Editorial Product Review:Item Description:Includes: lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, Cingular SIM Card, Microsoft Windows XP Professional w/ Service Pack 2, Photoshop Album Starter Edition, Quicken 2005 New User Edition, WinDVD, Works 8.0, Norton Internet Security with a 90-day subscription,&more.Sony VGN-TX650PB VAIO(R) Notebook Computer - Thanks to it's cutting-edge carbon fiber case, this ultra-portable notebook computer is only 2.76 lbs. and extremely durable. Packed inside it's slim and rugged frame, you'll find that Sony has managed to provide you with a solid, full-featured computing experience. Including an Intel Pentium M Processor Ultra Low Voltage 753 (1.2GHz), which preserves your battery life while being able to easily run your day to day applications. An integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi wireless network adapter, so you can wirelessly connect to the web and check e-mail. Sony even managed to fit a Double Layer DVD writer in there, so you can watch your favorite movie, or make your own! Integrated Wireless WAN accessing Cingular Wireless National EDGE Network with SmartWi technology Integrated Bluetooth Technology 11.1 Widescreen LCD with XBRITE(TM) Technology Native Resolution - 1366 x 768 60GB 4200RPM ATA(TM) HDD Double Layer DVD Writer - (write speeds) up to 4x DVD-R, 4x DVD+R, 2.4x DVD+RW, 2x DVD-RW, 24x CD-R,&10x CD-RW Double Layer DVD Writer - (read speeds) up to 8x DVD-ROM&24x CD-ROM Intel Graphics Accelerator 900 with up to 128MB of shared memory (memory is taken from the main system's RAM) Integrated v.90 Fax Modem Ports - 10/100 Ethernet, 1 VGA, 2 USB 2.0, 1 4-pin Firewire, 1 Microphone Jack,&1 Headphone Jack Memory Stick Media Slot - supports Memory Stick(R)&Memory Stick(R) PRO media One PCMCIA Type I/II Card Slot with CardBus support Unit Dimensions - 10.7 (w) x 1.12 (h) x 7.7 (d) Color - Charcoal
Amazon.com Item Description:Take a load off your shoulders when you're racing for your plane with the sleekly designed and ultra-portable Sony Vaio VGN-TX650P/B notebook PC, which weighs just an amazing 2.76 pounds. It also features integrated wireless Wide Area Network (WAN) technology to keep you connected and productive when away from your workstation and a dual-layer, multi-format DVD/CD burner with Click to DVD software, enabling you to create high-quality, customized DVDs for presentations or home movies. It also has an 11.1-inch widescreen LCD with XBRITE technology, 1.2 GHz ultra-low voltage Pentium M processor, 60 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM (1.5 GB maximum), a battery life of between 4 and 7.5 hours, Bluetooth wireless capability (for connecting to peripherals such as PDAs, cell phones, and printers), a multi-format memory card reader, and a wide assortment of pre-loaded software titles.
The Basics - Hard Drive: The 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is becoming the average size for notebook PCs, providing enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and productivity software.
- Processor: The Intel Pentium M Processor Ultra Low Voltage 753 (1.20 GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 400 MHz FSB) delivers outstanding mobile performance and low-power enhancements for sleeker, lighter notebook designs. The 1.2 GHz clock speed can be misleading--for most tasks, this processor will be faster than a 1.6 GHz Pentium 4-M. It sits at the top of the spectrum for this processor class (as of October 2005).
- Memory: The VGN-TX650P/B has two memory slots and comes loaded with 512 MB of DDR SDRAM (PC3200, 400 MHz DDR RAM; 1 x 512 MB), and it can be expanded to a maximum of 1.5 GB.
- CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, the multi-format DVD/CD drive is compatible with both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer DVD+R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. For both standard, single-layer DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs, it has a 8x write/4x rewrite speed, while double-layer DVD+R discs have a 2.4x write speed. For CDs, it has a 24x write/10x rewrite speed. It also has a separate DVD-ROM drive with 8x DVD read speed and 24x CD read speed.
- Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has an 82-key keyboard with 1.7mm stroke and 17mm pitch and an electrostatic touchpad.
Screen, Graphics and Sound The 11.1-inch XBRITE LCD has a resolution of 1368 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 900, which uses Intel Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT) and provides up to 128 MB of shared video memory. The integrated audio card provides 16-bit stereo sound via the built-in stereo speakers.
Connectivity and Expansion Slots The VGN-TX650P/B features Sony's SmartWi technology, which seamlessly integrates wireless Wide Area Network (WAN), 802.11b/g wireless LAN and Bluetooth technologies, enabling you to toggle among your wireless connectivity options depending on your surroundings. With the Bluetooth connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones. You get a good offering of connectivity options, including both USB 2.0 and iLink (Firewire):
- 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 VGA monitor port
- 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
- 1 headphone jack
- 1 microphone jack
- Port replicator connector
- Memory card slot, compatible with Memory Stick and Memory Stick DUO media with MagicGate functionality and Secure Digital Media (SD)
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). The optional Port Replicator unit also includes 3 additional USB 2.0, VGA, RJ-45, and parallel ports.
Preloaded System and Software This system comes with the Windows XP Professional Edition (which adds Microsoft's IIS Web server, back-up and recovery utilities, Remote Desktop, and other enhanced business features) with Service Pack 2 featuring Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes loaded with a bevy of Sony multimedia software: Click to DVD (DVD creation), SonicStage (digital music), SonicStage Mastering Studio (with MP3 encoder), Vaio Media (network file sharing), DVgate Plus (digital video), and Image Converter (for PSP transfer). Other preloaded software includes Quicken 2005 New User Edition, Microsoft Works 8.0 (with word processing, spreadsheet, and calendar), Norton Internet Security (with 90-day subscription), Intervideo WinDVD, Roxio DigitalMedia SE, Adobe Photoshop Album starter edition, and SpySubtract (with 30-day subscription).
Dimensions and Weight Amazingly small and light, the VGN-TX650P/B weighs 2.76 pounds with standard battery and measures 10.7 x 1.12 x 7.7 inches (WxHxD).
Power It's powered by the VGP-BPS5 lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which produces a battery life of between 4 and 7.5 hours.
What's in the Box This package contains the VGN-TX650P/B notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, Cingular Wireless SIM card, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty, and Sony offers 1-year of toll-free telephone technical assistance.
Accessories available:
click for more
Accessories available:
Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
-
Save yourself the headache and avoid VAIO at all costs...
I am a sad, disappointed owner of a Vaio Notebook (VGN-TX650P). It worked great for the first 3 months... and then, the nightmares began... initially, it would stop booting about every fifth time. As time progressed, it got worse and worse... every attempt to deal with Sony "Customer Service" was a fruitless effort in futility... They were rude and completely not interested in actually helping... I was told time and again that I would have to send them the computer and should expect a minimum $700 fee for diagnosing the problem and maybe fixing it... as I started to google VAIO computers, I discovered whole chat rooms and websites for people who were struggling with Sony customer service... i saw countless other people recount the same problems I was having... yet, the Sony techs would say, "We've never heard of problems like yours..." In the end, my VAIO has simply crashed and is no longer booting at all... I am now $2300 poorer with nothing but a plastic box and a long headache to show for it... don't believe me? Google "VAIO WON'T BOOT" or something like that and see the hundreds of people out there with problems... there's even talk about a class action lawsuit against VAIO... I don't know anything about it but you can see it in the posts... My personal opinion: STAY AWAY FROM VAIO!!!
Customer Rating: 
-
Wonderful laptop
beautiful screen, nice keys very fast and powerful. fits in my backpack and it's really durable, and fun to use. I love this thing, it's my main leisure computer.
Customer Rating: -
A really good subnotebook
I bought my Sony VAIO TX650 from my local CompUSA back on January 3 2006 when on that day they had just received their latest shipment. It was on sale at the time for [...] but it came with a [...]. I was considering other laptops including the business version of an HP laptop but what sold me on this was the fact that it had some really cool extra features like WiFi, WWAN by Cingular, Bluetooth, and a DVD/CD player that does not need a boot into Windows. Plus not to mention the fact that this was one of the very first Sony VAIOs that I've seen that could actually take an SD card (which is what I really needed since I happen to own a Nikon D50 camera and could use a place to archive my photos).
First off, the computer is very light. At the time I purchased this laptop, my other laptop (an HP Pavilion ZX5240US) was in repair. But it wasn't until March that I got my HP back and when I picked it up then I realized just how I forgot just how heavy an average laptop like that really weights! *rotfl*
The screen is quite bright and readeable. The keys are a bit too small and they can take some time getting use to. Sometimes the computer can slow down a bit but then again I am a very patient person by nature. The only complaint that I really have with my Sony is the fact that I cannot seem to find out how to correctly configure Microsoft IIS 5.0 on it (since it does come standard on Windows XP Pro installations); if you plan on installing/using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 for web development, you may need to find a separate testbed. But for me, I've recently uninstalled 2003 and installed Visual Studio 2005 which comes with it's own web server testbed (and eliminates the need of using IIS 5.0).
There were some softwares that came preinstalled with the system that I did not need. However, they were easily removed since such extras would have slowed down the computer anyways.
At the time of sale, I was warned by the salesperson that Sony VAIO batteries in general tend to degrade sharply after 12 months. So at his recommendation, I purchased a 3-year comprehensive repair plan. It did add almost [...] to the purchase price (and as a result I paid [...] or so altogether) but he told me that over the course of these three years I may need to replace the battery at least twice at [...] a piece so I would be getting my money's worth in the long run. I haven't had to ask for repair yet, though. Nor have I experienced any of the other negative things that others have mentioned about in their reviews (i.e. noisy fans after a year, dead batteries, screen cracks, pixel drops, etc.)
Get this laptop if you really don't like the idea of having to lug around a behemoth of a regular laptop. It can be held in one hand. If not for the price, at least get it for the looks as it seems to be a real "chick magnet" for me (hey, I've already gotten twelve different phone numbers from some really alluring ladies, even though I am an "average" looking nerd! 8-) ).
One more thing: at [...] a month unlimited, Cingular Connect is a bit too expensive for me. I personally have T-Mobile. Even though it requires the use of a PCMCIA card to access and it runs on GPRS (which is much slower than Cingular's EDGE), all I pay is [...] a month. I get unlimited GPRS data access, unlimited T-Mobile HotSpot WiFi access, international data roaming, 20c a minute a-la-carte voice calls, and 200 in/out messages a month. Which is fine for me since I use GPRS for downloading my emails only. But if you can afford Cingular, then by all means go for it!
Customer Rating: -
If you buy a Sony laptop, be prepared to pay >$250 to replace a dead fan after the warranty expires
If you buy a Sony laptop, be prepared to pay >$250 to replace a dead fan after the warranty expires
I completely agree with the review by [Laptop Professional "Anonymous Owner"]. Potential customers, you should read reviews by owners who have owned the product for some time, especially for laptop.
I bought a Sony VGN-T-250 laptop one and half years ago. It was one of the most expensive models and I only used it lightly during the one and half year.
Now, the fan had exactly the same problem as posted by by [Laptop Professional "Anonymous Owner"], --- it became noisy for two weeks and then died. Sony insisted to charge >$250 to replace it because the warranty was just for one year.
If you check Internet, you will find low quality fan is wide spread problem in Sony laptops.
Be aware: Sony sells such low quality product at high price and then makes another round of profit by repairing it. I used to consider Sony a high quality brand and now they have destroyed their own reputation.
I think there should be a class action lawsuit again Sony on the fan problem.
For the same price, you can buy a much higher quality IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad, which I have owned for over four years and it works excellently.