Reviews of the Sony VAIO TP1 Living Room PC (Core 2 Duo T5600 1.83GHz, 2GB RAM, 300GB HDD, Vista Home Premium)
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CNET Review
The Good: Unique design; nice selection of home theater PC features.
The Bad: Overpriced compared to other PCs of similar power and capabilities; overloaded with shovelware.
The Bottom Line: Sony's distinctive, midrange VAIO TP1 Living Room PC trades performance and features for its cutesy appearance. Unless you really like the looks of this Roomba-like PC you can find a much better deal from a variety of standard desktop PCs.
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alaTest.com
Review Summary: Experts rate this product 61/100 and users 67/100. Comparing these reviews to 66198 other Desktops reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 80/100 = Very Good.
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computerbuyer.co.uk
Review Summary: PC or pie? Make your mind up, Sony. Reasonably capable and fairly priced, but the wow factor is skin deep.
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No Rating
digitaltrends.com
Review Summary: Light up your living room with the power and panache of the remarkable VAIO TP1 Living Room PC. Boasting an innovative design, this spherical, elegant PC delicately incorporates personal computin...
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No Rating
pcworld.com
Review Summary: An eye-catching design and quiet operation make this Media Center PC a living-room contender, though it's a bit pricey given its feature set.
Manufacturer: Sony
Part number: VGX-TP1
General
- Platform Technology Intel VIIV Technology
- Type Media center
- Recommended Use Home use
- Product Form Factor Cylindrical
- Built-in Devices LED panel
- Width 10.6 in
- Depth 10.6 in
- Height 3.6 in
- Weight 8.2 lbs
- Desktop type Small-form-factor PC, Media center system
Processor
- Type Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 / 1.83 GHz
- Multi-Core processor technology Dual-Core
- 64-bit processor Yes
- Installed Qty 1
- Max processors supported 1
Cache Memory
- Type L2 cache
- Installed Size 2 MB
- Cache Per Processor 2 MB
Mainboard
- Chipset type Intel 945GM Express
- Data bus speed 667 MHz
RAM
- Installed Size 2 GB / 2 GB (max)
- Technology DDR2 SDRAM
- Memory Speed 667 MHz
- Memory Specification Compliance PC2-5300
- Configuration Features 2 x 1 GB
- Upgrade Rule Max 2 x 1 GB module
Storage Controller
- Type 1 x Serial ATA - Integrated
- Controller interface type Serial ATA-300
Storage
- Floppy drive type None
- Hard Drive 1 x 300 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-150 - 7200 rpm
- Hard Drive (2nd) None
Optical Storage
- Type DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM
- CD / DVD read speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD)
- CD / DVD write speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD±R DL)
- CD / DVD rewrite speed 16x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM)
Optical Storage (2nd)
- Type None
Storage Removable
- Type None
Monitor
- Monitor Type None.
Multimedia Functionality
- TV tuner type Digital and analog TV
- Analog TV system NTSC
- Digital TV reception ATSC
- High definition TV functionality Yes
Graphics Controller
- Graphics Processor / Vendor Intel GMA 950 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 3.0
- Video Memory 224 MB (max)
- Max Allocated RAM Size 224 MB
- Digital Video Standard Digital Visual Interface (DVI), High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)
Audio Output
- Type Sound card - Integrated
- Sound card name Integrated Audio
- Audio output compliant standards High Definition Audio
- Speaker(s) None
Keyboard
- Keyboard connectivity Wireless
- Keyboard features Built-in touch pad
Input Device
- Type Keyboard
Telecom
- Modem Fax / modem
- Max transfer rate 56 Kbps
Networking
- Networking Network adapter - Integrated
- Wireless LAN Supported Yes
- Data Link Protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet
- Features 802.11b/g Wireless LAN
- Compliant Standards IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Bays Total (Free) 1 ( 0 ) x Internal - 3.5"
- Expansion Slots Total (Free) Memory - Type I/II, Memory card reader
- Interfaces 1 x Audio / video - Composite video/audio input - RCA, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45, 1 x Audio / video - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI Type A, 1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 4 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Display / video - VGA output - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 2 x TV antenna, 1 x Audio - SPDIF output, 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 4 pin FireWire
Printer
- Type None
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Radio antenna, Remote control
- Cables Included HDMI-DVI adapter, A/V adapter, HDMI cable
- Features TV tuner card
- Compliant Standards ACPI
Power
- Power device type Power adapter
- Voltage Required AC 120/230 V
- Operational power consumption 130 Watt
Operating System / Software
- OS Provided Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- Software Sony Click to DVD, Microsoft Works 8.5, AOL Online (90 days trial), Microsoft Office 2007 (Trial), Norton Internet Security 2007 (60 days subscription)
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year - On-site, Technical support - Phone consulting
Card Reader
- Card reader Card reader
- Supported flash memory cards Memory Stick, SD Memory Card, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro
Sustainability
- Greenpeace policy rating (Sept 2009) 5.1
Product Video
Product Photos
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