i’m looking to get either the tr1a or the tr1ap and i read groovyone’s review on the notebook…he says that in some cases the tr1a will have 2 256 instead of just one 512 installed.  i’ve looked everywhere and can’t find out if htey do or not…any tr1a owners help? thanks

like he said..in some cases it will be 2x256 instead of 1x512 or the other way around…there’s no way to find out in advance unless you have physical acess to the tr.

Its a real pain to understand why they cant give one 512 MB module in laptops that have 512 as standard. Why does this config differ from model to model ? Its just really stupid. So if i have 2 X 250 MB config in my TR that has 512 MB as standard, what the hell am i going to do if i need 1 GB ram ? I cant get 1 gb unless i get rid of the 256 MB ones to someone that needs them, and then purchase a 1 gb module ( I dont even know if they make them for the TR ) or 2 X 512 MB modules. Either of them, would cost me a fortune.

I’ve noticed in your first several posts that you bring a lot of emotion to the forum.  To answer your question, retailers will often use two smaller ram modules to save….......you know the answer…..........think about it…........money.  The common user does not care.  Thus, few people realize that this ever creates a burden when it is time to upgrade.  Always make sure you view the full specs before your purchase and take this into account.  This, of course, will help you to become a more educated consumer.

Sorry about the emotion part. I just think that intensity is the best way to express oneself. But anyway…. I think you are right, but what im really trying to say is that they should have their machines configured in a way that its not a real pain when the user wants to upgrade. Covering 2 slots with 2 lower mem modules probably means your trying to discourage the user to upgrade. If the machine supports a max of 1 gb ram, leave one slot free , thats what its for. Why make it difficult for us who pay so much money to buy good machines, which should be atleast technically a bit future savvy.

The only thing you can really upgrade in a laptop is the RAM, i mean HD ofcourse but its usually pointless. Unless your upgrading from 20 gb to 80 gb or something.

Sony’s website now does a decent job of notifying you what the memory configuration is on the specifications.

Actually, if you were running a business you would do the exactly same thing with the memory configurations. You would use 256MB x 2 instead of a single 512MB because it’s economically cheaper to get two 256MB. It’s all about maximizing profits.

Also, laptops (until recently) really aren’t made to be upgradeable on purpose. They don’t want us to upgrade. They want us to buy new ones. Upgradeable laptops also limit innovative laptop designs (i.e. ultraportables). As we try to make these things smaller and lighter you have to compromise upgradeability to a certain degree. I don’t know if I want a notebook that has tons of port covers for upgrading parts. It would definitely ruin the aesthetics of the systems.