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I even reloaded the laptop from the recovery disks and then applied the patch and it still didn't help. If you don't have to EVER contact Sony, you may like this laptop. The USB bus inside the PC is underpowered for everything they have running off of it. If you can buy a service contract where you don't have to deal with Sony, do it.So why did I return it.
Even turning off hibernate and sleep modes completely does not help, it will do it coming out of the screen saver.The solution is to unplug the power cord, unplug the battery and then plug everything back in and start it up.Go here if you are interested in the issue:http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php.t=3418282. What does this mean. If you get in to this state, the computer has trouble shutting down and if you restart it, it will freeze up at a black screen and never finish loading Windows.They have a registry patch for this issue on their driver site, but it does not work. I bought this laptop on a sale from Costco online. I had run several scans of my computer to be sure there wasn't some kind of file issue, cleaned up the hard drive with disk cleanup and ccleaner, run every update imaginable, ran a full defrag (even though it was scheduled to run automatically) and it still had the issue. The dual core processor and 4GB of RAM are helpful. I begged them to read people's emails in the future and not treat their customers like they treated me.
In my case, I had a USB keyboard, bluetooth mouse and I used the fingerprint scanner to log back in, so I pretty much had to start over using the laptop keyboard and glidepad. I even ran checkdisk and system file checker to be sure there weren't file issues in Windows.When they replied the first time, they told me to run disk cleanup and defrag. I uninstalled almost every Vaio program to see if it was some rogue program from Sony. It means that frequently when the computer comes out of hybernate, sleep, or even screen saver mode, the fingerprint scanner, USB, and bluetooth do NOT work. I have two major reasons.1. I replied asking for a supervisor or 2nd level tech. I told them that I had already done what they asked but it was rediculous to think disk clean up or defrag would help this issue.The second Sony reply asked me to apply the patch I had already applied before I sent the first email. If I treated my customers the way they treated me, I would either be in my supervisor's office or fired.I contacted them through email.
I applied it and then looked over the changed registry settings just to be sure they had actually changed because I was still having the issue. I have been doing technical support in a call center for over 13 years. In response I got an email asking me to call them to resolve the issue with the laptop.even though I told them in the first few sentences that I had already returned it.On the plus side, for what it is, this laptop is very nice. This laptop has some great features, but it also has some really big downsides.As an up front warning, I hope you never ever have to deal with Sony's Support center. The first techs email started with "I'm sorry the registry patch did not work for you."At this point I was disgusted and told them through email that I had returned the laptop to Costco.
If the 2nd tech had read the original email at the bottom, or the first line of the first techs email, they would have known I had already done that. It runs World of Warcraft nicely, I never had issues with surfing the internet, streaming music online and gaming at the same time. The screen is very bright and has beautiful color.If you don't mind having to pull out the power plug and battery every day or so OR you don't hook up any USB or bluetooth devices and don't use the fingerprint scanner, you might have a nice laptop. I told them up front that I applied their patch and it didn't help the issue. The fingerprint scanner, USB ports, Bluetooth and camera all apparently run off the same bus.
This one has 512MB of dedicated video memory which works well with a game like WoW. Sony's lack of support department stinks. Apparently they only read the first sentence or two each time I contacted them. I would recommend the 7200 rpm hard drives if you game at all and be sure the laptop has dedicated memory on the video card. Otherwise, do what I did and get an Hewlett Packard HDX 18t instead.
and has held up well: no freeze-ups or shut-downs. Very powerful. However, I'm a graphic designer, and with the 18.4" display, it's perfect as a portable desktop.Seems fast enough, with plenty of HD room for my needs. Thank you, Amazon.(again: bought a 'like new' $1,750 Vaio for $995. The puter does take a bit longer to boot up than my XP desktop, but the OS seems easy to use and understand. Actually, waiting for Windows 7 ('do have W7 RC, if I want to upgrade immediately).'Not more 'bloatware' than can be easily dealt with. and after all the bad press (considering I love XP), I'm not ready to dump it yet.
It is indeed NOT a 'laptop'. quite heavy. So far, terrific 'portable' computer. I still haven't found the 'blemish' ;-) It's brand new as far as I can tell, and the software has not been futzed with by the 'previous' owner. WHAT A DEAL.I do need to install my graphics software (Adobe and Corel), and if I run into compatability problems, I'll revise my review.As of now, I'm delighted with this computer. I love deals like that).-steveUPDATE: I'm having a hard time understanding why Vista has such a bad rap. This 'laptop' is terrific. Web research has suggested the early problems have been resolved, but the bad reputation remains.
Just getting introduced to Vista. So far, it runs all my apps just fine. It instantly obtained my home WiFi signal, and jumped on the web without any prep from me. now THAT'S user friendly.I bought a 'used' item and saved over $800. even really old programs (Acrobat 6, Photoshop CS to name a few). still completely satisfied.
Gates and company have come up with; very stable and functional. While this is not a functional laptop due to its size it is also no desktop replacement due to its sluggishness. The display is spectacular and the keyboard is one of the smoothest I've used. For someone like me who has the desire for a media based laptop and is not concerned with the weight, size or overclocking capability for gaming this is a sweet unit. I have used 64 bit ultimate vista now on both my desktop and this unit and have found it to be the best thing Mr. This is a very well put together machine with one of the very few drawbacks being a bunch of useless software to get rid of and I still do not understand why there is no OS disk included but I guess that is the way of the greedy corporate structure. Even though this is a discontinued model it is an excellent value for the dollar.
It will take several more weeks to get completly comfortable.One point I would suggest long term mouse users consider is that you order a mouse with the computer. The computer arrived in two days and exactly as advertised. I found it very difficult to get used to the mouse surface even after several adjustments.The screen is incredible and I have decided not to buy a seperate monitor. I have spent the weeks since delivery learning the features of both the Sony and Vista Home Premium. To say there is a lot to learn would be a gross understatement. It has been very easy to set up wireless networking both at home and on the road at various airports. However, the size of this computer makes it difficult to travel with (it dosen't fit under a airplane seat and cannot be opened for use unless you are in first class).All-in-all I would definitely recommend this computer as a desk top/side replacement.
Sometimes it just hangs up forever. I have had nothing but grief from this purchase. Several times a day it goes into a state where programs wont load or wont close. I have to reboot several times a day and restore the system a couple of times a week. The warranty isn't worth the paper it's printed on.Do not buy this product.
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