Sony Vaio Laptops?

[J Flex 188]

From my media arts teachers recommendation and from my own impression, it looks like Sony VAIO computers and notebooks are one of the most reliable brands around. Currently ive got an offer for a sony vaio PCGFRV35 http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/ser...09n32160n32162 laptop (P4 2.66GHz, 40 gig HD, 512 mb RAM) sitting for 2081 Canadian. The MSRP off of the sonystyle.ca website is 2199 (read 2200). Im planning to make use of this for light video editing, i.e. uploading and editing while at regionals, and then compiling everything on my desktop but also for general school work etc, especially in the next couple of years when i get to university. The only qualm i have is its 64 MB of shared video memory.. i dont plan to play many games on it, but im just wondering what the system performance would be like when running something like Adobe Premiere?

There's also a Sony V505H thats around 200 dollars more with a centrino based processor, but im not sure if its worth that much.

There is also a system im looking @ from directpc.ca.. mostly customized to around the same specs, with not-well-known manufacturer, but a better video card. for 2050.

My question would be are the Sony VAIO's the best choice for this type of operation? i.e. Multimedia Editing with general specs.

Thanks CD readers =) i dont belong to any computer forums, so i figured this was good a place as any!

[Trashed20]

Originally Posted by J Flex 188

From my media arts teachers recommendation and from my own impression, it looks like Sony VAIO computers and notebooks are one of the most reliable brands around. Currently ive got an offer for a sony vaio PCGFRV35 http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/ProductDetailDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=171409&navigationPath= 32009n32160n32162 laptop (P4 2.66GHz, 40 gig HD, 512 mb RAM) sitting for 2081 Canadian. The MSRP off of the sonystyle.ca website is 2199 (read 2200). Im planning to make use of this for light video editing, i.e. uploading and editing while at regionals, and then compiling everything on my desktop but also for general school work etc, especially in the next couple of years when i get to university. The only qualm i have is its 64 MB of shared video memory.. i dont plan to play many games on it, but im just wondering what the system performance would be like when running something like Adobe Premiere?

There's also a Sony V505H thats around 200 dollars more with a centrino based processor, but im not sure if its worth that much.

There is also a system im looking @ from directpc.ca.. mostly customized to around the same specs, with not-well-known manufacturer, but a better video card. for 2050.

My question would be are the Sony VAIO's the best choice for this type of operation? i.e. Multimedia Editing with general specs.

Thanks CD readers =) i dont belong to any computer forums, so i figured this was good a place as any!

I have a sony VAIO desktop that i bought in may. It only has a 64 mb card in it and premere runs fine. I bought it just because of the DVD burner and giga pocket recorded (plus firewire and memory stick slot) So it is a really nice system for video. I would say if your main function will be editing and capturing, then go with the VAIO. I'm not sure of its battery life, but i'm sure its pretty good.

[Jay H 237]

From what you describe you plan on doing with it the Vaio will be more than adequate. Sony also includes good software with their Vaio's and they're a very durable laptop. You could also add some more memory if the shared memory is concerning you. My sister has a Vaio that is about 4 years old (733mhz running windows 98) that she has never had a problem with. The battery life on hers is about 1 1/2 hours but Sony has more than likely improved on this in the past 4 years.
As a side note I'll tell you I'm replying to this thread on my laptop a Toshiba Satellite (1.6 ghz, 512mb ram, 30 gig hd, dvd-cdrw combo drive) that I bought a year and a half ago. To be honest I could have done better overall with a Vaio for the same amount of money. The Toshiba has been a great computer so far but I didn't get any software besides Lotus (which I never use). There's two personal reasons I went with the Satellite, it's all we use at work and I felt better typing on it with it's larger keyboard compared to others I tried out at Best Buy.

[J Flex 188]

Thanks for both your replies! I was thinking that if system performance did ever get too slow i could upgrade it either way. But it looks like the vaio it is =) plus this discount isnt too bad either !

[Mnemonic]

Hello,

I just wanted to tell you to stay away from Sony laptops. My current laptop is a Sony GRX-500k (P4 1.8 GH, 512 MB DDR, 40 GB, 16.1" TFT, DVD / CD-RW, LAN, 56K, 1394, win2k) has been in the shop 2 times, and will be going into the shop for a third time. The motherboard is dead, again. It is jus over 1 year old and dead, sony will be getting a call from me on Monday. I recommend Toshiba laptops and Panasonic Toughbook series. Both brands are hardy and will get the job done. My last 2 laptops Toshiba CDT 610 ( 133mhz, 89 MB ram, 1.7 GB, 24.4 modem, 12.2" TFT active matrix, win95) and a Toshiba Satellite Pro 4600 (P3 900, 256 MB, 30 GB, LAN, 56k, 15" TFT, DVD/CD-RW, win2k) were both great machines.

~Jacob

[evulish]

I've also heard of many problems with Vaio's. From what I hear, the break alot (as was said ) and they aren't too rugged. Also, that 1x DVD-R is slow as it would take about an hour for a 4.7gb burn. Ouch. I'd recommend an Apple Powerbook. They may be a little bit more expensive.. but man, I am so happy with my brand new 15" PB. I've been around so many computers and laptops that it's hard to decide which is best. But not in this case, the powerbook has to be the nicest laptop I've ever used.

[Aaron Knight]

I would second the recommendation towards the Apple Powerbook. It's a very solid machine, and very fast....

On the PC end I agree with Jacob that Sonys are crap. They're great when they work....but they commonly seem to fail.

Good luck on your purchase.

[J Flex 188]

Yikes.. two for and like 3 against.. heheh... yeah, the dvd burner in the vaio isnt the most attractive feature, especially considering i could at least get an external for a couple hundred and have no worries about the speed. the reliabilty issue troubles me

I was also considering a powerbook, but the base model closest to what would be ideal is another 150 dollars.. = T.. my family cant get over buying a mac.. i use em in school in media arts and very much like the idea of getting a powerbook, but just wondering, find it easy to cross over documents/apps from a mac based system into a pc world? heheh

thanks for the advice again!

[J Flex 188]

Acer Ferrari 3000 http://www.acer.com/APP/AKC/INTERNET...E?OpenDocument



Any thoughts on this? looks amazing.. 60 gigs .. AMD XP-M 2500+ processor.. i can get it at a decent price compartively.. hehe.. now im in over my head =D

[briholton]

Originally Posted by J Flex 188

Yikes.. two for and like 3 against.. heheh... yeah, the dvd burner in the vaio isnt the most attractive feature, especially considering i could at least get an external for a couple hundred and have no worries about the speed. the reliabilty issue troubles me

I was also considering a powerbook, but the base model closest to what would be ideal is another 150 dollars.. = T.. my family cant get over buying a mac.. i use em in school in media arts and very much like the idea of getting a powerbook, but just wondering, find it easy to cross over documents/apps from a mac based system into a pc world? heheh

thanks for the advice again!

make it 3 to 3. I wore out my first sony laptop after 3 years of HARD use - it is now being used by my daughter, and i am on my 2nd. I treat it like crap, have only turned it off to restart, and am on it when i am not sleeping, teaching, driving, or building things. I vote for SONY, but in the end, you should get what you want/need and not let people's opinions dictate your choice. If you use a mac, love it, does everything you want and more, then get it. Just be ready to spend more for software and have problems cross platform - not as many problems as in the past.... but there are still problems. (my lab is full of macs.....not my choice).

[Joe Ross]

That Sony is big, heavy, and has poor battery life.

The Acer is lighter, which is good, but isn't much better in the battery life department.

A lot of times, people new to buying laptops try to buy them the same as buying desktops. They look at processor speed, ram, and display, and often ignore the fact that the faster processors and bigger displays make the laptops less portable (where portability is a function of size, weight, and battery life). Maybe that is what you want, I don't know.

If you want laptops with good specs, and are also more portable, look at the Dell Inspiron 600m or the IBM Thinkpad R series. I think you should be able to get one in your price range if you sacrifice a few of the other specs.

Also, remember that laptops break much more often then desktops, and you can't fix them yourself. So, make sure you can afford a warranty for as long as you want to be able to use the laptop, or make sure you can afford a new laptop the month after the warranty runs out.

[evulish]

With the Powerbook, it can interact with Windows quite well. In fact, Microsoft makes Office X for the Mac. I'm also quite sure Adobe makes all their products for Mac, too. Most files on a Mac are common. Probably the only thing is the filesystem and compressed filetypes. That doesn't really matter since you can create a SAMBA share on the network or use FTP or something. Also, something like winrar can probably open .sit and .dmg filetypes.

Also, Apple offers a great educational discount. It knocked a few hundred off my Powerbook. (Also, if you do go the powerbook way and are looking at the 15" without the DVD burner.. you'll get a nicer laptop by selecting the 15" w/ DVD burner then in the customization part, removing it. That way, you get the 1.25ghz processor, backlit keyboard [gorgeous], and built-n Airport Extreme (802.11g))

You might try picking up a copy of PC World. I'm pretty sure they have a a section in the back of their top laptops.

[Andy A.]

Im just going to shortly plug Hewlitt packard/Compaq notebooks.

The one I'm on now is an AMD based system with comparable specs to what is being kicked around, and cost me just a bit over $1000 before rebates. The only problem I have had was with the power adapter plug coming loose from the MB, which I was able to fix my self and I hear has since been resolved on new models. It even has a serial port, a rare thing on notebooks, which I have found beyond useful in dealing with microcontrollers. USB converters are a poor substitue for classic 1980's tech.

My battery life is about and 1 hour to 1.5 hours on this battery, which is getting a little tired. But then, the display, processor and optical drive are all very beefy and I see it as a fair trade. Same for wieght and shear size. She's big, but powerful. If you want to work on graphics and video, you can't get a large or bright enough display. Keep that in mind.

I could go on about my system, but I would suggest that you at least take a look at HP.

-Andy A.

[Dick Linn]

Our company has several Sony laptops, and I inherited one. It is HEAVY, though it has a nice display. I did hear that our in-house support people said "No more SONY's!". Apparently repairs or parts are a hassle, so I'd check into this aspect of ownership. Wish I could provide more solid info.

[fox46]

All I can say is I love my Hewlett Packard pavillion ze5185 . I bought it a year ago to replace my desktop, and it has far surpassed all my expectations and needs. 2.4Ghz, 512MB ram, 60Gig hard drive, CD burner, DVD, 64MB video card, 15" SXGA screen, and all the goodies. And best of all, the keyboard, power button, and touchpad are all backlit with blue LEDs! Our team has been using it to do all the animations, autodesk, and programming, and it has never crapped out....yet.