Sony VAIO VGN-S3HP Review

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Sony VAIO VGN-S3HP
2.5 stars
Average rating for this product is: 2.5 out of 5

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alanbosley's Review of Sony VAIO VGN-S3HP Laptop

7th Sep 2005

Overall Rating

1.5 stars
  • Value for money
    1.5 stars
  • Screen Quality
    4.5 stars
  • Ease of Use
    2 stars
  • Time Laptop Owned
    Between 1 - 4 Weeks
  • Battery Life
    3.5 stars
Good Points

Small, light, and it has a very clear screen.
I cannot find how to turn off the MS fanfare on start up. It is very annoying in public.


Bad Points

60GB HD but only 37 when allowance for Windows, Programmes and recover hidden hard disc segment.
No CD's supplied. Back up is all down to the customer making backup DVD's. Sony could have done that for the money. Lots of software but very little use. Adobe Acrobat elements is useful. Click to DVD is not. Huge amount of rubbish but no Excel and no PowerPoint. Come on Sony what do business people use the computer for?


General Comments

The Sony VGN S3HP is light and easy to set up.
For £1300 it only has 2 USB's. As I mention under bad points, there is lots of useless space consuming software, but not a single CD or DVD for backup. You have to make your own. For this money Sony should supply them. Microsoft Office Professional would be the suite to have on a business computer. Most of the software I will remove to free up precious hard disc space.
I also bought a Sony Handycam. This really hurts. The camcorder came with this nasty cradle for downloading by i-Link to the Vaio. Only neither came with the cable, so another £20 for that. Click to DVD does not work without the i-Link cable. The computer is small and light, but for all this money it does not come with a custom case. Most laptop cases are for 15 inch screens. The Vaio looks lost in them. Again a fitted case would have emphasised the small size and convenience.
Then there is the software. Click to DVD is the one I am struggling with. It really is a brute. I think the solution is to buy Nero 6 Reloaded. Another £50.
Not a manual in sight. All on the computer. Very difficult to read the help text and do the task. The model I have is the S3VP but very similar. Nice bit of hardware but lousy supporting software and manuals. Much better choice of software would make it appear better value. It just remains to be seen how reliable it is. As I have said, "come on Sony you can do better than this".

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Members' Comments onalanbosley's Review

  • themaninthevan2001 Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel on 15th Mar 2006

    For that kind of money and only 2 usb ports? i have advent laptop that cost me 499 that has 5 usb ports LOL ! well i never understand some of them expensive notebooks

  • s0ht Rank: Lance Corporal on 19th Jul 2006

    Couple of points here.
    I agree there is some minor unnecessary software, but in the Sony bundle you get lots of Adobe stuff, Acrobat/Premiere/Elements others I which are costly but included. You also get Works 8 (with Wordprocessor/Spreadsheet etc.) and then Sony apps such as Soundforge/Click to DVD etc. You can't expect a £300 software suite i.e. Office. HDD can be repartioned for more space if required and the recovery partition can be deleted. You can create your own DVD's. Last two issues common to most laptops as many do the same now. You buy this machine for hard work on the road, style, not a desktop replacement and two usb's is fine for most people at one time using a machine for business.
    Great little machine but £1600 original retail too expensive.