Sony Vaio PCG-TR1
Some months, certain equipment passes over the test bench and falls into the must-have basket. And even though this job has many positive sides, a test engineer's job is not a shortcut to riches, which turns some must-haves into must-haves-provided-I-can-convince-the-wife, especially when you're talking about a $4000 notebook.
If we had not seen this notebook working, or used it as much as we have, we would have called it too good to be true. It is the smallest by far of all the notebooks tested in this review, and the second lightest weighing in at a mere 1.5kg.
It has a 10.4in widescreen-format display, which has a small adjustable digital camera mounted above it. This camera can be used for still shots, a live Web cam, or to record basic video clips. It has a Memory Stick socket and built-in Wireless LAN. Combine this with the inbuilt DVD/CD-RW drive, and the only thing really missing is Bluetooth.
Overall--if I haven't already made myself very clear--if you are in the market for a truly versatile ultralight notebook that does not compromise on features or weight/size, then you would be very hard pressed to pass the feature-packed Sony Vaio PCG-TR1, providing you can get used to the widescreen format and the funny font face on the keys.
| Product: | Sony Vaio PCGTR1 |
| Price: | AU$4299 |
| Vendor: | Sony |
| Phone: | 1300 720 071 |
| Web: | www.sony.com.au/vaio |
| Interoperability: |
½
Wireless LAN, no Bluetooth. |
| Futureproofing: |
Lightweight and packed with extra features. |
| ROI: |
A fair price for such a well-engineered and feature-rich machine. |
| Service: |
½
1-year warranty is definitely below average. |
| Rating: |
|
Disagree with comments on the Sony. While it is loaded with a lot of stuff, the unit is, like just about every other Sony notebook ever manufactured, cheap junk. Tiny worthless little screen, "chicklet" keyboard, horrible, short warranty serviced by third party companies whose success is based on their ability to evaded their warranty responsibilities. The IBM X31 got short shrift in the review, but it is easily the best unit of all. Maybe the best ultralight ever produced. Solid (titanium case), three year warranty, great customer support, superior high quality hardware.