VGN-B1VP not 40GB!?

[alok]

I received my Sony Notebook VGN-B1VP and was expecting to see it equpped with a 40GB hard drive, but when i checked, there were two hard drives, and one was a 13.9GB, and the other 16.3GB This only totals to 30.2GB and not 40. Please coukd somebody advise me as to whether this piece only has the wrong hard drive, or if there is a mass of misprints regarding the memory.

[magnumopus]

:smileybatting_eyelashes: Hello,

Maybe time for me to list some advantages of the Hard disk recovery system: 
* You can never again lose the recovery disk(s) 

Just wait till the hard drive dies and you want to restore a new blank hard drive, then see how much Sony or for that matter what most manufacturers want to charge for recovery CD's, you might get a nasty shock.

This recovery partition was one of Microsoft's brain waves several years back and others have followed their example. You always use to get recovery or original setup disks. Now that hard drives and the size/amout of software is so huge it's a cheap and lazy option. Not too bad maybe on bargain bucket computer, but on something as expensive as a Sony notebook it sucks.

[kee-lo_]

Complacancy is a dangerous thing.

[jammold]

Incidently this is why I liked my K-Series DVD disk, its slower granted but it is robust and it does work, downtime is longer at 60mins but this is the norm for a CD installation of Microsoft Windows anyway (including Windows 98 *shudder* which I am still not free of yet)...

I agree 100% with Rob, Kee-Lo and Tyger on their comments, a dead hard disk with no recovery option is no fun at all. I carry my DVD disk everywhere with me in a padded front case inside the carry case for my PC, so damage is rare if not impossible (save a roof collapsing on it for instance)...

Sorry Titane, but its not that much of a great idea and it has put me off some of the newer VAIOS that have this partition installed.

[robpaxton]

Sony should supply a properly pre-mastered CD or DVD recovery set. If they also want to install a recovery partition then that would be good for the end customer.

I would never buy a PC that didn't have a 'proper' set of recovery or install disks.

I'm not really into the new cheap Vaio image.

[mark.wood20]

I have just read this post and have found the same thing on my new A215Z which is supposed to have a 60gb HD but like wise has a partitioned C & D drive adding up to less than 60, i am a little concerned about carrying out the procedure mentioned for creating the recovery disc sets and then getting rid of the partition and having a 60gb drive, are there any possible problems or issues with doing this, or shoud i leave things as they are ?

[kee-lo_]

Rob has a good point, and I think he should add "and I don't like PCs with no recovery media!" to his signiture

[robpaxton]

Mark, I would create the recovery disk set straight away. If you want to remove the hidden partition then I'm currently recommending that people create two recovery disk sets before removing the partition.

There's the environment down the dip!

[kee-lo_]

It is paramount that you backup that partition.

[Woody27]

Agree with Kee-Lo and James etc,

The recovery function is pointless if the HDD goes down and you have not backed up!

What do you do? Prey?

At least with a recovery disk you have a last resort option!

Titaine, sorry but:

As for being good for the environment... ...huh!

You are using a consumer product that uses numerous unsustainably manufactured components and is designed to be thrown away in a matter of years, with it's toxic contents no doubt ending up in a land fill! It is also powered by electricity which in Europe is either powered by fossil fuel (greenhouse gas producer) or nuclear energy (have to store spent fuel rods that remain active for hundreds of years).

I think an environmental reality check is needed here!

Computers are not good for the environment, period (unless they are being used to model climate change for example). So supplying one DVD is not going to make any difference! In fact having to use DVD-R(W)s is worse (than a pre-supplied pressed disk) for the environment as the dye used on the disks is toxic if it leaches into soil (for e.g. when finally land-filled).

If we really cared for the environment we would'nt be using computers at all!.... .....Now that's a bit unrealistic, but suggesting that saving the use of a single disk will make any impact to the polluting effect of using the computer in the first place is unrealistic!

The only thing being saved by Sony not supplying the recovery disk is their money: lets say a recovery DVD costs £1.00 to produce, you sell 1 million VAIOs, that's £1M saved. If these 1 million VAIO purchasers then have to buy some blank DVDs (at say £10.00 a box) to back up their VAIO, Sony could stand to make an extra (£1M + £10M) £11M pounds! I don't think the environment is their biggest concern!

Sorry, to rant on about this but I am passionate about the environment and know what I am talking about... ...I am a Senior Scientific Officer at DEFRA and hold a PhD in the effects of (mainly air) pollution on plant health.

CW

[TygerTyger]

Hey no way Woody what a cool job I'm really interested in that stuff. And just by coincidence I am indeed running climate change modelling lol even if it's only that grid computing project by the MET Office.

Anyway, I guess opinions are pretty unanimous on the subject.