Welcome to a Laptop Battery specialist of the Sony Laptop Battery
The unit I have has 512 MB RAM – I really did not see the need for more, although it is the cheapest upgrade for any PC. Note that the video RAM is not shared – this favorably impacts performance compared to sharing. I trolled eBay and when one came up, I bought it for just under $800 – at the time, Sharp was selling reconditioned units for $1,100, so this was not a bad buy (although with any eBay purchase, caveat emptor).
As it turns out, not much! One characteristic of laptops is that with space at a premium, the motherboard is pretty compact – and non-standard. Note the real estate required for the battery like Sony VGP-BP2EA Battery , Sony VGP-BPL2 Battery , Sony VGP-BPL4 Battery , Sony VGP-BPS2 Battery , Sony VGP-BPS3 Battery , Sony VGP-BPS4 Battery , Sony VGP-BPS5 Battery , Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery , Sony VGP-BPS9 Battery , Sony PCG-GRS900 Battery , Sony PCG-GRT25 Battery , Sony PCG-R505 Battery , Sony PCGA-BP2E Battery , CD and PCMCIA slot.
One of the reasons laptops cost more than desktops is due to the custom engineering required to shoe-horn circuitry into a tight space; unfortunately for the consumer, diversity such as this costs money.
I have been pleased with this unit – I use it every day for editing material for the site (more convenient to work in the family room), which includes using Photoshop, Homesite and FTPing material to the server. In addition I use it for the internet and word processing – all in all, light duty.
I also use a Vantec LapCool2 – set on low, fan noise is slight and the unit’s fan ticks along at its lowest setting – noiseless.
In comparison testing I have seen, the Sharp MV12W holds its own against the likes of Sony VAIO PCG-R505GL, etc, laptops in the same size range, so overall it’s a competitive unit. According to CNET, battery life is quite good as well – I purchased the extended battery on eBay for about $50 and I can just about use it all the way to Europe – about 6 – 7 hours, depending on what you’re doing.
I use an external keyboard and mouse, not so much because the unit’s keyboard is deficient, but I like to have the screen just beyond a comfortable arm’s reach; I also am not a touchpad fan and much prefer a mouse for extended use, in this case a Logitech wireless. I also use a Vantec USB hub because I use a compact flash card a lot and the extra USB slots come in handy.
I took this unit on a trip to Taiwan and I guess I’m spoiled – I found it a bit on the heavy side to carry compared to my small PCA-290, even though the extra power was nice to have. However, if you’re used to a 6 or 7 pound unit, this is a real lightweight. For most of the time I travel, I use the PCA-290.
For what I wanted – a relatively small laptop but with enough power for “normal” use – a used Sharp MV12W meets my needs nicely. I have used this for about a year now and I’m quite pleased with it. Compared to spending about twice as much for a new unit, this has proved to be a good buy.
If you’re into gaming or a power user, this is not a unit to consider, but for “normal” use, this size/performance laptop is not a bad way to go.