List Price: $999.99
Sale Price: $819.99
Today's Bonus: 18% Off
First: The hardware
I have been in computing for my entire career (35+ years) outside a stint in the military. I have watched as computers continually shrunk while their power has continually increased. I still clung to the notion of a minitower as the basic unit of computing until this arrived i was able to clear a mid size tower out of my bedroom and take up less space with this unit than my previous monitor.
It is every bit as functional indeed it is speedier than the older tower was. Very solid build not something you would normally disconnect and trek with you through your house but with a built in battery (that supposedly lasts 2-3 hours) this unit can be picked up and transported to show visitors or other people things you want them to see without their need to trek into my bedroom. Very solid build, and very snappy performance although serious gamers might not be satisfied needing that millisecond advantage on their opponents.
Sony provided usb ports, etc. that are eminently useable and this unit can be expanded with peripherals (not quite to the extent of a minitower with expansion slots) but certainly more expandable than most people would want or need. Five stars for build quality and performance. Five stars to amazon fast delivery and decent price.
2. Windows 8
Regarding Windows 8, I honestly didn't think I'd like it much but I really, really like the new interface it's so easy to jump from desktop to metro to desktop app to metro app i am going to sell my ipad2 it really is a clunker compared to Windows 8 of course one has to have a basic windows experience behind them to appreciate the integration of metro/ipad style apps with a windows desktop but I guess I qualify there. Corner hovers with mouse or side/top swipes allow the easiest navigation that I could imagine. For experienced windows users there are a few irritating moments when you know exactly what you want to do but haven't a clue how to do it usually corner hovers with a mouse or taps bring up menus that contain the items you're searching for such as task manager. Use google liberally at first to find how to do what you want within 30 60 minutes you will have mastered the vast majority of those things you tended to do on windows in the past and the metro apps are such a bonus, cheap ( I haven't spent a cent yet ) and in the case of the included mail app so much nicer than a traditional windows experience. well done Microsoft!
3. Response to Other reviews:
Regarding slow response (unit vs Windows 8) in prior review I have not experienced this myself the unit is crisp and responds quickly to swipes or mouse clicks and app processing is normal one possibility might be using wireless in a weak spot but I quit using wireless after configuring my machine and moving it to the bedroom where it has a gigabit wired connection.
Regarding hang-ups losing apps / data as stated by another reviewer. I have not experienced this at all it is solid and runs perfectly haven't needed to reboot since I finished configuration about two weeks ago. Perhaps a defective unit that needs replacement? Amazon will accomodate this quickly also if done right after a purchase (I think within 30 days).
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