Sony Vaio

[MKAsok]

I'm looking to replace my current Vaio laptop, which is still going very strong, but is like, 3 years old now with a new, more juiced up model. Given a budget of around $1600 USD, what would you buy and why?

I'm currently liking the VGN FW51MF, but only because this is the kind of spec I'm looking for. I don't think it looks particularly great. Is there anything with a similar price/spec that looks better?

Please note:

It should be available in the UK, since I going to get someone to bring it over for me.

I'm not interested in how great your Dell or HP is or how fancy your Macbook looks or what great value your Acer is.

"But what are your particular needs? Will you be using it for business or just 'surfing' the net" questions are not necessary. I'm highly experienced with computers and I'll be using it to do all kinds of crazy stuff.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Gary A]

I think their warranty is quite good. A friend of mine has his third machine. He had problems and they gave him a new machine rather than repair what he had. Make what what you want of that.

[A_Traveller]

Looking at the spec. I note it's not an i7 system, which at this price level I would have thought would be a wiser buy, e.g. Sony's Vaio VPCF112FX/B, though not sure if these are in the UK yet, though I'd expect them to effectively replace the model range you sampled.

Regards

Edited February 1, 2010 by A_Traveller

[t.s]

Looking at the spec. I note it's not an i7 system, which at this price level I would have thought would be a wiser buy, e.g. Sony's Vaio VPCF112FX/B, though not sure if these are in the UK yet, though I'd expect them to effectively replace the model range you sampled.

Regards

yes, true but the one you suggest is 1600x900 res as opposed to 1920x1080

would definitely look to an i7 machine though with the higher res.

[MKAsok]

Looking at the spec. I note it's not an i7 system

Yeah, I was thinking i7 ideally, but the only one I can seem to find readily available in the UK is the CF11Z1E, which is pricey at £1,399 and also kind of ugly-looking.

t.s - just seen your post. Thanks for that.

[Abrak]

I highly recommend Sony in Thailand. Very good service. For that especially and just their general quality I like them.

I have to say that what I dont like about your choice is the 'imbetween' factor. I think it is a pretty chunky 16" lap top.

As an alternative maybe consider the z series. It is literally half the weight (3.3lbs), has as good a spec but I think will be 20% more expensive. It has a 13" screen.

My point being that laptops are so good and so well priced (well fairly decently priced) that nowadays you can have the best of both worlds. What I do is have a Sony port with mouse, keyboard, 23" screen plugged in and I simply take away the lap top when I need it. I also have the same set up in my other house. The cost of these accessories are next to nothing.

Essentially it is a light portable for when you go away and it is a desktop at home.

So it is a bit more money but you tend to rely on your computer. I have had my latest z for about 2 and a half years - upgraded the hard disk.

[MKAsok]

^Thanks Abrak. I agree that the bigger screen models are heavy, but to be honest I don't carry it around all that much. My current screen is 15" and I just don't think I could take a hit on size. Plus I'm a film freak and do a lot of converting, video editing etc. so would definitely prefer a 16". That's not a bad idea having an external screen etc. but I just don't know if I can be arsed with it all. I've got to split now, but please keep the suggestions coming in. I'll be around again tomorrow evening at some point. Cheers all.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

I've had a VGN-TXN29N ultra-portable for about 3 years, and still love it. It might not have the power or memory of a bigger laptop, but it's enough to run most programs, except for heavy video editing. It's great on the plane, and has excellent battery life. If I do replace it, I'll get a TZ ultra-portable. The Z series may be out of your price range, but the X series can still be purchased for around $1700 .

[Abrak]

^Thanks Abrak. I agree that the bigger screen models are heavy, but to be honest I don't carry it around all that much. My current screen is 15" and I just don't think I could take a hit on size. Plus I'm a film freak and do a lot of converting, video editing etc. so would definitely prefer a 16". That's not a bad idea having an external screen etc. but I just don't know if I can be arsed with it all. I've got to split now, but please keep the suggestions coming in. I'll be around again tomorrow evening at some point. Cheers all.

Actually my point was that it is absolutely no 'arse' at all. A docking station has your keyboard (probably wireless) your mouse (almost definitely wireless) and your say 23 inch screen all plugged in and ready to go. In fact between my two places I have two different power supplies so I just slot it in and turn it on.

A 23 inch screen costs about US$250 a keyboard and mouse next to nothing. So I dont carry mine around much but it is nice to have when I do. And basically you get a full desktop experience when you are at home. With a dock you dont have to plug everything in and out - just place the computer on it.

Anyway, I agree with you - why bother taking a hit on the size. Pay an extra couple of hundred dollars and have a decent 23 inch screen at home. You can also plug in external speakers to you dock.

[MKAsok]

The Z series may be out of your price range, but the X series can still be purchased for around $1700 .

Nice looking laptop, but the spec and the screen size is way too low for me. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

@Abrak - I can see you're well pleased with your set-up and that's all good, but I don't think it's for me. I just don't want all that computer crap around at home. I've got enough of it at work. Cheers for the info.

I might just go for the VGN FW51MF since the spec is right and I suspect its equivalent replacement which will no doubt be i7 based will be a whole lot more expensive. Again, if anyone knows of an i7 equivalent with a similar spec (or knows what Sony's plans are in this respect) around the same price range, please let me know, since I can't find anything.

[Bosko]

I just wanted to say that's a great choice for a laptop. I bought a similar model in December (VGN FW486 J/H) and I'm very happy with it. The screen is just right for me. It's not too big or too small. Plus the image quality is great with the 1920x1080 resolution. The only difference with mine and the FW51MF is that mine has a slightly better CPU and hard drive, but it's not a big difference. The main reason I chose it is because it's great all around. The small laptops sacrifice a lot in the video card area, and even the more expensive ones often have weak video cards. The FW series uses the Radeon 4650 Mobility chip which is quite nice for a laptop GPU.

My biggest complaints are that the speakers are not good at all, the area to the right of the touchpad gets pretty warm sometimes and the only USB ports are on the right side. Aside from those few complaints I think it was the best choice for me.

[MKAsok]

^Weird you should have replied now, since I'm literally just about to place the order for the FW51. Glad to hear you're pleased with it (or at least something very similar). I know what you mean about the sound. I've found Sony laptops (including the one I have now) to be consistently rubbish in this department. I've had laptops I bought 10 years ago that would crap all over the latest Sonys in terms of speaker quality. Anyway, I (as I suspect most people do) will stick with headphones or hook the thing into the amp. And yeah, the port thing is weird as well. As I understand it, because of the crazy hinge at the back, all the ports are on either side. My current Sony has the USB ports on the right and, all things considered, I think I can live with it. Cheers for your reply.