Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Sony

How to control 3G access on Sony Erisccon w705

metaBugs — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:42:13 -0800

Can we set my girlfriend's Sony Ericsson w705 to prompt before connecting to the internet over the phone connection? My girlfriend recently bought a Sony Ericsson w705 mobile phone. Using it to surf the internet over WiFi usually works fine, but occasionally it loses the WiFi signal and automatically connects over the phone network instead. In principle this is a nice design feature. However, the mobile network (Vodafone) charges her a flat fee for every day that she uses their data service. So even if she notices it within seconds, this automatic switch from WiFi to the phone network ends up costing my girlfriend money.

Is there a way to force the phone to ask for permission before switching from a bad WiFi signal to the phone network?

She doesn't want to opt out of Vodafone's data plan permanently. She just wants the phone to ask for permission before opening an expensive data connection.

Out, Out, damn sound!

GJSchaller — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:17:20 -0800

Why can't I get Digital Out (5.1) from my PC to work with my Sony receiver? I have an Alienware Aurora 5500 "shuttle" PC I inherited from the previous owner, and am attempting to hook it up to my Sony STR-DA4300DS receiver. The receiver works fine for other sources, like a PS3, Apple TV, and HD TV from our Verizon FiOS box. When we attempt to connect the Alienware (running WinXP), we get sound only from the R & L speakers, and nothing from the Center, or the rear two speakers, even when we configure everything for 5.1 sound. (The sound tests indicate it should be playing to those speakers, by the silence they produce matching the visual cues on the screen, and we can hear them when the visual cue is for the R&L speakers.)

At first, we tried a TOSlink fiber cable to connect the on-board system to the receiver, with the above results. We then tried a Digital Coaxial cable, also from the on-board sound card, with the same results. I then dropped in a spare Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, and used the Digital Out on it (3.5mm to Coaxial), but am STILL getting the same results, even with the new sound card.

The receiver is indicating it is only picking up 2 channels. If we force the player (VLC, in this case) to use 5.1 or direct SPDIF / Digital throughput, the receiver then shows 5.1 speakers, and stutters horribly as if it cannot decode the audio (This receiver has all the fixin's, including THX, Dolby, DTS, True HD, etc.).

I'm not sure at this point if it's the PC (OS?), or the Receiver, that is the issue - any advice, or something simple I'm missing? Googling hasn't been able to turn up the results I am looking for.

What lightweight but powerful laptop should I buy?

bkudria — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:36:10 -0800

Which light-weight yet powerful laptop should I buy? I like the Sony Vaio Z, followed by the MB Air and the Thinkpad X200. Am I missing any models? I'm looking to replace my current work laptop - I use it for web development, so I need to be able to run Apache, MySQL, PHP, and some other stuff. I also use Chrome pretty heavily, and of course I watch a DVD every now and then, play music, etc. I don't run an office suite or play any games.

I carry my laptop to and from work every day, and my current HP is pretty heavy, so I am looking to buy the lightest laptop possible that still has a real CPU (e.g. no Atom, ULV, etc). I don't want anything at all resembling a "netbook". What I'm not considering at the moment is price - I'm happy to pay extra for a nicer, lighter, laptop.

At the moment, the best option I could find is the Sony VAIO Z-series. It weighs 3.3 pounds, not the lightest on my list, but it has a nice CPU (a T9900 @ 3.06 GHz). The MB Air is 0.3lbs lighter, but the CPU clocks in at 2.13 GHz and as expected does slightly worse in benchmarks. The Z also has a higher-res screen. I use an additional external monitor, but it is a nice extra. The Lenovo Thinkpad X200 and X200s are lighter even than the MB Air, but have even smaller screens and slower CPUs.

(Note: I am aware of the Z's in-BIOS VT block. I have no problems with patching the BIOS to work around this. I don't consider it a downside.)

Additional details: I plan on running Linux, so gross Linux incompatibilities are a no-go, but I think I can handle anything merely pedestrian. Also, I plan on swapping out the HDD with an SSD some point in the future, so if that has any bearing on anything, I'd love to know. I'm still in the research phase for that.

In short: I want a light yet powerful high-quality workhorse laptop. The VAIO Z looks to be a good balance.

My question: Am I missing anything in my analysis? Do any of these laptops have any glaring flaws? Are there any other models that have solid build quality and similar or better specs?

Thanks!

ebook or ubook

esemay — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:26:19 -0800

Looking for the best e-book reader. (depends on how you define best) I preordered a noon from BN.com, but having second thoughts. Asking the hive, what is the best e-book reader in your opinion for reading all types of PDFs. I'm going to be reading pdfs printed from online pages, e-books from multiple sources, scanned pdfs. But I don't care about e-book stores (so I could live without wireless if it's easy to copy files via usb)

Trying to flash a W595 Sony Ericsson (A2) based Phone but can't get it working

complience — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:25:21 -0800

Trying to flash a W595 Sony Ericsson (A2) based Phone but can't get it working I want to flash the preinstalled firmware on my Sony Ericsson Phone because it has some branding I don't want and some restrictions on apps I want to install (google maps)

I've tried various tools to try and achieve this:
Aerix
SeTool
D-Ultimate unlocker

I can connect to the device via usb, selecting mass storage mode, while holding down buttons 2 + 5

But all of them give me the same error regarding the boot method selected, I'm not sure if I need to start the phone in a different way to get the correct BOOT sector or if i need different software.

13:52:48 Initializing...
! 13:52:48 1. Please see the documentation first (the tab 'Info' or attached .pdf file)
! 13:52:48 2. Choose the phone model
! 13:52:48 3. Select the desired options
! 13:52:48 4. Please connect the phone either via USB while holding 2-5…
! 13:52:48 - or via a serial cable and double-click on it in the device list
13:52:56 Selected phone: W910
13:52:56 Connecting via SEMC USB Flash Device (USB2)…
13:52:56 Device driver version: 2.2.0.0
13:52:56 Device driver date: 9-18-2008
13:52:56 Connecting to the baseband CPU...
13:52:56 Entering baseband CPU service mode...
13:52:57 Detected chipset: DB3150 R2A
13:52:57 Boot mode: EROM
13:52:57 EROM version: 1200-4341 SEMCBOOT R6A013
E 13:52:57 Error: 0x889C690F
E 13:52:57 Unsupported boot mode
! 13:52:57 Please boot via ROM
E 13:52:57 Failed!

Which ebook reader?

Iax — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:31:51 -0800

Whats the best eBook reader I could get for Christmas? And dont say kindle Im in Canada so the kindle is useless.
I want some thing with an e-ink screen for reading during long trips.

The one I was interested in was the Sony Reader, I was hoping that their big announcement would be good, but its basically a Sony kindle (useless in canada).

I've tried the two sony ones out at the store and I liked the functionality and expandability of the touch screen one, but the screen on the smaller non-touchscreen one was much better looking.

So what's new in ebook readers? Whats coming in time for Xmas?

Help with Sony's Vegas Pro 9

tenaciousd — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:10:22 -0800

How do I use Vegas Pro 9? I can't find a lot of useful or free info on the web or on Sony's website. I'm in charge of shooting and editing video during my company's conference and meetings, which begin tomorrow. I don't have much experience with either, and I think I kind of jumped in the deep end with Vegas by downloading the 30-day free trial.

I'm not doing anything too fancy...a basic intro, cutting, overlaying the name of the speaker. But I really haven't found any helpful, basic, beginner-level manuals or information. My camcorder is a canon vixia hf200.

Any tips, sites or other resources would be appreciated. Thanks all!

The unlevel horizon is giving me motion sickness.

wsg — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:27:31 -0800

How can I rotate videos made with a Sony Handycam HDR-XR500V just a little to make the horizon level? The format the Sony makes is .m2ts. Just learning to use Pinnacle Studio 12. No success googling. Thanks.

Camera reviews are taking over my sanity

TravellingCari — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:10:49 -0800

Following my previous question, I've narrowed down my camera options and done a lot of reading, but I'd love some Hivemind input. My Previous Question

Since asking, I've been reading reviews online and went to B&H to play with some of the models I thought I liked. End result, I walked out with two different ideas than when I walked in. Below are the ones I'm considering most and why, but I'm having issues with the reviews I read online because I know every product will irk someone and it's a question of cutting through that to get to what matters.

I'm also trying to keep in mind that a) I'm upgrading a 4 year old camera and b) I don't need perfection on every shot. I'm not ready to make the jump to DSLR because I don't take pictures nearly enough anymore, but I want a camera that can take good landscape shots, a good zoom to take pics at sporting events from bad seats and ability to shoot close up (i.e. Macro). I have pros and cons below. Do you have any experience with these cameras? Anything I'm missing? As I've said, I'm familiar with the review sites and have read extensively. If those are all to be believed, there's no decent camera out there.

*Sony HX 1 - Pros: good zoom, I have media for the camera, familiarity w Sony cameras, good battery life, feels good in my hand, without a doubt the best video capabilities. Cons: 9.1mp, Price, video stuff I don't need (I don't know what 1080i/p means, and I rarely shoot video)

*Nikon P90 - Pros: 24 optical zoom, known for good sports photography, good macro, price. Cons: hate the look and feel of camera, reported poor battery life, no zoom while shooting video.

*Olympus SP-590 - Pros: Price, 26x zoom, good response time with fast photos (sports).Cons: AA battery (although I don't mind this too much, means you're never caight without batteries), dial seems weak

*Canon SX 1 - Pros: 20x zoom, known brand, RAW support, Cons: AA battery (see above), hate hate the fold-out LCD, least zoom (although I'm upgrading from 12x so it's still big jump

So, I'm still torn. At the moment, I'm leaning Olympus but I don't know enough about the brand. I covet the Sony but at 399 even on Amazon (have $65 credit so likely to buy there) it's steep. I came out of B&H really not liking the Canon at all but I feel like I should because it's such a known brand that people love. Nikon was my first choice walking in, but I really don't like the body of this camera.

Anyone have any input or am I destined to eenie meenie miney mo? Thanks in advance!

PS3 has turned so ugly

porn in the woods — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:30:14 -0800

PlayStation 3 firmware update 3.0 is truly a pile. Font size is ginormous on my 42" LCD (akin to going from 1024x768 to 640x480), icons are shilling for the PlayStation Network in every menu and there's a hideous update bar in the upper right-hand corner I can't figure out how to turn off. I wish I hadn't taken the plunge -- if you haven't, don't do it! Does anyone have solutions to mitigate this nightmare, which has turned the menus of my console and home theatre box into a janky-looking POS?

Audio driver problems!

FuckingAwesome — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:21:32 -0800

Audio driver needed for Sony Vaio VGN-SX61MN/B model laptop with Windows XP SP3! I recently downgraded to XP SP3 from Vista and cannot find a suitable audio driver. The ones on the Vaio website seem not to install properly. Very frustrating! Please help.

My PS3 done broke. Should I shell out the cash to repair, or hold off and see what Sony's got up its sleeve?

yellowbinder — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:45:39 -0800

Broken PS3 - ship it off for repairs or wait and see what the holidays bring? Last night my PS3 decided to not accept any more discs. Not as in they won't play, but as in the disc drive won't feed them into the machine. The machine is otherwise running perfectly, can play media, online games, and I'm sure if I could get a disc in there, it would work just fine.

I'm out of warranty, no store bought service plan, and while the receipt is probably... somewhere, I wouldn't bet I could find it.

I called up Sony today and they want almost $200 to fix it, which seems a bit extreme for what will likely be a simple fix or drive replacement. On the other hand, I don't really want to go to an unauthorized repair place.

I've heard rumblings through the blogosphere about a redesigned PS3 due for the holidays, complete with price cut. Obviously, this is rumour until announced, but it's seeming slightly more certain.

What is the likelihood of something like this, or at least a significant price cut? And when would that be likely to be announced prior to the holidays?

I've been thinking that it might be more cost effective to sell mine on eBay and pick up a new one, if the price drops. I wouldn't really want to wait more than a month or two to find out.

I realize the question posed is impossible to answer definitevely, so I guess the real question is, what would you do?

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.”

TravellingCari — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:37:45 -0800

My beloved digital camera just died, and I'm trying to match features. Any suggestions? I don't want it to fit in my pocket. Well regardless of saying here that I wasn't in the market for a new camera, I am now because my trusty Sony just died. First the LCD screen went, which was not a huge issue, but then the view finder followed, rendering it a paperweight.

The camera I'm replacing is the Song DSC-HI, which had a fabulous zoom, and that's what I'm eager to find again. For example, I spend a good amount of time at sports events in less-than-great seats and I loved the zoom on this to get good pictures. I still have the DSC-S650 which filled in well on this trip, but it's great for snapshots, not action shots where I need a zoom. I've also found the up-close macro is better with the larger lens. I'm the oddball, I don't want a pocket cam. The only reason I have the little Sony was for a wedding.

I would like to keep with SONY so as not to deal with all new memory formats, but I've heard good things about some new model Canons. I love the manual options on the H1 as well as the scenes, and the large-ish LCD screen. I also love that it used AA batteries, which made things easy if I'm caught without batteries. I don't think I need or want a DSLR despite lens capabilities, because when I travel I don't want that much stuff to juggle and don't take photos as often as I used to to warrant that investment. My previous camera before the Sony was a Nikon-forget the Coolpix model but it was another with a good zoom. It died in the Australian sand and heat. Both lasted me 3+ years and owe me nothing, but I like the bigger models - I feel I can take a better picture with them.

I'm familiar with DPReview and some of the other sites, but I'm also curious for personal experience - what models have you found that do the trick. Which would you avoid? Any specific review sites I should make sure to check out? I'm in NYC so I'll certainly be making a trip to B&H to play with the models as I can't buy it on specs alone, but am not sure where to start as I haven't been camera shopping in some time.

As I said, I have a backup camera so this isn't an immediate purchase. I'm willing to save up for a good camera so there's no set budget. As always, thanks all!

same ccd, 4k cheaper, but wheres the lens ?

sgt.serenity — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:39:50 -0800

whats the selection of wide angle lenses for the sony alpha 900 ? I'm fairly baffled by this - but the possibility of getting a full frame 24mp dslr for 4k less than the nikon d3x is a source of great interest to me - but i'm noticing a real lack of lenses - i know theyre zeiss/minolta compatible - should i just hunt down minolta lenses on ebay ? are there any definitive answers about lenses for the new(ish) full frame sony ?

I'm not really worried about getting a f2.8 lens or anything - its more for outdoorsy landscape types of stuff.

Kindle or Sony Reader - International Edition

dances_with_sneetches — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:16:08 -0800

I am looking to buy an e-reader, most likely Kindle 2 (or DX) or Sony Reader PRS-700. I live in Puerto Rico and was interested in international access. I've researched this a fair bit already. So I'll post what I know to prevent you from having to spell out those parts.

For the Kindle, Amazon doesn't ship to Puerto Rico, so I would have to get it re-shipped from somewhere in the states. The synching to Amazon does include Puerto Rico. Amazon doesn't allow electronic purchase of books to a Puerto Rican credit card, however, I can buy a gift card, give it to myself and purchase books that way.

Sony Reader does ship to Puerto Rico, but Sony ebook store doesn't serve Puerto Rico. I'm not sure whether I can use gift cards to get around this or whether someone else has experience with foreign purchases from Sony ebooks. I can purchase books for the Sony from other sites, although the Sony store has hundreds of thousands of book choices versus the others with tens of thousands. Of course there are pdf's and free matter available elsewhere as the Sony device isn't tied into a single site (Amazon). I like the look of the Sony Reader PRS-700, the notion of touch-screen highlighting and bookmarking sounds great but I have a bit of concern about the reflective glare. I'm not concerned about the smaller memory, I have some old flash cards that I could plug in to extend it.

I plan to use the device for leisure reading, maybe downloading newspapers, for occasional research related reading, and if it supports foreign characters (Spanish), that would be a big plus.

So, the questions would be. Does anyone have experience with getting books outside the US with the Sony Reader? Is the glare a significant problem? Is there a price difference in the cost of books between the Kindle and Sony Reader? Are there other considerations I should factor in?

New laptop - help me choose!

aimeel — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:53:39 -0800

New laptop choices - Fujitsu? Sony? Dell? HP? I know what I want in a notebook, but trying to figure out which maker will best meet my needs. I'm an English and Theatre teacher soon to move to Norway and I don't think my old laptop will last much longer. Looking for a Core 2 Duo and up, a 4-500 gig hard drive, Nividia or ATI graphics, a decent amount of RAM about a 16" screen. As a teacher, I have about 60 gigs right now of documents and photos, another 60 of music, and I do a lot with music, photographs, and not a lot of gaming. (That could change she suggests unrealistically). I do a lot of work on the internet and usually don't travel around much with the laptop. If I weren't headed to Norway I'd probably get a desktop, but there it is. It would be nice to be able to help my students with editing short films on my laptop, but not vital. And oh yes, can it be a dependable machine?

Big note- I am an old school typist. I like to feel definable keys under my fingertips. And I hate the whale-snot, smear magnet surfaces of most of the laptops I saw when I went to Frys. I did like the texture of the keyboards/touchpad on Sony and Fujitsu. I know it's cosmetic, but I like a clean deck. Suggestions? And am I better off buying through Frys, Best Buy, online through ?? or manufacturer? I'll have to live with it for a long time so I want to make a good choice. And I thank the hive mind in advance - you guys are the best.

Digital what now?

photomusic86 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:12:40 -0800

Is there any way to cannibalize this Cybershot DSC-W1, and make a digital insert for this beautiful old Kodak Retina Ia? Being laid off has given me a lot of free time. I figured, why not try something new and interesting?

I'm not looking to turn this Kodak Retina Ia into a permanently digital camera. I want to still be able to use film in it! Sort of like those changable digital backs for medium format cameras.
I'm pretty sure someone makes something along these lines for Leica M system cameras (for an obscene price, of course).
How can i do it?

More pics:
Kodak Retina Ia- 1, 2, 3

Sony Cybershot DSC-W1- 1, 2, 3

PS2 game recommendation needed for a PS2 virgin

n3rt — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 07:03:44 -0800

I've just purchased a Playstation2 [yes *2*, I'm relapsing into gaming at this age and never owned one] and I'm looking for some recommendations of any genre for mindless, quick, fun that doesn't involve long spells of extended gaming.

Help me photograph Israel without changing memory cards every five seconds!

TravellingCari — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:36:19 -0800

I need a new Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo for my cameras, but have no idea where the best place to buy any more is. Also any particular size recommendations or is bigger better? In preparation for this summer's trip, I need more memory cards for my Sony digital cameras. I'm looking for the Pro Duo My google-fu is good and I know about Google shopping but being unfamiliar with most of the stores, I don't know which are reputable. I've had bad experiences in the past with unknown websites and don't want to get caught with a non functioning memory card while away, though I know that's a risk with electronics as things can be lemons.

The last two times I needed memory cards I:
a) asked a friend who worked at Sony who got it with her discount (she no longer works there)
b) needed it "now" because I was using my camera and realised I didn't have the memory card so I walked into the local BestBuy.

I have some time (trip is mid-July) and have no issue with ordering online, but I don't know where to start. Is there a particular online vendor you know to be reputable? Any you suggest staying away from?

Also - any thoughts on how big is too big? I'll either be bringing my laptop or have access to my mom's so I'm not looking to store the whole trip on there - I'm a shutter bug - but I also don't want to be flipping memory cards constantly i.e. at Petra. Cameras are 5.0 and 7.2 megapixels, but I don't tend to take fine quality photos. When I do, they're the exception for a few photos.

NB: yes I know, there are newer and better cameras out there and Sony media is not ideal. Mine are 4 and 2 years old, respectively, but they suit my purposes fine and I don't have the budget for a new camera at this time so it is what it is.

As always, thanks for all your help.

Getting video footage to youtube?

tangyraspberry — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:08:04 -0800

How do I get video footage from a Sony, DCR-TRV900, video camera to youtube?

PS2 Won't Play PS2 Games

Otis — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:07:05 -0800

Do you have a "slim" PlayStation 2 gaming system? Do all your PS2 games work with the system? What PS2 games are known to be incompatible with the slim PS2 system? I have confirmed with Activision Value that the PlayStation 2 game Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan is not compatible with the slim PS2 system. I have contacted Sony and they blame the software, and the software publisher blames the hardware. I find it unacceptable that I have purchased a PS2 game system that doesn't play PS2 games. My questions are:

1) Are there other PS2 games that are incompatible with the PS2?

2) Shouldn't the game buying public be informed about this so they don't spend money on games they can't play?

3) Do consumers have any recourse against Sony for selling a PS2 game system that is incompatible with the games designed for the system?

Alternative to Wayfinder Navigator.

anonaccount — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:40:16 -0800

Is there any alternative to Wayfinder Navigator for the forthcoming Sony Ericsson C905? I'm used to a standalone Tom Tom unit for my satnav/gps needs, where everything is handled on the unit as opposed to being server and subscription based with Wayfinder.

Suggestions?

Too many cameras! So many features! Too much choice! Arrrgggrhhhh!

gergtreble — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:17:08 -0800

Calling all Mefi photographers. Help me choose my entry level DSLR. I just went to my local camera store to buy a Nikon D60 but I made the mistake of asking the guy in the store if there were any other similarly priced ones he recommended. He immediately recommended the Sony a350. This totally threw me I had made up my mind that I wanted a D60 no question! But the Sony A350 has a host of extra features I wasn't expecting to find with the budget I have. Here are the pros and cons of each model as I see them.

1) Glass - Nikon lenses are generally better than Sony right? But Sony bought Minolta so I can use old Minolta lenses if I want. I've also heard that Carl Zeiss makes all Sony lenses! Is that true?

2) Live view - The Nikon doesn't have it, but the Sony does. And the display is movable for shooting from the waist or from over the head! This is drawing me to the Sony.

3) Vibration reduction - The Nikon uses VR in the lens. But the Sony's VR is in the body. Technically I should be able to get vibration reduction with any lens I use in the Sony. But i would have to buy specific VR lenses from Nikon

4) Autofocus - I think the Nikon's AF isnt back compatible with old lenses. But I'm not sure about this.

Now to top it off I've started looking at the Cannon EOS 400D / XTi too! I'm a beginner photographer so I'm looking for a camera that will help me learn the nuances of photography. My budget is £500 ish give or take. I also plan to buy a longer lens before Christmas as I am hoping to spend new year in The Maasai Mara.

I'm torn and conflicted here! A decision that once was so easy has become unbelievably difficult! I would appreciate any advice or testimonies that you can provide.

Thanks in advance.

MP3s on DL DVD?

ewkpates — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:23:11 -0800

MP3s on DL DVD's... as played on a Sony DVP-FX820? I'm considering a Sony DVP-FX820... I want to burn mp3s to a DL DVD and play them on the Sony. I can't find a walk through on what the MP3 interface looks like or how it works... anyone got one?

Do I buy a new laptop before I know if I need it?

Galt — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:28:01 -0800

LaptopFilter: Do I get a new one tomorrow because I'll have the money and it's a good machine, or do I keep on with my trusty older machine that hasn't given me a touch of trouble yet? Much (maybe too much) I’ve got a HP Pavillion dv1000 – I bought it for cheapz, on sale for around $700 and it’s served me well; it’s small, it’s keyboard is amazing, I rarely run into battery/CPU constraints. I’ve also got a 2.33GhZ iMac – I use it for most of my video/media/fun stuff. The HP has been my windows machine for two years now, and it’s got a lot of stuff installed on it – office, flash, adobe cs, two versions of cygwin, multiple versions of visual studio, eclipse, apache, five versions of java, sdks, plugins, the works. I need to have a windows machine, and I'm not spending more than a thousand dollars on a laptop, so the first person who suggests I get a MacBook and put boot camp on it can defenestrate themselves.

I’m starting grad school next week (a one year masters program), and I’m wondering if I should get a new laptop. Specifically, I’m eyeing the Sony Vaio FW, on sale for a shade over a thousand dollars at Best Buy. A part of me says that my 1.5Ghz, 1GB RAM two year old loss-leader laptop won’t survive constant use in software engineering grad classes. That part says that a 16.4” screen will be better than my 14.1” screen, and a Core 2 duo with 2.26GhZ and 3GB of RAM will be great for any needs (not to mention that I might be able to play team fortress 2 without having to reboot my computer every night, something I haven’t even attempted on the HP). And my parents are here, now, helping me move in. Through reimbursing them later, I could most easily get access to the money to buy it - but only tomorrow (because that much is over the limit of my existing credit cards, my checkbook is back at home and without my own internet, I’m hesitant to manage my money online right now. So I could have the money myself…in a week or two, maybe). Given how much I’m into technology and how much I’ll be working on the laptop, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to resist.

The other part of me looks at how much I’ve already spent moving in and looks at how much is installed on the HP. It’s worked fine so far – virus free, defect free, glitch free for two years. The only problem is that the fan introduces a whine into the audio feed, so it’s hard to watch videos or listen to music on it. I have no pressing need to get a new laptop. This part of me says to wait, see what classes are like and maybe try out team fortress 2 on the HP. Be reasonable, it says. And don’t impuse-buy. It’s important to be able to control yourself. Some stuff (Flash) I wouldn’t be able to install on the new computer, and I’m not sure of other’s compatibility with Vista (Adobe CS2?).

But then the first part kicks in and says that I’ve got some money in savings and what’s it for if not fun stuff? Most of the stuff I should be able to get onto a new machine in a week or two, and it’ll be good to clean house.

But then the second part says, “oh, yes, and you’ll make how much money this year? And can’t you clean house by /cleaning/ instead of, to continue this analogy, buidling a new house next door and wrecking the first one?”

And the first part says, “It’s a great deal, it’s a beautiful laptop, and it’ll last! Think of it as an investment. Or a continuing plan to stay on top of technology. You’ll need to be able to work with Vista. You can’t reasonably expect to build software without even having a machine that runs it. And everyone else will have Vista, too.”

And the second part says that it’s not critical and the first part says “you’ll end up buying it anyway” and the part of me that doesn’t war with its self says, “I wish I had some less biased input!”

So, hive mind, some help? Wait and see, or just get it?