Sony VAIO PCG-V505EX PC Notebook review

I got this laptop when it first came out and it has been great every since.

The first thing I noticed is the insane amount of garbage software that Sony gives you. Many free trials and internet providers. They also give NO RECOVERY CDs! It really made me mad that they could not include a few CDs in an almost $2000 laptop. You have to burn the CDs yourself once you get the system started for the first time and this takes about 1 hour.

Once I had all the drivers and Sony utilities I wanted, I reformatted the hard drive and did a clean install of Windows XP(using my own CD). The system is much faster once you remove all the garbage. Then I got around to using this wonderful machine.

Battery life (Original Sony PCGA-BP4V & PCGA-BP2V)is excellent at about 5 hours. The 1.5Ghz Centrino is very powerful and great for all processor intensive tasks. The system runs quite cold and I have not had problems with overheating even when running at full load for days.

The screen is very bright and sharp. It is adjustable with a few presses of the keyboard. The great thing about the screen is that it is a standard screen and NOT wide. This is better for all applications except for DVD movies. However, the standard screen makes the laptop quite deep and uncomfortable for cramped flights. The native resolution is just right.

The speakers are crisp and loud for their size. The sound retains quality even at top volume. The CD-RW/DVD drive is quick and does it all. The only problem is that the drive is fixed and impossible to upgrade.

The one thing that slows down the system is the awful 4200RPM Hard Drive. The size is decent at 60GB but the transfer speed is awfully slow. The processor is always starved for information and everything else is much too fast for this drive. A very nice 7200RPM drive can be picked up for $100-200. With a nice drive this system is as fast as most desktops.

sony pcg-v505ex battery


Battery Run Time:
2.5 Hours

Battery Technology: Lithium ion



Stylish mobility, serious power! The next generation of the award-wining VAIO 505 line, the 4.34 lb. V505 Series includes an integrated CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive in one of the lightest Mobile Intel Pentium 4 Processor-M based notebooks available. Plus, with the optional double-capacity Lithium Ion PCGA-BP4V battery get extended battery life up to 7 hours!