Infinity In-Wall Speakers (ERS 110) (ERS 110)

Infinity In-Wall Speakers (ERS 110) (ERS 110)
Manufacturer: Infinity
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Product Description
The ERS 110 is a round 2-way in-wall/ceiling speaker for use in a wide variety of applications, from stereo and whole-house music systems to complete home theaters. The ERS 110 incorporates Infinity's patented Ceramic Metal Matrix Diaphragm (CMMD) technology to eliminate unwanted resonance and deliver clear, undistorted sound. The ERS 110 also incorporates a proprietary waveguide design to ensure smooth distribution of sound throughout the listening area. The white grilles and frames are paintable and allow the speakers to blend into any decor.

Average customer rating: 3.5

Beautiful Hardware with Miserable Windows Vista
Underpowered nightmare; avoid at all costs.
Slow. Did I say Slow?
Very Portable
Good but could be lots better

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Sony VAIO VGN-TXN25N/B 11.1" Notebook PC (Intel Core Solo Processor U1500, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD±RW Drive, Vista Business) Charcoal Black

Manufacturer: Sony IT
Product Group: Personal Computer
Binding: Personal Computers
ASIN: B000MQM02I
2007-01-30

Related Categories:

Notebooks

Notebooks

Notebooks

| Sony | Computers Brands | Computers Features | Electronics

Laptop & Notebooks

Sony

Amazon.com Product Description

Take a load off your shoulders when you're racing for your plane with the sleekly designed and ultra-portable Sony Vaio VGN-TXN25N/B notebook PC, which weighs just an amazing 2.84 pounds and offers a sleek, durable carbon-fiber case in charcoal black. And with 4 to 10 hours of standard battery life, it has the stamina to power you through your most demanding applications. With the integrated wireless WAN, you can access the national Sprint Mobile Broadband service to extend your wireless coverage beyond LAN access networks and hotspots, giving you the freedom to go farther, do more, and stay connected.

It also nicely balances form with function, thanks to the stylish, slim, and durable carbon-fiber casing and razor-thin 11.1-inch widescreen LCD panel (with XBRITE technology and a white LED backlight for brilliant colors and added clarity). It's powered by Intel's 1.33 GHz Core Solo U1500 processor with ultra-low voltage for extended battery life. Other features include a shock-resistant 80 GB hard drive, 1 GB of installed RAM (1.5 GB maximum), Bluetooth wireless capability (for connecting to peripherals such as PDAs, cell phones, and printers), and a Memory Stick PRO reader.

Sony takes security serious, and this laptop employs a biometric fingerprint sensor to ensure your data is protected from unauthorized use. Fingerprint biometrics is a convenient and secure way to protect your computer and the information on it with a simple swipe of your finger. It also stores passwords to secure web sites you visit, so authentication and access are quick and easy--you only need your fingerprint.

The preinstalled Microsoft Windows Vista Business features a new user interface, named Windows Aero, that makes it easy to navigate through the operating system and from application to application. For instance, Windows Aero helps you juggle multiple tasks at once by providing a three-dimensional, real-time, animated view of all your open applications and documents. Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.

The Basics
<ul>

Processor: The Ultra Low Voltage Intel Core Solo U1500 processor offers a 1.33 GHz speed paired with a fast 533 MHz front-side bus and large 2 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.) The Core Solo processor delivers enhanced performance for today's demanding applications such as CAD tools, 3-D and 2-D modeling, video editing, digital music, digital photography and gaming. And Intel's Smart Cache technology enables smarter, more efficient cache and bus design for enhanced performance, responsiveness and power savings.

Hard Drive: The 80 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is average in size for notebook PCs--but a bit larger than you'll find in comparable ultra-light notebooks. It offers more than enough capacity for storing documents and productivity software for road warriors. You'll also be able to store a good-sized digital audio library.

The G-Sensor Shock Protection feature makes your data even less vulnerable to loss or damage. When the built-in 3-D acceleration sensor detects a risky movement like being dropped, the HDD-head will lock up to secure its position and protect the disc from scratching. An intelligent algorithm, unique to VAIO PCs, judges whether or not a movement is risky, activating disk drive protection only when your hardware is at risk.

Memory: This laptop has two memory slots and comes loaded with 1 GB of DDR SDRAM (PC4200, 533 MHz DDR RAM; 2 x 512 MB), and it can be expanded to a maximum of 1.5 GB.

DVD/CD Drive: The double-layer DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data--great for backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x for DVD+R DL, 4x for DVD-R DL, 8x for both single layer DVD+R/-R, 8x for single layer DVD+RW, 6x for single layer DVD-RW, and 24x/16x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.

Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 82-key keyboard (1.7mm stroke and 17mm pitch) and electro-static two-button touchpad. </ul> Screen, Video & Audio
The 11.1-inch XBRITE LCD has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels--perfect for watching movies in their intended 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Sony's Smart Display Sensor feature instantly adjusts resolution when you connect to a display or projector. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, which uses Intel Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT) and provides up to 224 MB of total graphics memory from the system memory. Audio is powered by Sony's Sound Reality audio enhancer.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
This notebook features Sony's SmartWi technology, which seamlessly integrates wireless Wide Area Network (WAN), office/home Wi-Fi LAN, and Bluetooth technologies, enabling you to toggle among your wireless connectivity options depending on your surroundings. The integrated PRO/Wireless 3915ABG wireless LAN is compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and wi-fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments). With the integrated Wireless Wide Area Network (WAN) technology, you can extend your 2ireless coverage beyond LAN access networks and hotspots using the Sprint Mobile Broadband service (subscription required).

A WWAN uses long-range wireless connections -- the same networks as cellular phones -- to provide access across a large geographic area. In comparison, a WLAN (wireless LAN) covers only one or more buildings located close together. On a WWAN, you connect to your carrier's data network (Sprint, for this laptop) instead of plugging into a phone jack and dialing into your ISP. Each mobile device communicates with the public carrier's base station, providing coverage across entire states, regions, and countries via cell phone towers.

With the Bluetooth connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones. Here's the full list of connection options: <ul>

2 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players

1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals

1 ExpressCard/34 slot

1 VGA monitor out

Stereo headphones/speakers/line-out

Microphone/line-in

Memory Stick slot (with MagicGate functionality)

Secure Digital memory card slot (also compatible with MMC cards) </ul> It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Operating System
The Windows Vista Business operating system is designed to meet the needs of business organizations of all sizes. For small businesses, Windows Vista Business will help keep PCs running smoothly and more securely so you will be less reliant on dedicated IT support. For larger organizations, Windows Vista Business provides dramatic new infrastructure improvements, enabling your IT staff to spend less time focused on the day-to-day maintenance of PCs. An array of sophisticated new backup technologies helps protect your information even in the event of a catastrophic hardware failure. And Windows Vista Business has a new user interface, named Windows Aero, which is designed to deliver new levels of efficiency for any business user. This new interface makes it easy to navigate through the operating system and from application to application. For instance, Windows Aero helps you juggle multiple tasks at once by providing a three-dimensional, real-time, animated view of all your open applications and documents.

Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

Preloaded Software
Includes Sony Click to DVD (for easy DVD creation), Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office 2007 Student and Teacher Edition (60-day trial), Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 (with 60 days of Live Update).

Dimensions & Weight
Amazingly small and light, this Sony TXN laptop weighs 2.84 pounds with standard battery and measures 10.7 x 1.23 x 7.7 inches (WxHxD).

Power
It's powered by the VGP-BPS5A lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which produces a battery life of between 4 and 10 hours.

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGN-TXN25N/B notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. (Sprint SIM card available separately.) It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty, and Sony offers 1-year of toll-free telephone technical assistance.

Product Description

This ultra portable notebook features Microsoft Windows Vista Business, a version of Microsoft's latest operating system that is geared towards fulfilling the needs of small to mid-sized organizations. Business provides robust networking features that makes life a lot easier for IT staff. They can more easily setup wired and wireless networks, provide data security, network protection, and off-site network access. If something does go wrong, fixing it is easy with Remote Desktop. It allows an IT person to easily access the machine over the network, take control of it, and fix the problem. Vista Business also provides Windows Meeting Space, which allows you to simultaneously collaborate on files from anywhere. Native Resolution - 1366x768 Dual Layer DVD Writer - (write speeds) up to 4x DL DVD-R, 4x DL DVD+R, 5x DVD-RAM, 8x DVD-R, 8x DVD+R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 24x CD-R, & 16x CD-RW Dual Layer DVD Writer - (read speeds) up to 8x DVD-ROM & 24x CD-ROM Integrated 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi Wireless Network Adapter Integrated WirelessWAN - Spring Mobile Broadband service Integrated Bluetooth Multimedia Card Reader - supports Memory Stick(R) PRO, Memory Stick(R) PRO Duo with MagicGate, & Secure Digital 1 PCMCIA Card Slot Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 224MB of shared memory (memory is taken from the main system's RAM) Ports - 10/100 Ethernet, 2 USB 2.0, 1 4-pin Firewire, 1 Headphone Out, 1 Microphone In, & 1 VGA Out 56k Fax Modem Color - Charcoal Black Unit Dimensions - 10.7 (w) x 1.23 (h) x 7.7 (d) Unit Weight - 2.8 lbs. Note - When you first turn this machine on, you will have to wait ONLY 5-6 minutes before you use Windows Vista.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Hardware with Miserable Windows Vista.......2007-06-09

The laptop has very good build: light weight, LED back-lit screen, & 4 to 5 hours battery life at one full charge. But you will be wrong if you think you will get a good laptop without tweaking the system a little bit. Windows Vista is a joke running on Sony TX series. It takes 5 minutes to boot, the fan constantly blows, and CPU is always at 60%. If you really like Sony TX series as I do, you have two options: 1) Buy the TXN15/17/19 series which run on Windows XP. 2) Buy this one and replace Vista with XP. I did the latter and feel pretty happy now. Windows Vista ruins this laptop. It is a piece of ridiculous software far below the high expectaion before it came out. Besides the slowness, a user will be promoted multiple times before he/she can do anything and Microsoft calls it security. For example, if you want to create a new folder, you will need to click ok to confirm 3 times to the questions like 1) Windows wants you to confirm the creation, 2) Windows wants you to grant permissions, 3) Windows will create the folder physically. What a joke!

Underpowered nightmare; avoid at all costs........2007-05-20

Some background to judge my comments against: I have owned 7 laptops over the years, all from the high end of what was available at the time of purchase. I was looking to replace my travel computer, a 5-year old Fujitsu Lifebook with 256k RAM and a 20 GB hard drive--nice in its time, but now slow, with a hard drive too small to hold my Itunes library, no built-in wireless capability, and a dead battery.

This VAIO seemed perfect--same size as the Lifebook, very lightweight, long battery life, nice screen for watching DVDs in my hotel room, and enough hard drive capacity for Itunes, ebooks, and work-related programs and documents. I was a little concerned that a Core Solo with 1 GB RAM wouldn't be enough for Vista, but as a customer of Sony for over 25 years, I believed they stood for quality, and would not sell a product that did not perform adequately.

Unfortunately, while the Vaio looks beautiful, it performs abysmally. FOUR MINUTES to boot up and open the Control Panel or Internet Explorer. And this was before installing Norton, or any programs or files. The Lifebook accomplished the same tasks in half that time--I was comparing them side-by-side, along with my 13-inch HP laptop, which was the best performer of all.

While I was explaining my reason for return at the Sony Style store, another salesman overheard and said "Well you know 1GB isn't enough to operate a TX proficiently." Yes, I just found that out. Unfortunately, it cost me a $300 restocking fee, and I am now a former Sony customer.

Slow. Did I say Slow?.......2007-05-13

As others have pointd out, this is probably due to Windows Vista being new. Those Mac versus PC commercials with the two guys are continuing to make an impression on me as well. This computer (or rather windows vista) is miserably slow even with 2 full Gig of Ram. I mean its ridiculous. Just to open control panel it took nearly 1 minute 30 seconds. I sat here and shook my head the whole time. Someone else pointed out nearly 5 minutes for a boot up. True. The computer is screaming fast im sure, but Windows Vista is just ridiculous on it. CNet reviews this product as having a slow and small hard drive and slow core processor. So maybe it is the computer. I don't know. But I am going to wipe the whole thing clean and install XP on it instead. Fingers crossed...

Very Portable.......2007-04-27

This is a great laptop for taking on the road. Its very light and has a good battery life. Do not buy this if you want a gaming machine though. The low voltage CPU is slower than what you can get in a more power house laptop designed for games. This one is great of checking email and typing docs. The long battery life is great when traveling. The play DVD movie feature is also handy when on the road. We used ours on a recent trip to store photos with the built in stick reader.

Good but could be lots better.......2007-04-12

Small and portable. Slow to boot up. Comes with essentially no instructions, not even for Windows Vista. Does take a long time to update online. I also object to the use of 'demo' packages for many software items. It looks to me that this computer is designed as a sales pitch for buying lots of software that used to come already installed (and DOES on many competing models. It is light and portable, but the $2000+ price is just the down-payment.

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