Edit Friday 27th
I was wrong to say this Vaio hasn't got a LAN socket. Of course it does have one. I finally found it behind a yellow warning sticker signalling you mustn't plug in a phone ... Please apologize. M.
Hello everyone, this is my public complaint about this Vaio from 2007 (purchased in Germany in 2008)
I am even making an effort to log into this site (which was not so easy ... where is the 'search'-button for this forum?) and write about my frustration with this digital home computer: Yes, I was blinded by its design and appearance, but heck, Vista Media Center and the VGX-TP1E really won't work together as suggested by the package:
(2) The AC-cable and adapter are BLACK (OK, this is hardly visible, but still, it spoils the overall impression)
(3) The Avermedia tuner ONLY works with Vista Media Center (try to use Avermedia's own TV software ... no, it doesn't work: You're stuck with VMC)
(4) The Sony-Vaio software setup is overloaded with needless extras (like Norton, Google Earth etc.) - I don't want this kind of software pre-installed. That's a notorious and seemingly inextinguishable Vaio nuisance. Vaio team! Please wake up! Yes you can!!
(5) Vista Media Center (VMC) simply sucks in its default state. First thing you notice is that the videotext doesn't work. There isn't any, although there's a button for it on the remote control. So you research and find that it only works with a software add-on named TV-pack, which you need to download from obscure websites because it is not officially supported by Microsoft.
(6) With the TV-Pack and all Windowsupdate patches (including SP1) installed, you will encounter all kinds of functional oddities:
- After watching TV you put the Vaio to sleep (Save energy, works fine) but after a while the Vaio will wake up again (probably some routine tasks like HD-defragmentation, and God knows what else) ... in the middle of the night ... Thankfully, the Vaio isn't really noisy, so it doesn't wake me up. But still: It's a very unpleasant impression, especially as it doesn't go back to sleep anymore by itself ...
- Sometimes->often, the remote control won't function anymore after the Vaio went to sleep or was shut down. Then you find out that you MUST disconnect the Vaio from the mains prior to rebooting ... The booting itself takes ages - if you run VMC too early, it won't find the TV-tuner, because the tuner isn't initialized yet etc ...
(7) Install your own copy of Vista (without the Vaio Media software), the RC (i.e. its USB-driver) is completely unreliable .. so better don't install your own Vista!
(8) The RC's layout sucks, too. The keyboard looks nice, but is not as functional as you might expect.
Vaio says it's Windows' fault; Windows says it's Vaio's fault.
My time is limited, so I better stop here and sell the Vaio again.
I'm so frustrated with it (it's not my first Vaio; in fact it's my 5th), so here is my public vow that this VGX-TP1E is definitely my last Vaio ever.
All the best for you wretched Vaio users!
BTW, I’m by no means a Microsoft- or Sony-hater. I’m simply fed up with all the broken promises. My idea of digital home entertainment is somewhat different from having to browse the web for patches and solutions.
Mark, Munich, Feb 25 2008
