Asus w7j vs. Sony Vaio SZ for grad school

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=1439093#post1439093
This thread was inspired by a very similar thread in the Sony forums. Please, for the Asus guys, be impartial

I too am considering both the Sony SZ (regular version) and the Asus W7j.
Pros of the Sony SZ: slightly lighter, avalibility of accidental protection warranty with onsite support. The battery might last longer too.
Cons: Suspect customer support, too many stories of Vaios breaking down, expensive, and a relatively huge AC adapter.

For the Asus w7j, pros include: better specs, cheaper, and possible better build quality (correct me if i'm wrong but isn't carbon fiber = more durability?).
Cons: no option for onsite, accidental protection warranty.

Hey...the macbook is a longshot. Two reasons why I hesitate to go with it is b/c 1) it's too hot and 2) the software company that runs the exam testing program at my school hasn't approved of using the software on apples (it's examsoft).

 

I think one thing to consider is the SZ's keyboard. Like I said elsewhere, it's quite different and you will either love it or hate it. I personally didn't like the feel..gave a weird bounce feeling. Haven't touched the W7 yet but I'm assuming it uses the typical Asus keyboard (with FN and CTRL switched around).

I think the SZ also has an option to "switch" between the dedicated graphics and integrated one.

 

Yes, the Sony does have the option of switching between graphics cards. I probably will leave it on integrated graphics most of the time b/c I want to maximize battery life.

As for the keyboard, I don't find it odd at all. I typed on it at Fry's and the only thing that I noticed was how large each key was. I tend to type hard and I only use my right thumb to hit the spacebar so the spacebar issue did not affect my typing. I will confirm though that the left edge of the spacebar will not register any clicks. This will matter for those that use their left thumb to hit the spacebar.

asus, sony, asus, sony, asus, macbook, sony....

 

the SZ is also made of carbon fiber. in sony's case, they use that to their advantage by placing a better screen (uses LED, which also helps save battery, lower the weight and making it thinner). i've also noticed that vaios have the best viewing angles.

what are the specs of the w7j that makes it better? haven't encountered this model yet, so forgive my ignorance.

 

its not the specs that make it better (they are pretty similar)..but that its cheaper than a similarly configured Sony SZ.

although in the SZ's favor, the palm rest is pretty nice.

 

What is this "FN" key. I've seen this mentioned many times. I look at my current keyboard and don't understand what it is. Sorry if this is supposed to be obvious.
Do you mean hitting both the "F" & "N" keys simutaniously ?

 

function key

 

I'll post my thoughts. I was considering a SZ premium. I love the palm rest...and the carbon fiber case...led screen saves power but not that THIN. That's all....it's EXPENSIVE!

Also, the gripe about the warranty...I want to buy in US and have warranty in Canada...no chance! Also, no chance to buy the extended warranty. A notebook without 3 years of warranty I will not consider. END. Cheers!

 

i've known alot of people who've had vaio's break down on them, buuut if you get the extended warranties, it shouldn't be too big of a deal. i've never owned one personally, however -shrug-

 

well, it's not just the specs i look at but also added features, portability, battery life, etc. and i guess i have to admit, i'm lucky i don't really have a budget with notebooks (but i probably won't get the 4k 10lbs monsters - i'm small, heh).

does anyone have a link about the w3j specs and prices? my brother wants a new notebook, he wants something similar to my SZ, so i want to see if it's good to recommend. he's currently using an ibook, didn't like thel xps m1210.

and GOLDSERVE why couldn't you get an extended warranty?

as for the thinness of the screen, i guess that's relative, i just mentioned it was thinner. to get an idea, you can check a pic in the website. http://www.learningcenter.sony.us/Notebooks/SZSeries

 

Ok for the record, the SZ is 1.0" thick at the front and 1.5" at the back.

The W3J is:
13.1" x 9.8" x 1.2"/1.3"
4.8lbs (2.2kg) REAL Weight = 5.5lbs
14" WXGA (1280x768) Glossy

2.0Ghz (Yonah)
1x1GB DDR2 @ 667mhz
100GB @5400 rpm
ATI X1600 256mb
Battery = 8 cell = 3.5 hours depending on settings
Price is 1800 USD
http://www.proportable.com/detail.aspx?ID=107
(there are other resllers too, that's just one)


And yes, when looking at laptops, you need to consider, Price, Specs, Design, Footpring, Weight, Heat/Noise levels.

Other things you may wanna consider are multimedia functions and more wireless capabilities like, bluetooth, infared.

Furthermore, if your a business user you may want features like a webcam, TPM, fingerpring read, hard drive password, and stuff like that.

Yes, no one really want an amazing machine that weighs 10lbs and it like 2" thick LOL!.

I think we can all agree that we want thinner and lighter machines with POWER, lots of it, lol, the W3J, a8jm, Mackbook Pro, V6J, W7J, and many others.

Lastly, if you want all these great things, usualy you gotta PAY, if your budget is only so much, you may have to settle with something that is usually heavier and thicker

For the Original poster, regarding SZ vs W7J, the SZ has already been reviewed, we have found out the prices is not really worth it and the keyboard seems to be subpar.

So you should definately wait for the W7J and check it out, and it is aggressively priced so its a good deal, in my opinion.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

Wait, the regular Sony SZ is made of carbon fiber too? I thought that was exclusive only on the premium version. If I do buy the Sony, it would have to be the regular version because I am working under a budget constraint.

The MAIN reason why I don't preorder the w7j is because Asus does not offer a 3 year warranty with accidental protection and onsite support. I need to minimize downtime b/c my laptop will become an extension of myself in law school (outlines, briefs, etc.). Now if initial reviews of the w7j are absolutely fantastic, I may overlook the accidental protection with onsite support concern.

 

Any retailer that sells you the w7j (in the US) will sell you an extended warranty. Most of these places are probably better to deal with than Asus or Sony themselves. Also, I've heard a few horror stories in the Sony forum about people sending laptops away to sony for repairs for months.

That said, I think the sony looks better, probably has a longer battery life, and is available for less ($1449 at portableone for a cheaper config.) than the w7j (at least $1500 and probably $1800). Both laptops, however, should get the job done well.

 

your comment on the price and keyboard is purely relative. but i understand it reflects the opinion of someone who prefers the asus line over the sony. if you read the sony forum, people there would answer that it was worth it and the keyboard isn't that much of a problem (or not at all, like me). but hey, that's what you'd get for posting on a specific forum, you'll obviously hear the biases. i suggest consumers decide for themselves on what mix of specs and features they prefer. and if you post on one forum, you're also better off asking in the forum of your other choice to get a balanced opinion.

also, if you're considering the w3j more than the SZ because of it's higher GPU (and that's the only thing that really makes the w3j more powerful), then w7j will disappoint since it only has a 7400as well.

edit: thanks for sharing the specs of the w3j btw, i actually typed wrong, i was asking for the w7j, but i've found some info around here.

 

W7J has the Go7400, not 7300.

 

yeah i found that typo too, thanks

 

ON both sides. Firstly do we know how hot the W7J gets? Heat has been a serious issue with alot of these Core Duo, we know the W3J gets fairly hot also (nothing of course like a mac book but still unusable on a lap). But also do you want to have to deal with Sony's Bloatware. Asus, as far as i know simply give you a basic install with minimal bloatware, which is perfect. But the Sony's do have very nice screens and the SZ does get reputable battery life.


Plus on the Eve of Merom do you really want to just plunk the $2000 dollars for a machine that may become obsolete in 2 months?

 

the non-premium versions use a mixture of carbon fiber and plastic. it is still quite durable. portableone *might* be picking up the w7j, and i think they have an option for onsite warranty. but again, i am unsure, so you should give them a call.

 

First the W3j is perfectly useable on your lap. wow after and hour your legs warm so what. of course thats with pants on. also how would the machine be obsolete in two months. You really think you are going to see asus 64bit merom in 2 months? try in first quarter 2007 sometime maybe. Even then 64bit will yield little benifit to most people. and until vista is released it will offer no benifit.

 

Wait, so is the W7J carbon fiber then? That would make it ssssooooooo nice, and much better than the SZ premium.

 

yea i've tried to look for official asus news or articles confirming that the w7j is carbon fiber but for now i guess i'll just take everyones word....

im in the same boat...sony sz vs w7j...i use to game but nothing more than cs:s and sports games so id like to have that ability but gaming is not paramount...portability is and these are the two best from what i've read

 

personally i would choose the w7j, it is cheaper and most likely better built than the sony SZ (sturdy wise).

 

Well weirdly.. the Sony (SZ23) is cheaper than the Asus here.. so what are our choices?

 

Totally write with Goren!!! I got a vaio sz 1 xp... The worst keyboard I used!!
I send it back 3 times to sony and nothing, they said yes, yes no problème we are studying this, send it again 4 weeks later, I did and nothing again, just a new keyboard, who got the same f***ing problem. I'm Studying for programmation, and use my computer a lot!! I write too, etc. I'm living on a computer all days and half a day using it.

If you really want a vaio, and if you got an Asus W5f, I change it with you!!!

 

My impression of the Sony S and SZ series is that they are sleek looking notebooks that can have very impressive specs for their size. However, its also my impression that they are overpriced and that Sony has poor customer support. I have read through some long threads in the Sony forum about people complaining about Sony's poor customer support. Also, Sony couples their laptops with a bunch of bloatware that I hear is difficult to remove.

Honestly, I just don't trust Sony anymore due to a combination of the incident in which it was found that Sony copyright protection software installed rootkits onto your computers and the fact that they are so expensive but have poor customer support. However, this is just my own biased opinion.

 

the sz has one of the worst keyboards for the price range..if you care about this kinda thing go with the asus as it they are only a couple steps down from the feedback of a thinkpad..

 

I wish the W7j didn't have that 1 stick of ram soldered to it...