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[midas]

I have been asked to buy a VAIO Sony notebook for someone for Christmas

but to me I cannot see the attraction of this brand apart from the fact that

they are so much more expensive than many other brands. In this day

and age of comparatively low lifecycles for computers does anyone have

an opinion as to whether Sony notebooks represent good value for money and

is servicing as easy compared to say Acer or Benq ?

[bernie66]

I have been asked to buy a VAIO Sony notebook for someone for Christmas

but to me I cannot see the attraction of this brand apart from the fact that

they are so much more expensive than many other brands. In this day

and age of comparatively low lifecycles for computers does anyone have

an opinion as to whether Sony notebooks represent good value for money and

is servicing as easy compared to say Acer or Benq ?

I am not an IT expert but I do work in an IT department so I am around the stuff on a daily basis. I have never heard anyone praise SONY laptops for any reason other than a woman that just thought the name was pretty.. Worth any extra cost? Not at all. Acers prices cannot be beat and the quality is there. I have never seen a benq laptop. Toshiba is crap! HP is preferred to people who work on or repair them and is still beating dell by around $500 on there better lines.. Just remember this person is probably going to use is to read email and nothing more. Very little is needed for this. And if you really want to play it smart you can avoid the DUAL CORE misconception all together. Unless your running AUTO CAD. A dual core is pointless. It will not be any faster than a single core of the same processing speed but twice the price. Remember the internet is only as fast as your service provider and Thailand is maxing out at 512. So any processor at 2 or more GHZ is as fast as you are going to pull a webpage anyway. Get an ACER and put a Sony sticker on the top of it. She will never know the difference.

[bernie66]

if your worried about her feelings just tell her you can get her a vaio if she wants.but for the same price she can have an ACER that will run circles around it with twice the video card and twice the speed as the one she wants. She is getting a better computer and your getting what you pay for.

[nidge]

I have a Vaio laptop in a cupboard at home. It's there because it's a piece of junk. Looked lovely and pretty but the build quality was poor and the touchpad worked only when it wanted too. Thanks to sony i decided to buy an apple. So i guess i owe my vaio some thanks!

[Prakanong]

Well I am a regional It Manager for a large MNC. I have in the past been a department manager for a very large responsible for all desktops and servers and was involved in the evaluation and purchase of over 2500 PC's on one upgrade project.

Now my credentials are out of the way I will admit I know naff all about the current PC market

I do have a Vaio TX at home that I hardly even use - truth be told I bought it for its trendy name and small size with the intention of using it while out and about and taking notes in my MBA class - I was dreaming.

Its a nice little machine but I use my shuttle desktop at home and my company Thinkpad for biz and biz travel.

If I had waited I would have bought the Asus EEE or the Kinoyusha UMPC - these are probably not an option in your case.

Asus I hear good things about - not Acer

As a sworn Windows guy and someone who got rid of all Apples on one site after a fight with apple aficianado's I almost bit the bullet and bought a Mac instead of the Vaio - only due to the vast array of software I have I did not.

Edited December 5, 2007 by Prakanong

[midas]

Hey Guys !!! Thanks very much !!! Your

comments so far have confirmed my gut feelings about this brand !

[sfokevin]

Value like beauty is in the eye of the beholder....

I have 3 Vaios... All a little work of art... all excellent for the things I need them to do...

And Sony has released a few models under $1,000!... I just bought a new NR for my partner as an xmas gift for $829!

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores...ategoryId=16154

[ballbreaker]

I have heard good and bad about the Vaio but thats the case with all brands. The negative about the Vaio like you said is the added cost so I ruled it out. I have an Acer which also has negative reports but mine had traveled the world for the last two years without problems until my most recent trip. I like to think my new travel bag was the cause but thats water under the bridge. It cost 4K baht to replace the mother board and was done in 3 days and I'm still way under the cost of a Vaio if I had purchased instead of Acer.

[Firefoxx]

I've seen my fair share of Vaios. They're nice and pretty, but spec for spec, their value factor is very low compared to cheaper notebooks. They're not particularly sturdy (something which IBM Thinkpads can claim, but not particularly so). They're not particularly speedy, innovative, serviceable, or advanced. They just have the cool factor and the name to go with it, for which you pay through the nose.

My cousin got a free (yes, free) brand new mid-spec Sony laptop from her aunt. It's been nothing but trouble, and I've been the one to do the fixing. She wants to trade it in for an Acer. In this case, even the looks and brand couldn't capture her heart.

[nidge]

Value like beauty is in the eye of the beholder....

I have 3 Vaios... All a little work of art... all excellent for the things I need them to do...

Yes you are right, but if they don't work then value and beauty count for nothing.

It is good to hear that someone likes their Vaio's, all 3 of them. I guess it's the same with many products, you only hear from the people with complaints. But i seem to hear more complains about Vaio's than any other laptop. In the end, there is so much choice when it comes to laptops and everyone will have different opinions.

[LivinLOS]

Owned sony in the past and would happily do so again.. You pay a premium for them and spec for spec they can be matched but as a whole they are a premium product IMO.. Are they 'worth' that premium depends on your value system more than anything else.

If she just needs / wants a laptop acer are superb for the money. But its 'wants' versus 'needs'..

[samsara]

have had 2 vaios that fell to pieces rather fast (less than 2 years with moderate use). have had 2 dells and have nothing but rave reviews.

[beginner]

I have been asked to buy a VAIO Sony notebook for someone for Christmas

but to me I cannot see the attraction of this brand

You have been asked to buy a Vaio. Then why not buy a Vaio and make someone happy? Why would you decide that something else is what is wanted?

Sony do not set out to be the 'most bells and whistles for the price product'. You can buy many other brands if that is your buying criteria.

Sony make beautiful, well thought out consumer computers that integrate well with other Sony products. Cameras, DVD players, Video recorders, phones etc which all work together seamlessly with the plentiful Sony software provided.

Whether or not they provide value for money depends on your particular needs and wants.

Its like saying a Mercedes Benz is overpriced and underspecified compared to a Ford.

True in one sense but show me the person who would rather drive a Ford.

[tjo o tjim]

Not to just be a mac fanboy, but... the macbooks compete pretty well on price with the Vaio laptops, and you have the added benefit of not running windows!

But... for the money you save, you can just install Windows.

The Thinkpads have always seemed most robust to me; Dell does a pretty good job but still feels cheap. I would put HP and Acer in the same category. Personally, never had any luck or seen people with luck on Sony-- not much of an issue if you are only looking at a 12-month horizon, but a pain when you are thinking about 2-3 years.

[adammike]

I have a sony desktop since april 2002 its worked great not one problem at all.

it was well speced when i got it but its a bit low on memory now, but it was pricey.

The Acer look great price wise but they had a reputation problem a few years ago,

for every +review you seem to get a - one.

I will have to replace my sony next year as i think its just too old to bother

upgrading,

I will either get an acer or a mac but what i will go for is 2gb memory and a great sound

and video card.

If sony still made desktops I would get one all my sony stuff works and lasts

PC,Discman,walkman,MD,TV,only the software [sonicstage] that goes with the MP3 player

sucks and they have binned that finally in favour of drag and drop.

[Prakanong]

Just realised its the TZ I have and not the TX - told you PC's were not my area ;-)

[midas]

[/i]You have been asked to buy a Vaio. Then why not buy a Vaio and make someone happy? Why would you decide that something else is what is wanted?

Sony do not set out to be the 'most bells and whistles for the price product'. You can buy many other brands if that is your buying criteria.

Sony make beautiful, well thought out consumer computers that integrate well with other Sony products. Cameras, DVD players, Video recorders, phones etc which all work together seamlessly with the plentiful Sony software provided.

Whether or not they provide value for money depends on your particular needs and wants.

Its like saying a Mercedes Benz is overpriced and underspecified compared to a Ford.

True in one sense but show me the person who would rather drive a Ford.

Then why not buy a Vaio and make someone happy?

Because it is common sense ! For how long would they be happy based on

the comments of many people on this thread e.g " junk "

[Guest Reimar]

Sony products are exellent as long as they work without any problems.

The bad part starts if the device having some problems, which can be happens with every product, doesn't matter which brand! But it'e the Service of Sony! Sony, HP/Compaq and in the past Toshiba (as long as the service was done by Chevalier)having the most bad and even expensivest service!

The last 2 Sony products I use are a Camera and a Car Radio.

For the camera I was ordering a new Direct Connection Cable to the computer, priced at THB 497.00 and 1 week del., and after 3.5 weeks they want to sell me a normal USB cable for THB 797 + 7% which cost at Pantip THB 30-50 and even wasn't the correct one!

An older camera from Sony, a Mavica with Floppy drive, was having problems with the floppy drive and I gave them to Sony for to repair but forget to ask for an Quotation (I was thinking a FDD couldn't be expensive!!) and after 2 month the repair was done and cost THB 9,820, THB 600 more expensive as a new same camera at that time!

That and other services like this was done by Sony Thailand and I'll never buy an Sony product again, even NOT give them to repair if they go down!

But that's my own experiences and other may having more "Luck"! And again, as long as the products working they are exelent!

[beginner]

Then why not buy a Vaio and make someone happy?

Because it is common sense ! For how long would they be happy based on

the comments of many people on this thread e.g " junk "

Can I apply a little amateur psychology? Is it possible that you have been 'asked to buy someone a Vaio' (thats a common enough situation in LOS...at least its not a house you have been asked for).

You baulk at the Sony prices, ie 42.000 baht upwards, and you seek justification for buying something cheaper. After all you can probably buy a laptop for 15,000 somewhere.

Why not? I have been through very similar exercises when my Thai partners have developed tastes for expensive brands that have no added appeal to me apart from the label. Good luck I hope you get away with it without damage to the relationship!

But as I write this on my third Vaio I must protest the idea that Vaios are 'junk'. Sony didn't get to be the force it is today in the world of electronics by producing junk. No doubt on the way, they have launched products that were less successful and not as good as todays offerings.

I think the current Vaio range compares with any other in terms of quality and design. They are not sold as 'bargain priced' items. They are sold at a premium price for the perceived benefits of owning a Sony. You either want one or you don't. My point is that your 'someone' does want one.

[midas]

Can I apply a little amateur psychology? Is it possible that you have been 'asked to buy someone a Vaio' (thats a common enough situation in LOS...at least its not a house you have been asked for).

You baulk at the Sony prices, ie 42.000 baht upwards, and you seek justification for buying something cheaper. After all you can probably buy a laptop for 15,000 somewhere.

Why not? I have been through very similar exercises when my Thai partners have developed tastes for expensive brands that have no added appeal to me apart from the label. Good luck I hope you get away with it without damage to the relationship!

But as I write this on my third Vaio I must protest the idea that Vaios are 'junk'. Sony didn't get to be the force it is today in the world of electronics by producing junk. No doubt on the way, they have launched products that were less successful and not as good as todays offerings.

I think the current Vaio range compares with any other in terms of quality and design. They are not sold as 'bargain priced' items. They are sold at a premium price for the perceived benefits of owning a Sony. You either want one or you don't. My point is that your 'someone' does want one.

I am so pleased that you are obviously so enthusiastic about this brand ! if I said

that someone asked to one for Christmas, I did not imply that they cannot be convinced

that based on the vast majority of comments in this thread, or it would be imprudent

to buy this particular brand

The fact that you are trying to apply " amateur psychology " makes me wonder

if you are employed in advertising for Sony or maybe your work for them

If the quality and reliability are in question which they obviously are based on the

number of negative responses in this thread then no way would I simply fall for the

image trap! I think the recipient of my gift has enough common sense to understand

the logic of not proceeding down this particular path -but thank you for trying anyway

[Manchester]

I have a Vaio and I am a fan.

Had a problem with my DVD drive and took it to the Sony Centre in Pattaya ( my Vaio came with a 3 year worldwide warranty )

Repaired and returned 3 days later. Thank you Sony.

[Prakanong]

Can I apply a little amateur psychology? Is it possible that you have been 'asked to buy someone a Vaio' (thats a common enough situation in LOS...at least its not a house you have been asked for).

You baulk at the Sony prices, ie 42.000 baht upwards, and you seek justification for buying something cheaper. After all you can probably buy a laptop for 15,000 somewhere.

Why not? I have been through very similar exercises when my Thai partners have developed tastes for expensive brands that have no added appeal to me apart from the label. Good luck I hope you get away with it without damage to the relationship!

But as I write this on my third Vaio I must protest the idea that Vaios are 'junk'. Sony didn't get to be the force it is today in the world of electronics by producing junk. No doubt on the way, they have launched products that were less successful and not as good as todays offerings.

I think the current Vaio range compares with any other in terms of quality and design. They are not sold as 'bargain priced' items. They are sold at a premium price for the perceived benefits of owning a Sony. You either want one or you don't. My point is that your 'someone' does want one.

I am so pleased that you are obviously so enthusiastic about this brand ! if I said

that someone asked to one for Christmas, I did not imply that they cannot be convinced

that based on the vast majority of comments in this thread, or it would be imprudent

to buy this particular brand

The fact that you are trying to apply " amateur psychology " makes me wonder

if you are employed in advertising for Sony or maybe your work for them

If the quality and reliability are in question which they obviously are based on the

number of negative responses in this thread then no way would I simply fall for the

image trap! I think the recipient of my gift has enough common sense to understand

the logic of not proceeding down this particular path -but thank you for trying anyway

You are basing Sony's products reliability and quality ofn this thread???

That is a big stretch may I say so - I certainly would not.

I think the data may be a little skewed given the posters on TV and their tendency to whinge and self project a small perosnal anecdote into data ;-)

I am sure there are more reliable sources - search them out. Whether I was making a purchase decision for 3 million GBP or a 1000GBP I would.

[Fun2Fun]

When my significant other wanted a notebook, she was also partial to Sony soly based on that its a brand name associated with quality and style...

But instead of going to a dedicated Sony store we went to itcity, which carries a selection of most brands, and after she had looking over and tried out the available notebooks - the final winner became a HP instead.....

So why not bring the intended recipient to look and try out the alternatives before making a choice?

[beginner]

Sony products are exellent as long as they work without any problems.

T

An older camera from Sony, a Mavica with Floppy drive, was having problems with the floppy drive and I gave them to Sony for to repair but forget to ask for an Quotation (I was thinking a FDD couldn't be expensive!!) and after 2 month the repair was done and cost THB 9,820, THB 600 more expensive as a new same camera at that time!

Reimer, I love to read your posts. You are a real expert and a great help to everyone. I hate to disagree with you.

But...but. Wasn't the floppy drive Mavica sold back in the 1980s? Thats over 20 years ago! How many electronics firms keep parts for

obsolete products? Thats a very long time to hold a grudge against those nice people at Sony!!

The problem with repairing any electronic product is that someone, usually a highly skilled technician, in an expensivley equipped workshop, has to actually strip the product down, diagnose the fault and fix it. It all takes expensive workshop time. Repairs are often not viable. Time to buy new.

The Japanese accept this concept much better than Europeans who often think it is wasteful to discard a newish product that breaks down. Casio watches, for example, charge pretty well the original new price for most repairs. The message is, why fix?...go and buy a new and better one.

When the product is manufactured it is most likely processed on a semi-automated assembly line which is ultra efficient and low cost. I have been in a factory in Mexico where the human intervention was minimal until the products were tested and packed.

One of the benefits of buying premium brands is that they make great efforts to ensure the build quality and specification are reliable. As you say, any product can fail but the probability of failure varies from brand to brand. I have never had a Sony product fail apart from the result of my misuse and abuse. I guess I have been lucky.

Midas. I am glad you haven't taken offence at my lighthearted comments. I don't work for Sony but I do love their products but then I have always been susceptible to the image trap. As I type on my oh so stylish Sony keyboard, I sigh with pleasure and satisfaction. Thank heavens I don't have to look at a logo like ASUS (it even sounds like ???).

[Guest Reimar]

Sony products are exellent as long as they work without any problems.

T

An older camera from Sony, a Mavica with Floppy drive, was having problems with the floppy drive and I gave them to Sony for to repair but forget to ask for an Quotation (I was thinking a FDD couldn't be expensive!!) and after 2 month the repair was done and cost THB 9,820, THB 600 more expensive as a new same camera at that time!

Reimer, I love to read your posts. You are a real expert and a great help to everyone. I hate to disagree with you.

But...but. Wasn't the floppy drive Mavica sold back in the 1980s? Thats over 20 years ago! How many electronics firms keep parts for

obsolete products? Thats a very long time to hold a grudge against those nice people at Sony!!

The problem with repairing any electronic product is that someone, usually a highly skilled technician, in an expensivley equipped workshop, has to actually strip the product down, diagnose the fault and fix it. It all takes expensive workshop time. Repairs are often not viable. Time to buy new.

The Japanese accept this concept much better than Europeans who often think it is wasteful to discard a newish product that breaks down. Casio watches, for example, charge pretty well the original new price for most repairs. The message is, why fix?...go and buy a new and better one.

When the product is manufactured it is most likely processed on a semi-automated assembly line which is ultra efficient and low cost. I have been in a factory in Mexico where the human intervention was minimal until the products were tested and packed.

One of the benefits of buying premium brands is that they make great efforts to ensure the build quality and specification are reliable. As you say, any product can fail but the probability of failure varies from brand to brand. I have never had a Sony product fail apart from the result of my misuse and abuse. I guess I have been lucky.

Midas. I am glad you haven't taken offence at my lighthearted comments. I don't work for Sony but I do love their products but then I have always been susceptible to the image trap. As I type on my oh so stylish Sony keyboard, I sigh with pleasure and satisfaction. Thank heavens I don't have to look at a logo like ASUS (it even sounds like ???).

That was ben on the end of the 90ties!

But the other was from this year, just 3 month ago: Sony at Siam Paragon!!

Some more? No any more driver available for an 3 years ol Vaio, that was last year!

Repair of an Car Radio should cost THB 4,200 and need 3 month while the exact same new was costing THB 4,700: January this year!

All of them Sony!!

Over the past 20+ years I've a lot experiences with Sony products. But again, as long as they work they are exellent!

[Prakanong]

When my significant other wanted a notebook, she was also partial to Sony soly based on that its a brand name associated with quality and style...

But instead of going to a dedicated Sony store we went to itcity, which carries a selection of most brands, and after she had looking over and tried out the available notebooks - the final winner became a HP instead.....

So why not bring the intended recipient to look and try out the alternatives before making a choice?

Very sensible idea

[drake]

Since Notebook exist a had about 18 with different brands.

2 of was VAIO’s the only one laded really in the trashcan.

Service very expensive and bad, performance solala, only the design was OK.

drake