Dear Sony

Dear Sony,

I am a huge fan of yours, seriously, i'm a true sony fan girl. However, i'm not feeling the love right now. You see, I just got a new E-series and I'm finding design flaws. No, this isn't my first vaio; I own a CR120 as well. The CR had the problem with the wobbly battery...and you have since fixed that with the newer models. Yet this E model is driving me bonkers. I bought a EB AND an EA (one for me, and one for my cousin). I'm currently using the EB one, so maybe some of my complaints will go away with the smaller EA one. But let's allow me to list below what's annoying me about the new EB computer design:

1) Why is the trackpad on the LEFT side? it causes one of my shoulders to over extend and thus straining it when I'm using it. Now, from what I have read online, I understand it's to place the trackpad underneath the space bar so that our hands don't rest on it while we're typing. I understand and can appreciate why it's on the left side on the EB model, but why in the world prompted you to just copy and past the handrest/trackpad design onto the EA model?! The EA model has a CENTERED keyboard (the ONLY reason I bought one...so i WOULDN"T have to strain my shoulders and neck working on a lopsided screen), so why is the trackpad placed on the left side still?

2) why is the trackpad textured? a) I've read that after some usage, it becomes smooth..now, i assume this is because dirt and etc gets into the little holes that create the texture of the trackpad. So...why is it textured? just so it can become a dirt trap forever? b) the texture is making my finger NUMB and SORE. Er....not a good sign if your customer is in pain from using it. Please offer some sort of solution to this. What if i put a touch-screen film protector on it? will it still work? and take away the texture? cause i really really really really like my smoooooooooooth trackpad. like really like it.

3) why is there a distinct ledge from the trackpad to the buttons? again, are we aiming for a dirt trap? because I see one....

4) Did you downgrade your speakers or something? sounds pretty bad....i think worse than the CR model. This might change with some usage I understand, so i'll let it slide for a little while under I have further proof either way.

5) Why is this new screen design so dangerous? my fingers are getting caught when I open it.....as are my loose pj bottoms...........

6) which bring me to my next complaint. the dc plug is on the side. i figure it must have been placed there to to keep the back devoid of ports so that the screen can open. However, this design interferes with my habit of holding my computer between my legs...odd i know, but it keeps the computer cool and in my lap.

7) which again brings me to another point. The screen no longer bends flat. You might not realize the benefits of it, but there are plenty. For example, I can lie in bed and read stuff.....while holding it up with one hand. The viewing angle on the laptop isn't good enough to do so without the screen bending a whole 170 degrees or so. So you see my dilemma, no more movies or novels in bed then. (so what's the point of having a laptop again if i must sit at my desk and work on it?!)

8) why does pressing vaio...the 'one touch access' buton...only bring up mute/un-mute. where's my camera access? do i now have to launch the application myself whenever i want to take a quick picture? or see how my hair is? also, my volume keys are also missing.....which again greatly inconviences me. i now have to press two buttons to change the volume? My CR has all the regular playback controls as well.....but i understand if you do away with them. but please bring back volume control. it's a true hassel to have to use fn keys to change volume. Sony, the laptops are after all called VAIO's.......you know....audio IS in the title...

Alright, the end of my letter has come. My last question to you is, is there a way I can exchange the internal components of the two computers? the CR and EA? Because then it'd be a pretty prefect combination. If it's possible (and you see this letter), please tell me how to do it. I'm willing to pay a decent sum of money to get the above mentioned 8 issues resolved.

Thanks, and have a good day. Please stop making idiotic design decisions. (and I haven't even started on the colours and the doted graphic design yet. *sigh* at least i don't have to see it when i'm using hte computer...)

Yours Sincerly,
Mary

Frustrated

so....ece 241. i tried and i studied, and somehow i got the lowest mark in the class. what else CAN i do this course? what can i do? i just feel so chewed up by electrical engineering right now, so very very frustrated. i'm taking all these courses that i have no interest nor need for. i'm going to email the prof and ask how to study more effectively for this course. any other way of approaching the prof?

edit: well, i called the prof and he told me....read the textbook. seriously. epic advice no? i think so, considering i actually got one of the lowest, if not the lowest mark in the class. Anywho, this story has a decent ending. I studied my tail off for the exam and passed the course with a 63. I got 67 on the exam, and fine. i admit acceptance. i went in and talked with the prof about it, and yeah, i accept my mark. not thrilled with it since i was hoping for something around 70, but at least i passed.

Study with me

Would you (real and imaginary readers) like to be my study partner? How about I report my progress on this blog and we'll see if I can stick to schedule. I need to be done 1.5 Sections today/Tomorrow morning. Wish me luck.

Scheduling Time

Over the last past year or so, basically ever since i went to univeristy, i've been disorganized as hell. i don't know whether if i'm actually running out of time or am being plain lazy. regardless, i HAVE to start organizing things now. i have to find a way to go to the gym, work, and do my school courses. so here goes, i'm thinking of just getting up early (like 4ish? and hitting the books. i'll leave for the gym around 5.30 so i can make it for the 6/6.15 classes with some spare time to change. after the gym, i'll head to work for 8. i get off work at 5, home by 7. (yes, long driving commute). dinner until 8. relax and bed time for 9.30? am i getting enough sleep? no........... damn. i'll work on this. the commute is killing me. )

Frosh Week Leader

I signed up to be a frosh week leader a while back, so I was filling in my bio for our team's website just now. I figured I might as well post what I sent in to the website here. So here it is:

Hometown: Toronto, ON

Program and Year: 2B Electrical Engineering

Hobbies and Interests: Music, Movies, Meowing, Munching, Meeting people, Making funny faces, Heros of Might and Magic, Muttering to myself....

Fun Fact: I can't sound out new words. I learned to read words as a whole visually, rather than learning how to sound things out phonetically. To this day, my written vocabulary far surpasses my verbal one. I just talk in little easy words.

Advice For First Year Students: Get as much sleep as you can when you can. Also, the white noise from fans can work miracles in reducing sounds from your neighbours.

Why You Love Frosh Week: For the absolutely amazing farmer's tan I'm gonna get. =D

Dreamy Summer Daze

Alright, first post! Wahooo! Well, I figured I should tell some basic information about myself, just so I'm not constantly filling in background info when I do mention something later. I'm currently living in Toronto, Ontario. I'm in school at the University of Waterloo for Electrical Engineering (I live in Waterloo, Ontario for half the time due to school). I am an only child, but I have a darling kitty cat named Mao Mao. When I'm in Toronto, I live with my parents (saves rent! =D ), but I share a house with two engineering girls when I'm in Waterloo. University of Waterloo has a mandatory co-op program for all its engineers, so I have a weird school schedule. Don't be alarmed if it seems that I am randomly in school and at work. Um..what else is there to tell? Hard facts wise, I think that's about it.....I'm sure I'll come up with more for the next post.

Until then!
Mar

Welcome

Welcome one and all! If you happen to literally stumble upon this blog (I'm not mentioning this to any friends...etc, so no publicity at all), you're welcome to read and comment. I'm starting this blog because I want something to chronicle my thoughts, ideas, feelings, and life in general. I've followed blogs for a while (Strawberry Koi and Selective Potential in particular), and figured it was time i started my own. Even if no one reads this, I would still like to have a blog where I can rant to my heart's content, display my personal accomplishments, and well, leave my mark in the cyberworld. =) So dear readers, thank you for sticking around for this long. Enjoy your cybertrip into my head and world!

Thanks and Welcome!
Mar