Sony Vaio PCG-V505CP

...premium for build quality the Sony Vaio V505CP seemed to fit the bill. After 2 months use it hasn't disappointed.

Weighing just 2kg with a sleek silver blue case it certainly looks pretty cool. A PentiumM1.6 processor and 512Mb ram ensure this is a machine whose power belies it's size. It comes with an adequate 40Gb hard drive and is 802.11b wi-fi enabled. The ATI motibility Radeon 9200 graphics card works fine for my occasional gaming ...
...for a memory stick. Sony expects all your other kit to be Sony so no other memory card slots.

On first acquaitance the build quality is immediately evident with all the little flaps, latches and switches feeling smooth and bomb proof and such smart packaging.

The 12.1 in screen has a reasonable 1024x768 resolution. and is clear and bright with good contrast. Despite the small screen size I find I can work for long periods ... more

Wanting a go anywhere laptop, which I could use around the house on a wireless network, powerful enough to rip through heavy photo and video editing, sleekly designed and being willing to pay a small premium for build quality the Sony Vaio V505CP seemed to fit the bill. After 2 months use it hasn't disappointed.

Weighing just 2kg with a sleek silver blue case it certainly looks pretty cool. A PentiumM1.6 processor and 512Mb ram ensure this is a machine whose power belies it's size. It comes with an adequate 40Gb hard drive and is 802.11b wi-fi enabled. The ATI motibility Radeon 9200 graphics card works fine for my occasional gaming but this is not a machine for hardened gamers. The optical drive is a CD-RW / DVD ROM combo. There is a 56k modem and the usual tinny laptop speakers.

Port wise the little Vaio is a bit lacking - no audio line output relying instead on the headphone socket, no s-video or parallel port. There are, however, 2 usb2 slots, a docking/port replicator, ethernet port, PCMIA slot , 1 firewire, VGA output to connect to an external monitor and a slot for a memory stick. Sony expects all your other kit to be Sony so no other memory card slots.

On first acquaitance the build quality is immediately evident with all the little flaps, latches and switches feeling smooth and bomb proof and such smart packaging.

The 12.1 in screen has a reasonable 1024x768 resolution. and is clear and bright with good contrast. Despite the small screen size I find I can work for long periods without fatigue.

The keyboard is inevitably cramped on a computer this size but has a high quality feel with the keys having a good positive feel.

The included software includes XP pro which has some significant security advantages when networking compared to the home edition. Norton Internet Security is included with a 3 month subscription. Photo editing is catered for with the inclusion of the excellent Photoshop Elements. Even the lite version of Adobe Premiere is a powerful video editing tool. Microsoft Works is there. Some may be disappointed that Office isn't included in a product targetted at business and professional users, personally I have found I prefer this stripped down
application. There is a bundle of other multimedia software which I have found little use for.

The Vaio delivers the performance promised by the spec. It steams through heavy duty videoing and photo editing significantly faster than my Athlon xp2000+ desktop. My only gaming is a yacht racing sim called Virtual Skipper. The graphics are more than adequate for me although if you want the ultimate gaming experience I guess you are better sticking with your desktop.

Battery life is supposed to be one of the weaknesses of ultraportables. Sony reckon the battery is good for 4.5 hours. It may deliver this with the power settings on low but I can't stand working on a dimmed screen. With power settings on full and steady use it seems good for 3 hours but this may fall with intensive tasks. Full charge up takes about 3.5 hours.

A small laptop like this is not for everyone, if you prefer a larger screen with higher resolution or a more spacious keyboard go for something a little bigger. For me, however, using V505CP is a joy. I get internet access wherever I am in the house. It slips into a brief case. I use it in conjunction with my digital camera and camcorder and can upload images wherever I go, set up a slide show of photos taken and burn to CD whilst still away from home. A larger machine would be far more hassle.

Small should be beautiful and this Sony is just that.

 

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