trip me up a bit, but it's worth it for the sleek size of the machine. I just wish the Shift key on the right side was larger--I over-reach it regularly.
Batteries: 2/10 and 9/10: the machine comes with two battiers--the sleek skinny one that delivers the light weight and thin look, and the useful one. With the "big" battery, the machine now weighs a whole 2 lbs 4 ounces--still far less than my thinkpad, and with really great life--over 8 hours. The little one is really just a "party battery"--I have yet to get a full 2 hours off it. But for showing the thing to your friends, that's the outfit you want. ;)
Touchpad: 4:10: this is the weakest part of the machine. Its responsiveness is poor, and it makes the machine seem much slower than it really is. Shell out for a nice VAIO wireless mouse and you won't be sorry--the machine is easier to use and now seems much faster. (This, from someone who truly does like the little red eraser-control in the ThinkPad).
OS: 8/10: This is my first experience with Windows 8, and as someone who was aghast at Vista, I can happily report we now have a OS we can live with. It's very different from XP, and you really do need to go through some of the great tutorials, but once you do, I think you'll find it very cool. I generally don't like having my UI world changed, but I'm really liking W8.
Performance: 810: at first I felt like the performance was "tolerable", but as Windows 8 started to get more information built into the cache, AND I got a mouse, I can now see that this baby just hums along.
Power Cord: 2/10: As others have mentioned, clearly the "best and the brightest" were not on the power cord design team. It's two pieces, with a brick in the center. Ugly, clunky, and ungainly.
Sony Compatibility: 9/10: this was an unexpected plus--I have been coveting a Kindle, but kind of shot my electronics wad on this baby. Happily, the e-book reader sw and connection to the sony store are very cool, and I'm happily using it as my ereader at night. (it would get 10/10 if it would default to the view where one can read the whole page at once.) Another bonus is the support for my funky sony camera media--I didn't expect that, and it's cool.
Bluetooth: 7/10: works, but for some reason is "off" by default--this took a bit of work to get straightened out, but is now all good.
Verizon Wireless: 8/10: at $40/month, I don't need that additional cost for wireless, but the fact that they'll also sell it to you on an ad-hoc basis is very cool--so when I travel, I can sign up for 1 week's connection for about $30 and have full wireless when I'm away from home, but not pay for it when I'm at home on my existing wireless network.
SSD: 8/10: rock solid, fast and quiet, just wish there was even more. Can you *ever* have enough disk space???
All in all, I'm just loving it.
December 19, 2009
