Am I making a mistake?

Tommy B · 18 Jun 2007 at 14:15

About to order this £1999 Sony laptop to last me through Uni.

# Intel® Centrino® Duo processor technology with Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T7500 (2.20 GHz and 800 MHz FSB) and Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11a/b/g
# Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (English version)
# 320 GB Serial ATA 5400rpm hard disk drive (2 x 160 GB, RAID 0 and 1 supported)
# 2 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM (2 x 1024 MB), maximum 2 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM
# 17" WUXGA (1920 x 1200) widescreen X-black LCD with double lamp technology
# NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT notebook graphics processing unit with Total Available Graphics Memory of 1023 MB and dedicated Video Memory of 256 MB
# Blu-ray Disc™ Drive (up to 50 GB of storage) + HDMI output port
# Hybrid TV Tuner & remote control
# Built-in 'Motion Eye' Digital Camera (30 frames per second, 1.3 Mega Pixels) with Motion Picture Function (max. resolution (pixels) SXGA/1280*1024/raw data) and built-in microphone
# Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11a/b/g; Bluetooth® technology

OK, so I appreciate I could get better specifications from other places, but the design of this is sublime and I'd probably get a lot of use out of the Bluray and HDMI output.

The only other laptop I'm considering is the new Macbook Pro. I'm only putting the value in so that people can decide whether it's worth the money, I'm not being ostentatious.

Am I mad, or is this likely to be a sensible investment

Cheers

kremedios · 18 Jun 2007 at 14:27

Tommy B said:
About to order this £1999 Sony laptop to last me through Uni.

# Intel® Centrino® Duo processor technology with Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T7500 (2.20 GHz and 800 MHz FSB) and Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11a/b/g
# Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (English version)
# 320 GB Serial ATA 5400rpm hard disk drive (2 x 160 GB, RAID 0 and 1 supported)
# 2 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM (2 x 1024 MB), maximum 2 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM
# 17" WUXGA (1920 x 1200) widescreen X-black LCD with double lamp technology
# NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT notebook graphics processing unit with Total Available Graphics Memory of 1023 MB and dedicated Video Memory of 256 MB
# Blu-ray Disc™ Drive (up to 50 GB of storage) + HDMI output port
# Hybrid TV Tuner & remote control
# Built-in 'Motion Eye' Digital Camera (30 frames per second, 1.3 Mega Pixels) with Motion Picture Function (max. resolution (pixels) SXGA/1280*1024/raw data) and built-in microphone
# Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11a/b/g; Bluetooth® technology

OK, so I appreciate I could get better specifications from other places, but the design of this is sublime and I'd probably get a lot of use out of the Bluray and HDMI output.

The only other laptop I'm considering is the new Macbook Pro. I'm only putting the value in so that people can decide whether it's worth the money, I'm not being ostentatious.

Am I mad, or is this likely to be a sensible investment

Cheers

Its a lot of money, however, i think that should last you for at least 3 years.

Solarius · 18 Jun 2007 at 14:45

Hey mate,

Lovely spec there, Bit tall on price tho.
If the design is what you are after then go for it sounds like a nice deal.

Alternatively I always think of Sony's adding a premium for the name, I know myself I would look into maybe HP's ranges (if you can get them through uni) as some of those are :eek:

.
They have great styling and usually are better value for money. (Not actually sure if ud get Blu-Ray and them tho)

Just an opinion,

Sure the sony would be awesome tho.
Sol

Tommy B · 18 Jun 2007 at 14:54

Yes, HPs are very nice. They've got this model for £1,500

- Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
- Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5600
- 320 GB hard disk drive(2 x 160 GB)
- 2048 MB Standard Memory
- 17" WXGA+ HD BrightView Display
- HD DVD ROM DVD±R/RW Optical drive
- NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7600

But with those specs I'm far more tempted to order a Macbook Pro instead. The Sony one seems perfect because it has a brand new GPU and offers native HD resolution.

Phil99 · 18 Jun 2007 at 14:57

It looks like a good specification, but if you want it to last through uni I'd recommend getting a 3yr warranty on it. A friend of mine has a Sony that failed this year and the turn around was roughly 1 week for a motherboard replacement; they collected it free of charge.

The amount of laptops (various brands including Dell, Acer and Sony) I've seen go a bit dodgy or completely fail in my first year at uni is just stupid. Some were user error though, e.g. a full pint being spilt on the keyboard of a Dell laptop, so an extended warranty is a must, along with good insurance cover

Solarius · 18 Jun 2007 at 14:59

Id definately agree with Phil...

wij · 18 Jun 2007 at 15:00

I have a 15" MBP and am very happy with it, given your budget you would probably be looking at the 17" though?

The new 17" ones support 1080p res as their native now if you pay for the more expensive screen on them.

Also might just want to consider if you will be carrying it around much, I used to have a 3.5Kg desktop replacement laptop that gave me back ache lugging it around all day, and the battery sucked too. I happily get 4 or so hours use out of my MBP with the screen on full brightness and WiFi on all day.

Tommy B · 18 Jun 2007 at 15:00

Phil99 said:
It looks like a good specification, but if you want it to last through uni I'd recommend getting a 3yr warranty on it. A friend of mine has a Sony that failed this year and the turn around was roughly 1 week for a motherboard replacement; they collected it free of charge.

The amount of laptops (various brands including Dell, Acer and Sony) I've seen go a bit dodgy or completely fail in my first year at uni is just stupid. Some were user error though, e.g. a full pint being spilt on the keyboard of a Dell laptop, so an extended warranty is a must, along with good insurance cover

I emailed the Sony Style shop to ask them about the shipping dates for it, as it's a pre-order. The guy who replied answered the question and said he'd give me an extra 2 year warranty extension free if I ordered it through him. Someone wants their bonus

I've got my last exam tomorrow so I'm off to Bluewater on Wednesday to have a look at the various models.

Tommy B · 18 Jun 2007 at 15:02

wij said:
I have a 15" MBP and am very happy with it, given your budget you would probably be looking at the 17" though?

The new 17" ones support 1080p res as their native now if you pay for the more expensive screen on them.

Also might just want to consider if you will be carrying it around much, I used to have a 3.5Kg desktop replacement laptop that gave me back ache lugging it around all day, and the battery sucked too. I happily get 4 or so hours use out of my MBP with the screen on full brightness and WiFi on all day.

I was thinking about the MBP offering native HD resolution, but I don't see the point if it doesn't have a way of playing HD material.

I really, really wish Apple had implemented either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD into the new Macbook Pros because that would have made this decision so much easier.

Calligo · 19 Jun 2007 at 23:05

While it isn't in the same league spec wise, I have a HP DV2530 and I will attest that they do make very nice laptops now. Decent spec for its price and really stylish. It has also been the laptop for my first year at uni.

I'd also reccomend as someone else said covering the laptop. I didn't get an extended warranty, instead got a years cover from Endsleigh for £45 which covered accidental damage and theft, the two things which I figured were bound to affect me in my first year at uni. If you're staying at a halls of residence you might find that your contents are already insured by Endsleigh (mine were) although this didn't cover accidental damage of course.

Well I dropped my laptop about 5 weeks ago and the thing was completely broken. Endsleigh sent a guy the next day to pick it up, although after that correspondence was a bit sparse. Rang them up after four weeks asking about it and then got a ring from them the next day asking which laptop I'd like to replace it. They let me choose an equivalent spec one but also strangely the DV2530 (my original one was a DV2045) which has over my old laptop: twice the RAM, 60GB more disk space, the newest core duo (which meant 802.11n for me as well), a webcam, fingerprint scanner, and digital TV tuner! I had to pay £70 extra excess and was at a loss as to why they would offer me such a better laptop for this but I took the chance. The only other downside to Endsleigh is that you have to buy another year's cover after a claim, which on top of the excess makes it work out more expensive than a lot of extended warranties. However if you don't end up claiming it's much cheaper, and it worked out really well for me, so I'd reccomend Endsleigh as well, although I'd still keep whatever warranty option you can get in mind, mine is only one experience.

syke · 19 Jun 2007 at 23:17

HP Laptops are great, also look at Rock Laptops.

sean · 20 Jun 2007 at 00:23

What are you gonna be using that laptop for at uni, is it mostly gonna spend its time in your dorm or do you plan of taking it with you? I mean, carrying around my 15.4" computer is cumbersome enough, I couldn't imagine lugging an even bigger computer with me every day!

Zefan · 20 Jun 2007 at 00:25

Macbook pro's are almost identical to that spec, if you go on the student site you can get a discount so they're only about £1200.

wij · 20 Jun 2007 at 00:28

Zefan said:
Macbook pro's are almost identical to that spec, if you go on the student site you can get a discount so they're only about £1200.

If you log onto the HE store from your Uni's network or phone them up you get an even better price

Zefan · 20 Jun 2007 at 00:29

wij said:
If you log onto the HE store from your Uni's network or phone them up you get an even better price

That's what I meant

Tommy B · 20 Jun 2007 at 15:27

Just got back from Bluewater.

Macbook Pros - I'm not sure on the design. I prefer the design of the normal Macbook but it doesn't pack the sort of power I'm after. OSX is obviously very user friendly, but I get the feeling it is limited. My dad just bought a PC with Vista, and I was extremely impressed with it. I'll stick with Windows for now. I'm sure once I get a job in the future a Mac will be better but for now I'd like to enjoy the option of having games.

Sony - Went to have a look at the exact AR series laptop in the Sony Shop, and it is absolutely enormous. The design is nice, but it really is the Blobby of laptops.

HP - Only saw the cheaper models, but these are absolutely lovely. Really, really nice design.

Rock - Not for me. I know these things are powerful, but I'm after design and entertainment connectivity (HD/DVD, HDMI out etc)

So, to conclude, I'm either going to get...

1) HP Pavilion Media Center dv9289ea Entertainment Notebook PC £1499
• Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5600
• 1.83 GHz , Level 2 cache 2 MB
• Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g Integrated Wireless LAN
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium
(2 x 1024 MB) Memory
320 GB (2 x 160 GB) 5400rpm
HD DVD ROM with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Double Layer
5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards
Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g Integrated Wireless LAN
1 VGA port; 1 HDMI port
17" WXGA+ High Definition BrightView Widescreen
NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7600 (512MB dedicated ram)

2) Sony Laptop VGN-FZ11Z with built-in Blu-ray drive £1399
# Intel® Centrino® Duo processor technology with Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T7300 (2.00 GHz and 800 MHz FSB) and Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11a/b/g
# Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium (English version)
# 200 GB Serial ATA 4200 rpm hard disk drive
# 2 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM (2*1024 MB), maximum 2 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM
# 15.4" WXGA (1280 x 800) Widescreen X-black LCD screen with double lamp technology
# NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GT notebook graphics processing unit with Total Available Graphics Memory of 1023 MB and dedicated Video Memory of 256 MB
# Blu-ray™ Disc Drive (up to 50 GB of storage)
# Built-in 'Motion Eye' Digital Camera (30 frames per second, 0.3 Mega Pixels) with Motion Picture Function (max. resolution (pixels) VGA/640*480/raw data)
# Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11a/b/g; Bluetooth® technology
# UK QWERTY keyboard
# Centrino, Centrino Logo, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Core, Intel Inside and Intel Inside Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Microsoft, Windows and Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Is it me, or is the Sony cheaper and better?

SONY
+ Better graphics card (albeit medium range one)
+ Blu-Ray with HDMI out
- Only 15.4" WXGA display so no native HD

- Slow RPM HD

HP
+ HD-DVD with HDMI out
+ Better design
+ Faster and larger HD(s)
+ 17" WXGA display (although NOT NATIVE as 1440 x 900)
- Slow processor

Discounts/lower prices etc aren't really a problem.

Munky1080 · 20 Jun 2007 at 15:53

Tommy B said:
I emailed the Sony Style shop to ask them about the shipping dates for it, as it's a pre-order. The guy who replied answered the question and said he'd give me an extra 2 year warranty extension free if I ordered it through him. Someone wants their bonus

I've got my last exam tomorrow so I'm off to Bluewater on Wednesday to have a look at the various models.

I live right around the corner from bluewater. Are you local? If so, its nice to know that some people around this area actually know a thing or two about PCs!

Tommy B · 20 Jun 2007 at 15:58

Munky1080 said:
I live right around the corner from bluewater. Are you local? If so, its nice to know that some people around this area actually know a thing or two about PCs!

I live in Sevenoaks which is a few junctions down the M25 away. About a 25 minute journey.

Munky1080 · 20 Jun 2007 at 16:22

Tommy B said:
I live in Sevenoaks which is a few junctions down the M25 away. About a 25 minute journey.

The wife and I are thinking about moving down to sevenoaks...nice place. I know this is off topic, but have you ever been to that pub "The Green Man?"

Tommy B · 20 Jun 2007 at 17:19

Munky1080 said:
The wife and I are thinking about moving down to sevenoaks...nice place. I know this is off topic, but have you ever been to that pub "The Green Man?"

I haven't heard of it, at least it's definitely not near the high street. I live about 2 minutes away from the high street so I know most of the pubs around there.

It is a really nice area though. I'm probably going to miss it when I go off to Newcastle uni.