Carla Thornton

Sony VAIO PCG-SRX99

The PCG-SRX99 lacks internal bays, which allows it to achieve its slim form and featherlight weight of just 2.7 pounds (4.7 pounds with power adapter, phone cord, and external optical drive). And even though the screen measures just 10.4 inches diagonally, DVD movies looked good. This model has integrated ethernet, as well as 802.11b wireless networking antennas, an internal wireless card, and a handy wireless on/off switch located above the PC Card slot. The PCG-SRX99's battery life is also a big plus for travelers, lasting over 4 hours on one charge of the six-cell lithium ion battery. A FireWire connection makes the unit viable for digital video applications; for basic video production, Sony's digital movie-editing software is bundled.
This model skimps on the usually standard built-in connections and USB ports, which may be a hassle for users who frequently need to attach peripherals; for example, it lacks a parallel port and requires you to plug in a short adapter cable for a VGA connection. The bundled external optical drive (a DVD-ROM with our review unit, but a DVD-ROM and CD-RW combination drive by the time you read this) occupies the notebook's sole FireWire port. An external floppy drive costs another $80 and uses the notebook's only USB port. Most ultraportables on the market have optional docking stations or port replicators you can buy to add missing connections and drive bays, but the SRX99 does not. Getting used to the unit's small keyboard takes a while: Combination keystrokes for some operations slow down typing, and the right Shift key, no larger than an alphanumeric key, is difficult to press.
Equipped with a Pentium III-M processor, the PCG-SRX99 performed about the same as its predecessor, the SRX87, in spite of being equipped with a slightly faster CPU. The unit turned in a PC WorldBench 4 score of 82--about 12 percent behind notebooks with the latest Pentium 4 processors--but we saw no appreciable slowdown in everyday tasks. Except for a purple touchpad, the SRX99 has a sleek, professional appearance, with a silver-and-black case and metallic accents. Detest touchpads? For some scrolling and menu selections, you can use Sony's Jog Dial--a small rolling barrel embedded in the mouse buttons, with its own Back button. While the SRX99 offers a meager selection of ports, in terms of other features it is more generous than most ultraportables. For instance, it includes stereo speakers, located just beneath the last row of keys; though they're not the best quality, the speakers are loud.The notebook includes a Memory Stick slot, which makes loading data from another Memory Stick slot-equipped device, such as a Sony digital camera, a snap. The notebook's storage and memory are both user-accessible, but they require some effort to reach. The hard drive sits behind a panel and four small screws; RAM is underneath the keyboard. The SRX99's long-lasting battery is a detachable bar that forms the back of the notebook and acts as an ergonomic typing foot. Sony sells a slightly heavier power pack that it says will double battery life, but at $499 the pack costs a third as much as the notebook itself. The PCG-SRX99 comes with little in the way of print documentation, but the electronic user manual is thorough and easy to search. The software bundle is generous as well. Included are Sony MovieShaker, PictureGear, Microsoft Word 2002, and Quicken 2001.
The PCG-SRX99 lacks the connections and docking options that would help it serve as a good primary PC for most people; if light weight is paramount to you, however, this 2.7-pound portable delivers in spades. It would make a fine secondary PC for travel, especially if you need to work away from landline networks and electrical outlets all day.

Buying Information

Sony VAIO PCG-SRX99 PC WorldBench 4 score of 82, 850-MHz/500-MHz Pentium III-M, 256MB of SD RAM, Windows XP Home, 10.4-inch active-matrix screen, Intel 815EM graphics using main memory, 20GB hard drive, external 8X DVD-ROM drive, built-in V.90 modem and network adapter, touchpad and Jog Dial pointing devices, 4.7 pounds (including AC adapter, phone cord and external DVD-ROM drive), Microsoft Word 2002, Quicken 2001. One-year parts and labor warranty; free, unlimited 24-hour toll-free technical support. $ 2049 PC WorldBench 4 score of 82, 850-MHz/500-MHz Pentium III-M, 256MB of SD RAM, Windows XP Home, 10.4-inch active-matrix screen, Intel 815EM graphics using main memory, 20GB hard drive, external 8X DVD-ROM drive, built-in V.90 modem and network adapter, touchpad and Jog Dial pointing devices, 4.7 pounds (including AC adapter, phone cord and external DVD-ROM drive), Microsoft Word 2002, Quicken 2001. One-year parts and labor warranty; free, unlimited 24-hour toll-free technical support. http://www.sony.com/vaio 888/315-7669