This computer, although pricey when compared to others currently on the market, is well worth its weight in value and quality.  If you have a home business or home office, this unit will prove its price in gold.  I have used one of the cheaper units only to lose some of my information.  The speed did not decrease with the large applications needed to run my business... and there are fourteen  - not so small programs - that I needed to load on it!!!!  The media part of this system is uncomparable to others on the market.  It will update, automatically, your local tv guide, play, record - without tivo.  I have connected it to tv monitors, dvd players, camcorders, cameras, cell phones and more! It is easy to use - even for us non techies out there!  I added cable highspeed dsl, a wireless pc card and it flies across the web at incredible speeds - without all the wires.  Don't get me wrong - the wired dsl worked great too but keep me 'tied' to the area that the cable company was able to put the modem.  I have not yet upgraded the hard drive but have planned to do so in the near future.  I even added norton 360, which naturally takes up incredible amounts of space on any system.  This has not effected the Sony in speed, I must mention.  High security protection without the loss of speed is definately worth mentioning.  This is one aspect that I enjoy as lesser brands seem to come to a near stop with norton 360.  This is one of the major deciding factors that made my decision to contiue with Sony RA as long as it is on the mrket.  God forbid anything ever happened to this system... even if it is as small as just being outdated ... I would buy the same thing again and again.  I will never again skimp on my computer because another brand is similar to this one or cheaper.  You WILL pay for it in the long run.  It did come preloaded with many programs, most of which I did not like or use so I removed many of them.  I added Microsoft student/office edition instead of buying at the end of the trial period of the basic microsoft office that is preloaded.  This added more programs than what the preloaded programs offered.  I also installed Quickbooks pro.  As I stated earlier, I do run a home based business.  The system came with microsoft money but I needed a business program not just basic check book style programs.  I do use both of these programs daily, however.  I also own a campground and added campground master to the system which was a large program as well.  I work as an independant contractor in legal research and also need to add wordperfect in addition to microsoft office, photoshop, print shop, nero burning rom, tax cut/tax act, and several different viewers such as vlc player, swiftview, and arc soft.  I also use smartdraw 2010, an auditor's calculator and adobe writer.  As I stated earlier many programs were already on the system but I needed specific ones for the companies that I deal with on a daily basis.  None of the added programs slowed the system.  Other systems that I used to use slowed the system considerably, especially on startup and shut down.  This system just took the programs in stride and keeps on ticking away as though they are not even there.  I meantioned earlier the intention of adding addtional hard drive space, I want to add that this is not because of the system that I bought but because of the photos and video that I added personally.  I no longer go to print out the pictures from my digital camera or video cam.  I now load them all on this system and then make discs for whoever wants the pictures or video - the reason I also loaded nero burning rom.  This was only because I used nero before and understood it.  I am sure that the programs already loaded on the system were good, but I am also not a techie and need to stick with the programs that I already know how to use.  This system is pricer but definately worth every penny that I spent.  I bought different systems before and had to call support for one reason or another.  I have never called tech support for this system.  I don't even know if I have the telephone number for tech support!!  Downfalls of this system are very few.  I do not like the fact that as soon as you start the system you must make your own recovery disc.  But I am seeing that this has become common practice with several differnt manufacturers.  I do not think that after spending the money that you do on any system that you should have to make your own disc!  That should be included with every system!!  I also think that the fact that if I choose the option of not automatically updating windows, the system should not continuously tell me my system is not operating properly.  I prefer the system to find the updates but tell me what they are BEFORE they are downloaded and upgraded.  This is irritating but not a deterent to buying the system.  As long as it is not two or three months since the last update, it should be maked as satisfactory.  Overall, if you need to have large programs on your computer this is the one to buy.  IF you are a gamer, again this is the one for you.  If you are a movie/tv buff, again go for it.  This system will not let you down!!!   Four years, five months and counting........!

serabella

Scranton, PA