Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 09:13:37 -0600 From: Wes Peters <wes@softweyr.com> To: Nik Clayton <nclayton@lehman.com> Cc: mobile@freebsd.org Subject: Re: VAIO laptops Message-ID: <37949221.D092257B@softweyr.com> References: <37938101.2319FD30@softweyr.com> <19990720101609.F2353@lehman.com>
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Nik Clayton wrote:
>
> Wes,
>
> Thanks for responding.
>
> On Mon, Jul 19, 1999 at 01:48:17PM -0600, Wes Peters wrote:
> > The internal 56K modem doesn't work, but that doesn't bother me (much). I
> > rarely need a modem, and when I do, I still have a 33.6 kicking around
> > somewhere.
>
> Is it actually a built in modem? The F160 has been discontinued, and
> stores are trying to sell me the F270 instead. This comes bundled with
> a modem, but it's a PCMCIA card, rather than built in.
That's great - that one will actually work. ;^)
> > I bought a D-Link DE550 PCMCIA ethernet card, which is working
> > well but I hate the giant 10Base-T/10Base-2 dongle, and a no-name AmbiCom
> > ethernet card with a 6' cord with an RJ-45 connector on the end that works
> > beautifully unless I plug it into a Xylan switch. ;^)
>
> Ah. I'll be doing the same, largely because the D-Link is on the supported
> PAO list. Still, it probably won't bother me too much.
I got it because it's the only officially supported PCCard ethernet for BeOS.
I'm probably going to drop BeOS from my laptop; I need more space for FreeBSD.
;^)
> > The screen is incredible, the keyboard much better than I expected, and the
> > trackpad works so well I haven't even bought a mouse for this machine yet.
> > I planned on buying a Logitech USB mouse for it when I bought it and haven't
> > really felt the need.
>
> That's excellent news. The reason I decided on a Sony rather than a
> Toshiba is because of the keyboard and the quality of the trackpad. I
> intend to do most of the writing for "Teach Yourself FreeBSD In 21 Days"[1]
> on this laptop, and the keyboard does need to be top notch.
I'm using mine right now, sitting in the armchair in my bedroom. I drag it
from home to work and back 5 days a week. I love this thing! ;^)
> > I've been using this machine for email (about 600 messages/day), writing
> > columns for Daemon News, and writing software for FreeBSD (well, not much,
> > but some, OK?) as well as a few clients. I'm really bowled over by how
> > good these portables have gotten. I download a bunch of email and take it
> > to lunch with me a couple times a week, and wrote both of my last two
> > Daemons Advocate columns at Souper! Salad! across the street from my office.
>
> Great :-)
>
> > But: (here's the catch). Sony cancelled the F100 series, and has just
> > introduced the F200 series. I guess they really want to push the DVD drive,
> > because the F160 has been replaced by the F270, which seems identical in
> > specs except for the DVD drive replacing the CD-ROM. Oh, and it costs more.
> > I'm told the F100 line was dumped because the price of the LCD screens was
> > going up and Sony didn't want to hike the prices, so they made a couple of
> > minor changes and renamed the line.
>
> Yes, that's the impression I've got as well. The other (big) difference
> seems to be battery life. Most of the people I've spoken to suggest that
> the F160 gets 3.5/7 hours of use (depending on whether you have one or two
> battery packs installed). The F270 gets 2/4. That should still be about
> enough, but it's pushing it a bit.
I only get a little over 2 while running FreeBSD. I have apm turned on,
but I'm not willing to allow the system to slow down much. I'd probably
get a lot better if I enabled more agressive apm settings, but I haven't
taken the time to play with it much yet. Seti@Home sure eats battery life,
too. ;^)
> [1] OK, the contract isn't signed yet, but it should be in the next month
> or so. Myself, Sue Blake, and Chris Coleman -- but keep it under your
> hat until it's properly announced. . .
I'd already heard about it. Sue is one of my gang of email friends; we
proofread each other's columns, along with Grog, long before anyone at
DN gets to see them. This gang is a big part of those 600 emails per day.
Best of luck. Get a good case, too, it'll save a lot of dents. I have
a slim one from Caselogic I bought at the local CompUSA that fits perfectly.
--
"Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket?"
Wes Peters Softweyr LLC
http://softweyr.com/ wes@softweyr.com
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