Editorial Review:

Product Description:
The VAIO A-Series includes both consumer and professional models, but all share the highly distinctive design, which underpins the A-Series' unique style. The A-Series' aesthetic advantages are built on solid foundations. All models are performance-boosted by Intel's Pentium M processors, and both consumer and professional ranges will feature machines based on the new Pentium M 735/745 engineered to deliver the best mobile performance yet. What's more, every A-Series notebook bears the Intel Centrino certification. This means the latest mobile-optimized technology, yielding more power and longer battery life. Users can also rely on the fact that the wireless networking built into Centrino systems has been tested for compatibility with wireless networks all over the world. All A-Series notebooks support the new, high-speed wireless standard which operates up to five times faster than the original while remaining fully backwardly compatible with existing networks (802.11g).



Accessories:
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Accessories:

• Targus PA410U DEFCON CL Notebook Computer Cable Lock
• Targus PADVW010U USB 2.0 Rewriteable DVD +/- RW Slim External Drive - Black
• Targus PAUH217U 4 Port Ultra Mini USB 2.0 Hub
• Targus APM10US Mobile 70 Universal AC/DC Adapter
• NETGEAR WG111 Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter (54 Mbps)

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Rating: - A great desktop replacement
I am motivated to respond with some more thoughts on this laptop. I have owned mine for well over a year. I didn't intend it this way, but it seems I bought it when they were first released. My laptop has been absolutely reliable. As President of my corporation, I use it a minimum 10 hours a day. And have been for the whole time I've owned it. Not once has it required any repair.

About hard drives: it seems that Sony received a batch of bad hard drives from a vendor, as I've seen many S family notebooks in for repair.

I've used this computer to make "home DVDs" of impressive visual clarity (in combination with a Sony camcorder) as well as .wmv movies for web presentations.

Pros:
- Did a great job replacing a desktop computer
- excellent screen... great (but not phoenominal) resolution
- very sturdy construction
- fast computer
- does great multi media
- With an invertor, makes road trips shorter via dvd playback
- Mmmm, DVDs in bed, too!

Cons:
- Data reads slowly from DVD (but that's all DVDs...)
- Kinda heavy to be lugged around all the time unless you NEED a desktop replacement. This is well suited for mostly permanent use in one spot and occasional lugging around (for travel, etc). I have been carrying it from work to home for a year now and am about to get a lighter replacement.
- The pretty silver finish where you rest your palms wears off.
- Same for the lettering on the keys.*


*- the last notebook I had for 3 years had the same issues and a 3 year warranty replaced the keyboard. So these kinds of not-picks can be fixed "for free".

Overall, if this laptop has the features compatible with your needs, I highly recommend it and would buy another. And when I do buy a lighter one, this one will get to be our new Point of Sale computer... :)

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Rating: - Great laptop!
I purchased this laptop about 6 months ago and it has been awesome! I have been very happy with the performance and the battery life. Fortunately I have not had any problems with it as some of the other comments mentioned.

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Rating: - Very bad
Much like the other people reviewing here I had problems with the harddrive. Well my GF did since I bought this laptop for her. At first it made a lot of clicking sounds. Really annoying. Then it went dead. Bought it from compusa and took it back. They gave me another one. Same crap. The dvd burner did not work in either of them as well. Same problem in both. They should do a recal and give people their money back. Very poor for such a high rated company. I have a Sony FS now, and it gives kind of the same clicking sounds every few min. Never had this problem or noise with any other laptop besides sony. By far the best laptops made in my opinion are HP. Shame on you Sony for putting crappy harddrives in your laptops.

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Rating: - Defective Hard Drive
I purchased the model of this computer with a 60G drive July, and on December 5th the hard drive broke. It will not mount and makes grinding and clattering noises. I have lost data. This is not a quality product. I am now returning it to Sony (event#E26545346). I thought Sony made quality products and I paid a premium for their notebook compared to other notebooks and look at what I get. I am very unhappy. I wonder if this is more than just an isolated incident. I will never buy a Sony product again and do everything I can to stop others from buying Sony's products.
So if you like your hard drive unexpectingly crashing and like to lose data then go ahead and roll the dice and buy this computer.

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Rating: - A $2000 piece of junk
I purchased this computer in September and have already had numerous problems with it. After owning it for a few weeks, it started acting up. Everytime I turned it own, it would go into a loop and just keep rebooting itself. I called support (the person was very rude) and he told me it sounded like I had a virus - even though I have Norton Anti-virus and Zone Alarm Pro for a firewall. After spending an hour with the rude support person, we managed to get it to start acting right again. He then proceeded to scold me about how I have to be careful about downloading software off the internet (which I never do) and how I need to be better about updated my software.

A couple of weeks later, I try to turn on the computer, and it won't turn on. Well, the indicator lights on the front of the computer would turn on, but the screen wouldn't turn on. Called support again and after another hour or so, he decided that the computer had to be shipped to California for repair. When I complained that I really needed this computer for my business, the support guy said, "Well that's why I have two computers, in case one goes out." So I guess Sony computers are so awful that you have to buy two of them?

Anyway, they sent a fedex box and it was shipped and returned in a couple of days. They apparently had to replace the entire motherboard. I turned it on, and another error popped up on the screen. Called support again, they helped me fix that one.

Another couple of weeks later, turn on the computer and this time I get another error message - basically the computer can't find my hard drive. Called support again, and right now, it's in California being "repaired."

Aside from the one rude support person, the service has been fine. I have not paid for any of the repairs or shipments, but I use this computer for my business and it needs to be just a little bit more reliable.

I've owned this computer for a little over 2 months and have already had all these problems. I'm never buying another Sony again!