Hi all,

Got the TR3a a couple weeks ago. One very sweet machine! Totally fell in love with it when I saw it live a few months ago and snapped it up when the price finally fell into my price range here in Canada. Loved using it.

Unfortunately, I had to return it last week since the one I received had a miss-aligned area to the casing and drive that started clicking only a few days after I got it. Hadn’t done anything other than web surfing and a few tests of the built in camera at that point so kinda concerned that it would just get worse especially since I’m planning to do video editing on it. Yup, it was a brand new one from a retailer. I think I just happened to get a potential lemon.

Now I’m trying to decide on whether to order the same model (I’m pretty sure it’ll be in good condition - fingers crossed) or save up some more to buy the TR5 from Sonystyle.ca. It’s another $1000 cdn! Or wait for the T series to hit Canada.

I posted before about if the difference between TR3 at 1.0 ghz & TR5 1.1 ghz would be noticable. Main concern is for video editing. Really wondering if the extra $ for the TR5 is worth it.

Planning to purchase extra ram from Kingston if I go for the TR3. For anyone who’s used the “click to DVD” software and the built in burner on the TR5 was it worth the extra cost?

The retailers selling the TR3 and TR5 here I’ve noticed only have the ones with 1 mb level 2 cache. Sony USA seems to be the only ones who have the 2 mb level 2 cache available for the TR series.

Can anyone tell me how much the level 2 cache at 2 mb will affect video editing?

Also the TR3a that I had seemed to record clicking in the background. From what I could find doing a search it seems like it’s picking up the hard drive sound. Does that always happen when the video is in use or was it because that one in particular had a clicking problem? I think it seemed to pick up the clicking sound even when the hard drive wasn’t clicking loudly.

I know that the T series has the 2 mb cache 1.1 ghz and with the dvd burner option it’s still cheaper than the TR5 (more than the TR3 of course) but from the pics I’ve seen of it, it’s just not giving me the “wow!” feeling I get from the TR series. No camera, NOT silver and the new form factor just ain’t doing for me. Gave me the same feeling as the p7010 which I did check out live. Both seem like nice laptops and should give somewhat better performance. Logically they should be more appealing but…...not like the TR.

Apologies for this post being kinda long but would be great to get your opinions and suggestions. Really in a funk about what to purchase!

My reply will be semi short because I am on my airpanel.

Video editing is very CPU intensive so any CPU jump will help. Honestly you are prob talking only saving Minutes on an encoding job and if might not be worth that huge price hike.

As for the Clicking, most. if not all TRs do it. My external Hitachi does it too. for some reason my TR camera didn’t pickup the click on recording but many people here have complained so it is not unusual.

Good luck,
Erik

Thanks for your input Erik.  Much appreciated. 

I think I read a post of yours about you getting an external Sony DVD burner for your x505.  Did you ever end up using the Click to DVD software that came with it?  Any good? 

I have an external NEC 8x single layer burner.  Is it possible to use Click to DVD on it if I can somehow get it? Thought it may be simpler to use to burn a final dvd.  Haven’t done much in video editing, so at this point simpler is better for me.

P.S. What’s an airpanel?

[quote author=“dvd power”]
P.S. What’s an airpanel?

http://www.viewsonic.com/products/mobilewireless/wirelessmonitors/airpanel100/

Cool!

Yeah, I have the 110 though, not the 100.

Its ok for web browsing and such but to write a lot is a PITA so I try to keep responses short when I am on it, it’s also a pain to go back and correct the mistakes in the handwriting recognition.

Erik

EDIT: Never installed Click to DVD…I use Adobe Premier for editing and various programs to burn…Roxio (I think they changed hands now), Nero, Padus, etc…