Sony's latest Vaio boasts wireless connectivity and a truly unpronounceable name. Read our Australian review.
Sony can design some of the world's most stunning looking technology. It's a close run thing as to who makes prettier technology, Sony or Apple. Why then, do they saddle their aesthetically pleasing products with such unwieldy names? Just the support alone must be a killer, having to wait for customers to say 'PCGR505TFP' down the phone line.
From a pure technology standpoint there's not much that's truly remarkable about the PCGR505TFP. A 1.2GHz Pentium III keeps things humming along, aided by 256MB of RAM and a 12.1" screen. The main hook with Sony's latest Vaio is that it's the first the company's released with integrated wireless capabilities. The unit itself is quite small (279.5 x 29.4 x 239.0mm,1.98kg) ), even when on the 990gm dock. As usual, the main advantage to docking is the addition of an optical drive; in the PCGR505TFP's case, it's a combination DVD/CD-RW drive.
Wireless connectivity inbuilt in notebooks can be very touchy, especially depending on where the manufacturer places the antennae. We were somewhat surprised to note that the Vaio's signal strength actually improved when removed from the dock, which suggests the antennae may be in the palm rests or base. That's less desirable than screen-mounted antennae, which tend to have a better range. Still, the Vaio managed to maintain signal throughout our wireless network.
Like most Vaios, the unit has a glidepad with a scroll wheel wedged in-between the mouse buttons that sit below it. A switch on the front right hand side turns wireless access on and off. It's embedded at just the right height, so it's not difficult to switch on or off when you need to, but unlikely to be inadvertently switched when you don't.
One thing we did notice with the unit was that it does get remarkably warm after even only a short period of usage; there's a particular hotspot bang in the centre of the undocked base that radiates a lot of heat straight down into your legs. That's great if you want a nice heat massage; less pleasant on an already warm day.
The keyboard on the unit is acceptable for use; like many notebook keyboards a function modifier key allows Sony to squeeze in extra keys of limited use (Pause, Break, Screen Lock) in combination with other keys. Key travel isn't great, however, and it took us some time to get used to the correct pressure to use for speedy and accurate typing.
In our tests using MobileMark 2002, the PCGR505TFP managed a fairly ordinary 149 minutes of battery life in performance testing, with an overall performance rating of 82. That's a better productivity and battery rating than the similar Sony Vaio PCG-FX950, although that notebook managed better reader battery life. The PCGR505TFP actually dropped battery life in reader mode for reasons we're still not sure of. Every time we ran the test, it delivered a score of 142 minutes, seven minutes shorter than productivity battery tests. The inbuilt battery software isn't the easiest to use and configure, but it does give you a lot of control over every aspect of the notebook that might conceivably drain the battery.
Sony might have funny ideas about product names, but they definitely bring a smile to your face in terms of bundled software. Apart from Windows XP Pro, you also get MovieShaker, DVGate, Smart Capture, SonicStage, PictureGear, Photoshop Elements, Norton Antivirus and Digital Print. While many of these packages replicate features in Windows XP, they're still nice inclusions -- especially Photoshop Elements and Norton Antivirus.
One thing we did notice on our unit, which was a pre-release model, was that the battery feels a touch loose on the back of the undocked unit. Normally that's not something we'd comment on, but in the Vaio's case the battery also protrudes a touch when undocked. Combine protrusion with a weak holding catch, and you could find yourself out of power a lot more quickly than you planned. Hopefully this is just a prerelease design quirk.
The PCGR505TFP is a decent and easy to lug ultraportable notebook with decent wireless capabilities. Its battery life is something of a concern, though, especially considering you could expect much shorter battery life when using it wirelessly.
Sony Vaio PCGR505TFP
Company: Sony Australia
Price: AU$4,299
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 1300 13 8246
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