Vaio FR-130 Disappoints
Written: Aug 11 '03
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Pros: Tons of extras (both software and hardware). Decent build, styling and layout.
Cons: Generic problem with Alps Touch Pad not fixed by Sony. Very Poor tech support.
The Bottom Line: C- : Looks nice but defective Touch Pad kills the laptop.
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| pc_victim's Full Review: Sony VAIO FR130 PC Notebook |
At first sight, the FR-130 wins praises and kudos. Solid construction, sober styling that blends into most business environments (ever saw a recent Dell with bright Cobalt blue on its cover?), generous hardware and software, vibrant LCD colors.
BUT! After 2 months, my brand new FR-130 developed erratic behavior in its Touch Pad made by Alps. The cursor moves and clicks by itself when it works, or just stays dead whenever it decides to do so. Problem is intermittent, making it difficult to trace.
A search on Google reveals that it is a generic problem not successfully addressed by Sony (search for "Sony Touch Pad Problem"). Other Vaios are affected too (V505, Z1, etc).
Loading the latest Alps driver (July 2003) did not help. Don't know of it is a hardware issue or software/driver issue. Tech support (from India and the US) are worthless. One tech "expert" did not even know that LCD screen can only be set to 60 Hz refresh rate. Another refuses to reply to email. Third one tries harder but his India prose is very convoluted.
Note: A mouse attached to the laptop works OK, but kiss the Touch Pad goodbye; it won't work OK until Sony decides to fix the issue.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 999
Operating System: Windows
Processor: AMD Athlon (K7)
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 14 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 31-40
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Epinions.com ID:
pc_victim
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Reviews written: 2
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