Sony VAIO PCG-SRX99 Notebook (LV 850 MHz-M PIII, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive)

Amazon.com Product Description

If you crave the ultimate in computing portability, Sony's Vaio PCG-SRX99 notebook may very well be the answer. Tipping the scales at a featherweight 2.76 pounds, the SRX99 is no heavier than a typical purse. Just 1.1 by 10.2 by 7.7 inches, it's slim enough to fit inside one. But make no mistake: Sony's smallest notebook is as powerful as it is convenient.

Driving the SRX99 is the capable yet cost-effective Intel Pentium III-M processor, featuring an 850 MHz clock speed and a generous 512 KB of Level 2 cache for enhanced performance during complex computing situations. Sony has paired this processor with 256 MB of RAM--more than enough to minimize the workload on the integrated 20 GB hard drive--and an 11 MB Intel 815EM graphics chip. They've also equipped the unit with a number of other luxuries not often found on notebooks, including an internal CD-RW/DVD drive through which you can play and record CDs and watch movies. While the SRX99 won't efficiently run today's most demanding 3-D games and programs, it will quite easily handle most typical business and entertainment applications.

When you open the system's ultrathin magnesium alloy case, you'll find several surprisingly sophisticated amenities inside, including an 87-key keyboard, an electrostatic touch pad and Jog Dial control, a pair of stereo speakers, and a reasonably sized 10.4-inch (1,024 x 768) TFT LCD viewing screen. Sony has included a number of device and connectivity ports on either side, including a MagicGate Memory Stick slot for easy transfer of digital images and other data, an IEEE 1394 interface for high-speed digital video, microphone/audio-in and headphone-out ports, a PC card slot, a USB port for plug-and-play peripherals, and a 2.4 GHz 802.11b connect interface for wireless LAN. An integrated V.90 modem provides low-speed Internet access, and a 10/100 Ethernet port permits high-speed surfing.

Your SRX99 will arrive with pre-installed versions of the Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system, Quicken 2002, Microsoft Word 2002, Adobe Photoshop Elements, and a broad range of audio, video, and still-image tools and utilities.

Product Description

At less than 3 pounds, the Sony VAIO SRX99 notebook is the perfect travel companion for those on the go. The truly lightweight, high-performance VAIO SRX99 is not only built for ultra-mobile productivity, but to look good doing it. With long battery life up to an incredible 6 hours (up to 12 hours with optional double-capacity battery), the VAIO SRX99 notebook is what mobile computing was meant to be!

Customer Reviews:

One of my best purchases!.......2004-06-23

I have had this notebook for over a year and a half. It is reliable, practical, and cost effective. The size is perfect for mobility and the built-in wireless has been one of its best features. My only complaint is that the hard-drive is slow. I am thinking of upgrading the hard-drive to give it some new life.

Finally a practical notebook.......2002-12-04

This notebook is small and light, has built-in wireless with PCMCIA slot to spare, and has a good keyboard. What more could you want? The speed is more than adequate. I have had this for about a month and a half, and I am very pleased with it. Get an extra charger on ebay, so you can have one at work and one at home. I am getting about 4.5hrs battery life (thats without the DVD drive). I did try watching Lord of the Rings and it looked great! It didn't seem to affect battery life too much.

For you Linux nuts, I am dual booting with XP. Here is what you can expect: You can install redhat if you have a USB floppy drive []. The firewire CDROM is not yet recognized by Linux. Redhat 8.0 works well, but you have to install a newer kernel or patch the 2.4.18 kernel to get the wireless card to work. The patch is needed to deal with the ACPI IRQ sharing. Suse Linux wouldn't even install! The boot floppy loads half way and hangs. hmmm.

Great "true" laptop.......2002-11-09

This little jewel of a computer is really a laptop. It's light weight and built in wireless (2.4 ghz) make it great to use on the go or just around the house with a wireless network. I got the extended battery and get 6-8 hours of use on one charge! Wish DVD/cdrw were built in but it is not. At least it comes witht the unit (Japanese version does not. I shopped a long time before buying this unit. Considered smaller picturebook but hated that little pointer stick. Touch pad works much beteer on the srx99. I also got the 384 Meg Ram version. Wish HD was larger (only 20 Gigs and it is partitioned as ttwo 10 gigs)
Two thumbs up from Me.

Sony Vaio SRX99 - highly mobile, few compromises.......2002-10-27

The Sony Vaio SRX99 is the latest in a line of ultraportable sub-notebook computers produced by the multimedia giant. It is very comfortable in the hand (the battery side of the clamshell is wider than the front, and when closed, this provides a very convenient place to hold the computer). The speed is very acceptable - not desktop replacement, but good enough for DVD viewing, word processing, and simple image and movie editing. The battery life is exceptional - 3-4 hours with the default battery. Typing on the 80% keyboard is surprisingly accurate (this review was typed on the Vaio SRX-99). The touchpad is responsive, and the built-in jog wheel is very useful and highly configurable. The external DVD-ROM/CDRW drive is very cute, but works well.

One feature which really stands out is the clamshell itself. Unlike most notebook computers, which open only about 90-100 degrees, this one can open nearly 180 degrees, which provides a huge advantage in selecting viewing angles.

It comes with a fairly large pile of software, including Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop Elements, and even Everquest (although I wouldn't recommend this as a gaming computer). There are full restore CDs for both the OS and the bundled software.

It does compromise a bit on external connections compared with a desktop replacement, and the hard drive is a bit cramped at 20GB, but all in all, it's highly recommended for people for whom mobility is the ultimate requirement.

A good travel companion.......2002-10-25

Highlights for this little computer:
Small Footprint - Even in economy with the passenger ahead of you leaned back so far you are certain they are sitting in your seat, this computer still has ample room for seeing the display and utilizing the keyboard.
Lightweight - I haven't actually weighed it but I do know that the whole system with battery weighs the same as one of the batteries from my previous laptop (2 yr old Dell). Its weight and size make it very convenient for carrying to meetings and on the airplane.
Respectable Battery Life - Stock battery that ships with this unit gets 3+ hours with Wireless LAN enabled and 4+ hours with Wireless disabled. I used it during a east to west coast flight and I actually had to stop using it because of preparation for landing rather than the battery running out of charge.

Low Points:
Screen Size - The ~10" screen keeps the footprint down but it does cause me to squint sometimes.
Keyboard - Two things I really dislike about the keyboard: the right shift key is very small (I miss it often during touch typing)and the Fn key must be used in combination with the arrow keys for PgUp, PgDown, Home, and End functionality.

Note about Amazon.com's description of the SRX99: Their review indicates that it has an internal CD/DVD drive. This is not true. It actually comes with an external drive.

Electronics:

Electronics

Electronics