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Sony VAIO VGN-A290 17" Laptop (Intel Pentium M Processor 735 (Centrino), 1 GB RAM, 100 GB Hard Drive, DVD+/-RW Double Layer Drive) |  | Brand: Sony
List Price: $2,799.99
Buy Used: $1,450.00
as of 7/31/2010 08:29 CDT details
You Save: $1349.99 (48%)
Used (2) from $1,450.00
Rating:  12 reviews
Hardware Type: Notebook Computer
Platform: Windows XP Home Edition
Media: Personal Computers
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
CPU Manufacturer: Intel
CPU Speed: 1.7
CPU Type: Intel Pentium M
Processors: 1
System Bus Speed: 400
System Memory: 1
Memory Type: DDR SDRAM
Max Memory: 2
Secondary Cache Size: 2
Keyboard: QWERTY, 86 keys with 2.7mm stroke and 19.19mm pitch
Notebook Pointing Device: Electro-Static touch pad
Speakers: Dual full-range 4" stereo speakers powered by 15 watts/channel
Battery Type: Lithium Ion
Hard Drives: 1
Hard Drive Size: 100
CDRW: 24x (read), 24x (write), 24x (rewrite)
DVDRW: (DVD+RW)
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Graphics Card: ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
Graphics RAM: 64
Graphics Card Interface: Integrated
Monitor Size: 1700
Monitor Viewable Diagonal Size: 17
Native Resolution: 1280-by-800
Modem: 56 Kbps
Network Interface: 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Ethernet with RJ-45 interface; Intel. PRO/WIRELESS 2200BG Network Connection(802.11b/g)
PC Card Slots: 1
Free Memory Slots: 1
Firewire Ports: 1
USB2 Ports: 3
VGA Out Ports: 1
Line Voltage: 100-240 VAC 50-60 Hz
Display Size: 15.4
Shipping Weight (lbs): 8.6
Dimensions (in): 16 x 11 x 1.8
A/V mini jack, Giga Pocket Engine MPEG2 Realtime Encoder/Decoder board with TV Tuner
Warranty: 1 year warranty
Manufacturer Labor Warranty: 1 Year
Manufacturer Parts Warranty: 1 Year
MPN: VGN-A290
Model: VGN-A290
UPC: 027242659421
EAN: 0027242659421
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | A/V Entertainment Dock with Giga Pocket TV Tuner/MPEG Encoder - S-Master Digital Amplifier and Premium Speakers | | • | 4 additional USB 2.0 ports, VGA port, VHF/UHF TV port, S-Video in & out ports, DVI-D port, RJ-45 Ethernet port, Parallel port | | • | Intel Pentium M Processor 735 (1.7 GHz); 2MB L2 Cache | | • | 400MHz Front Side Bus | | • | 1GB of PC2700 DDR333 SDRAM (expandable to 2GB) |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon Product Description
The Basics
Sony takes mobile computing to new heights with its impressive VAIO VGN-A290 Notebook PC. Much like extra-bulky, battery-draining "desktop replacement" notebooks, the VAIO VGN-A290 offers such amenities as a massive 17-inch widescreen display, a huge 100 GB hard drive and both CD and DVD burning. Yet the unit is far more power efficient than most desktop replacements and comparatively compact at just 8.6 lbs. Though it may cost a bit more than a standard notebook, the VAIO VGN-A290 is perfect for those who crave the next generation of portable computing today. | Sony Series A Display Sizes 
The VGN-A290 features a 17" screen.
| Processor
At the heart of any computer lies the CPU (or processor), a massive collection of miniature transistors that governs the speed and power of the entire unit. Some of today's notebooks are equipped with high-end CPU's on par with those found in top-of-the-line desktop PCs, while others are quick enough only for basic duties such as word processing, email and the like. The VAIO VGN-A250 is equipped with an Intel Pentium M 725 processor operating at 1.6 GHz. This is one of three components that comprise Intel's efficient Centrino system (the others being a specialized Intel chipset and integrated wireless support). Centrino-equipped notebooks are generally smaller, easier on the batteries, and more versatile than their non-Centrino counterparts. This particular CPU is part of Intel's upgraded Pentium M lineup, featuring an amazing 2 MB of Level 2 cache for extremely fast access to recently opened data and a fast 400 MHz front side bus to help reduce data streaming bottlenecks. Though its raw clock speed is not on par with that of a high-end Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon, this CPU will easily handle most every mobile task while at the same time improving battery life. Moreover, Sony has equipped the system with solid graphics support and adequate memory -- two components vital to overall performance. Memory
Computers typically store information on their hard drive, but they keep frequently and recently accessed data in Random Access Memory (RAM) for faster retrieval. More RAM means more efficient computing, superior multitasking and less strain on your hard drive. The VAIO VGN-A290 incorporates a startling one GB of RAM. This is a massive allotment for a notebook and substantially more than that of most desktops as well. Thusly, users can expect superb multitasking and virtually no slowdowns during ultra-complex tasks.
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The VGN-A250 features a 15.4" screen. | Video
CPU's are usually so busy doing basic calculations that they need help translating visual output to the viewing screen. This is the duty of the graphics card (or graphics controller). This system's graphics controller is an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 with 64 MB of dedicated video RAM. Dedicated video memory is far preferable to "shared" video memory (where the graphics controller appropriates a portion of the main system memory), and this 64 MB allotment is considered plenty for 3D graphics, midlevel 3D animation packages and many of the latest 3D games. | Display
The VAIO VGN-A290 sports a 17-inch WUXGA display. This is a comparatively enormous screen when compared to other notebook displays, and all the more spectacular given the unit's surprisingly compact size and lightweight mass. It's highly sophisticated too -- sporting Sony's new XBRITE Technology for better contrast and a brighter picture, and an exceedingly detailed 1920 by 1200 maximum resolution. Furthermore, the widescreen format is perfectly suited to watching the Hollywood blockbusters you'll play on the system's DVD-compatible optical drive. Hard Disk
A 100 GB hard drive in a mobile computer many be a rarity, but that didn't stop Sony. This level of data storage is a welcome perk indeed for those who need to operate a broad range of applications and also keep a generous library of space-gobbling music and/or multimedia files. Audio
The unit is equipped with integrated stereo speakers and audio amplifier. | Dimensions When Closed 
Other Series A Computers | Sony VAIO VGN-A290
1.70 GHz Pentium M
1 GB RAM
100 GB HD | Sony VAIO VGN-A250
1.6 GHz Pentium M
512 MB RAM
80 GB HD
| Optical Drive
An optical drive is essential in today's computing environment. A "CD-ROM" drive allows you to install CD-based applications and play music CDs. A "CD-RW" drive adds CD "burning", so you can also backup your important files to long-lasting discs and create personalized music CDs. With a DVD-ROM drive you can watch DVD movies. And with a DVD-RW drive, you can "write" home movies to durable discs and archive files to DVD (DVDs boast more than seven times the storage capacity of a CD). Some drives allow you to do a combination of all of these tasks. This system features a DVD+R Double Layer/DVD±RW Drive, through which you can do all of the above. The drive also supports today's hot new double layer DVD format that effectively doubles the capacity of typical DVDs. Keyboard and Controls
You'll control your notebook via an 82-key keyboard and a standard electro-static touch pad. Connectivity and Expansion
The VAIO VGN-A290 features a bevy of connectivity facilities, including a 56K modem for low-speed dial-up Internet and email access, a 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Ethernet port for high-speed wired network and Internet, and an integrated Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection (802.11b/g) for cord-free e-communication at home, at the office or on the road via a local public hotspot. Other key amenities include high-speed USB 2.0 ports for plug and play devices such as external drives and digital cameras, an IEEE 1394 FireWire port (commonly used for quick data uploads from digital camcorders), and an AV Entertainment Dock with high-end perks such as a TV Tuner and MPEG Encoder, VGA Monitor port, VHF/UHF TV port, S-Video in/out, DVI-D, Optical out, Line in (RCA Pin), Line out (RCA Pin) and more. Suffice to say that no matter what sort of connections you want to make, you can likely do it with the VAIO VGN-A290. Operating System and Software
Sony will install Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition operating system, a variety of productivity and business applications, and a broad range of digital photo, audio and video utilities. Dimensions and Weight
Many of today's most powerful notebooks are also the largest, weighing ten or twelve lbs or more and therefore too big and cumbersome for extensive, continuous traveling. These are often referred to as "desktop replacements". On the other extreme are "thin and lights" or "ultra-portables", super-miniaturized units that are typically less powerful than their larger brethren but weigh as little as two lbs and will often fit comfortably inside a large purse. Despite its impressively spacious display and cutting-edge capabilities, the VAIO VGN-A290 is not excessively heavy at just 8.6 lbs. It is larger than average at 16 by 11 inches, though not nearly as bulky as most other similarly equipped portables.
Product Description
Includes: lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, Windows XP Home w/ Service Pack 2, Quicken 2004 New User Edition, WinDVD, Works 7.0, & more. Sony VGN-A290 VAIO(R) Notebook Computer - This notebook computer features the Intel Pentium M processor. Pentium M is specifically designed for mobile applications, giving you increased battery life without sacrificing power. And while you're on the go, you can easily stay connected via the Internet and e-mail - utilizing the built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi wireless networking adapter! 2 RAM Slots (both occupied) 100GB HDD 17 widescreen LCD with XBRITE(TM) Technology (native resolution - 1920 x 1200) ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 with 64MB of RAM Double-Layer DVD Writer Integrated v.90 56k Modem Memory Stick Media Slot - supports Pro and Duo PC Card Slot - Type I/II Windows Sound System with Built-in Stereo Speakers Ports - 10/100 Ethernet, VGA Out, A/V Mini Jack, 1 FireWire, & 3 USB 2.0
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
Best computer by far... February 17, 2010
Donald D. Zimmerly (Tomah WI. USA)
I am extremely lucky to have purchased the LAST NEW VGN-A290 in the US. This is my second one of this model. I purchased my first one in 2005 from one of my Soldiers while in Iraq. I got one-heck-of-a deal on that one, which was virtually new at that time. 2 years later the monitor went out of it, so I went on line and ordered a 17" Dell computer. I was not happy with that from day one. I could not wait to get home and have my Vaio repaired. Once I was able to do so, I once again made this my primary computer, now 3 years old, it was still a better computer than the new one I purchased. A year later I returned for another tour to Iraq and my Sony Vaio was also making it's 2nd tour of duty. Once I got to Kuwait, the power adapter burned up. I then decided to spend the money on a new Sony Vaio. by doing so, I was able to use it's power adapter to run this one. A couple months later the monitor went out of it again so, I shipped the old one home and decided I would purchase this computer new when I got there. Even the New Vaio was not as good as this one. Nothing (to me) is better then the Windows XP Home Addition. The Vista on the new model was it's greatest downfall. Not to mention the superb sound of the speakers on the older model. I have never had a laptop computer before that THOUGHT it was a desktop model, this one truly believes it is. When you are in a far away land such as Iraq and your only link to your loved ones is your computer and you use it every day in extreme conditions, (heat wind and dust) as such we saw in Iraq, your computer is the most important asset you have. Everything from watching DVD's to playing games, to Yahoo Messenger, it is all made much better with a top of the line computer, and friends, this is by far the BEST computer I have ever used. Yes, it is a little bulky to be toting around, but that is the beauty of it. You do not have to lug around the dock and speakers with you everywhere. My first tour there was spent as a platoon sergeant running convoys from Kuwait to Mosul and everywhere in between and that computer saw as much as I did during the tour. My second tour there was as a First Sergeant and stationed in Central Baghdad and I was able to set it up and not move it the entire time until the monitor fried again.
Now that I was lucky enough to find and purchase the very last new VGN-A290 in the US, I intend to send the older one in and have it completely refurbished. The local computer geeks in my city tell me it is not worth putting money into this machine. I simply laugh in there face. If they do not want to earn a profit, that is their choice as I would gladly spend hundreds of dollars to have that one back, in like new condition. Now I just need to find someone who wants to earn the money to refurbish it. I strongly recommend this computer to anyone. Although there are no new ones to be found anywhere, it would be worth the money to purchase a used one as there are some available. The ease of use, Windows XP and sound quality are its best features. 5 Stars is my rating...
 Runs continuously... March 23, 2008
R. Dunn (Asia)
Owned the A290 since 2004. Almost 4yrs old but she's been good to me. She's a big girl but I have no regrets. When I'm at the airport, everyone's looking at her big beautiful self-adjusting screen. A little thick but worth it to me.
Had an issue with the iTunes software and had to re-image. Not sure about
that whole incident; may have been my fault but she's okay now. The CD/DVD RW had acted up for a couple of months but then started being good again. No issues since then.
Battery life sucks. Bring the plug/adapter. Seeing the wires on the docking station when I walk into my office has gotten old. Looks and sounds great with any type of media. Movies/TV, music, PC games (not many games but enough).
Recently bought an FZ premium notebook with the intentions of giving away the A290. No way. Seeing her side by side with a leaner/younger machine, I've decided to keep her. Vista doesn't run everything I need it to run anyway. Dynamic link library conflicts.
I'm mostly ppt, jpeg/avi, wav data. She still surfs the internet like a Hawaiian - hardline or wireless. Really like the memory stick slot as I have several other SONY products. Inputs/outputs are readily available.
She is a solid (NO FAT) performer. She doesn't have Blue Ray but I'm keeping her. Probably surprise her with another GB of memory for her B'day.
Hard drive problem? July 17, 2006
Carl Lee (Texas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought one of these on Ebay when it first came out. My first hard drive lasted about a month. My second one lasted about 2 months. My third hard drive lasted about 2 months also. The computer was always taken very good care of and always covered up when not being used, so I have no idea what went wrong. I will say that Sony customer service repaired it promptly and even after the warranty was expired. It now appears to be working fine. I thought about selling it before another hard drive goes out, but I like this way too much to get rid of it. The picture quality is extraordinary. I'm keeping it until I find something better and I haven't seen it yet.
High Performance Machine and much more... April 12, 2005
B. BARKANA (TN)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I bought this item from eBay for about $2300. I don't think I can find a better performance for this price. If you are planning to buy an expensive item from eBay, check if seller has sold same item before, and read the feedbacks.
Graphics Performance is outstanding: I was not expecting to be able to play a game like Need for Speed Underground 2. I assure you, the game is running like it is on fire. I increased graphic quality, there is no delay or lacking in the game. You can have all road+car reflections, glows, tints, motion blur, fog, incredibly high world details (even check the store shopwindows). The only problem is when you increase the anti allising a lot, screen goes to dark. Graphics card + Processor + RAM expose a great graphic performance.
MATLAB performance: I am working with MATLAB for my research. Matrix calculations are very fast in MATLAB. I am working on 15000x1000 dimension matrices. Process time for my classification program in this computer is: 2.5 seconds. I ran same program in my other Compaq laptop that has 1.4Ghz Intel Pentium IV Mobile processor (with 512K L2 cache memory) + 768mb RAM. Other laptop's process time was 17.5 seconds (7times slower than A290).
Internet performance: Internet speed is mostly based on your internet provider, however, a high performance computer allows you to surf internet a lot faster. Wireless capability is very efficient (it does not take a matter of time to search and connect to wireless networks).
Windows performance: It takes about 65 seconds to open and appear windows desktop (this can differ according to number of installed programs in your computer).Program windows are popping up without any delay. Windows did not freeze yet, and it seems the computer is good enough to handle memmory usage and allowance for Windows.
Long time performance: After hours of study (or after a Need for Speed game) processor heat increases,which cause a slight decrease in the performance. Its fan good enough to cool down the processor in a small amount of time (after I quit from 2-3 hour game, it takes 2 seconds to lower the fan speed). Even the highest fan speed does not make annoying noise (very quite).
Durability: Definetely a Sony high quality item.
Battery life: It is not good as other computers, because of 17inch screen. However, you almost have 2:30 hours of battery life.
Size: Size is almost optimum for a 17inch laptop. Dell 17inch laptop looks a lot like a dumb next to this Sony. Screen and image quality is also outstanding. Weight is unexpectadly low.
Negatives: There is no Bluetooth (you have to buy an additional USB bluetooth adapter). You can't upgrade the RAM memory randomly. You can only have a total memory of 256mb, 512mb, 1GB or 2GB. You just have 2 slots. You don't have the choice to plug 512mb on one slot and 1GB on the other (LAPTOP will not start if you do that).
Extra features: AV dock amplifier allows you to enjoy the sound with two SONY speakers (extremely pure sound quality but don't expect a lot of bass). AV dock also enables to connect your laptop with TV, DVD player, antenna. You can even connect your DV camera (old cassette camera) and convert the movie to a digital mpeg movie. You can also plug a Sony microdrive (even PRO Duo s) directly into the slot on laptop (that's a faster way of copying files instead of connecting your digital camera).
I definetely recommend this computer to a friend.
Excellent, but already at under $ 2,500 at Ebay.. January 23, 2005
Dutchy4C
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
I bought this Vaio on Ebay for $ 2,425 New in Box, unopened. I use it for high-end 3D surfacing, for Photoshop and Premiere, and for Corel Painter. It is excellent. The ATi graphics had to be set to full screen 3D to work properly in 3D, but it beats much higher end notebooks hands down.
I bought an extra Logitech MX1000 wireless Laser mouse with it, for unprecedented precision in my work.
I am loving it.
When buying on Ebay, I always look for the amount of feedback (preferably high) and never under 98.9% positive. For these sort of higher priced items it gives an extra security.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
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