Sony VAIO SZ Vs. Apple MacBook Comparison Review

<!-- Generated by XStandard version 1.7.1.0 on 2007-01-12T01:51:29 -->

by Jim Boutilier

There are already a number of Sony VAIO SZ reviews and Apple MacBook reviews written on this site, but if you are like most folks only one or the other may have interested you enough to read (depending on if you are a Mac person or a PC person).

This review is inspired by those cute “I''m a Mac... I''m a PC” commercials, and while it may be less humorous, it will hopefully be a bit more informative as to the differences between at least this Mac and this PC.

Obviously the most efficient comparison method would be a big table, but as this is meant to be a learning experience and not a cure for insomnia, I''ll try and intersperse some pictures, text, and tables in an effort to keep your interest until the end.

Our two contenders:

Sony VAIO SZ 13.3&quot; screen notebook on the left, Apple MacBook 13.3&quot; screen notebook on the right (view large image)

On the left we have a Sony VAIO SZ280 Premium model and on the right we have a Black Apple MacBook model.

BUILD AND DESIGN COMPARISON

	Sony VAIO SZ280	Apple MacBook
Size	0.9-1.2h x 12.5w x 9.3d (128 cubic in)	1.1h x 12.3w x 9d (81cubic in)
Weight	3.7 pounds	5.2 pounds
Materials	Magnesium, Aluminum, Plastics	Plastics
Screen	13.3 1280 x 800 Widescreen Glare type, LED Backlighting	13.3 1280 x 800 Widescreen Glare type, Backlit
Keyboard	Full size, long travel keys	Compact Size, short travel keys
Buttons	Power, Speed/Stamina, WirelessOn/OFF, 12fn, 2 user defined	Power, 12fn
Touchpad	Small 2 button w Fingerprint Scanner	Large 1 button
Camera	1.3mp with Microphone	1.3mp with Microphone

The numbers don''t tell the whole story, but here we see that while the SZ and MacBook are similar “Thin and Light” category notebooks, the MacBook capitalizes on the “Thin” part and the SZ on the “Light”.

The weight is the most significant difference and for that the Sony wins hands down. The weight difference is so considerable, that the Sony actually feels smaller when handling it even though it is the larger of the two machines dimensions wise.

On the visual and tactile side, I''d give the edge to the MacBook because of its smooth curves, rectangular shape, and much more solid and sturdy feel.

The screens are the same size and resolution, and I''d say both are of excellent contrast, brightness, and quality. They have similar horizontal and vertical viewing angles. I''d give the SZ a slight technical edge here because it can be adjusted brighter than the MacBook. In really bright light this may be an advantage, but in common conditions I keep the SZ brightness down a notch or two as I find it too bright.

If you work on an airplane the MacBook is a little easier because it is a bit shorter from base to the top of the screen when open, as well as from front to back.

Both keyboards are very nice, but I prefer the shorter travel and much firmer feel on the MacBook (I tend to miss letters on the SZ, particularly spaces). The SZ has a couple of extra buttons for special functions (switching video cards and turning wireless off and on) and a couple of programmable buttons that the MacBook does not have.  Both track pads are very nice. The SZ track pad includes a fingerprint reader that is linked to a TPM module and both are very handy, but frustrating on occasion when the reader does not read correctly or you are forced to change your password by the TPM module. The MacBook track pad is roomy and responsive, but what is with the one mouse button?  Get with the program Apple. In all fairness, you can set it up so a two fingered touch on the pad is a right click but there is really no excuse to not have two real buttons. Both track pads feature horizontal and vertical scrolling – the SZ by zones along the bottom and right edge and the MacBook via touching the pad with one finger and dragging another finger in the direction(s) you want to scroll. I can definitely live with the MacBook track pad, but I prefer the one on the SZ as it''s a bit smoother and more responsive (not to mention the fingerprint scanner).

Both machines have built in cameras and microphones in the top center of the screen bezel for video conferencing and both have similar specs, but the picture quality and angle is better in the MacBook.  For some reason the camera on the SZ points at the top of my head when the screen is at an optimal viewing angle, where the MacBook is pretty much dead on when at an optimal viewing angle. There is a horrid little piece of Sony software on the SZ that pops up asking for adjustments whenever its camera is activated. Both cameras feature a little light so you (think) you know when they are on (these days you can''t even trust a cell phone you think is off, so who knows).

One of my pet peeves on Sony VAIO’s is that, while they are very feature rich, the features are not smoothly integrated. Usually there are a number of completely separate utilities (on per special feature) that look and act like they were written by different developers – for each of whom, this was the first program they''ve written. No similar look and feel, little in the way of robustness, and – er not too thoroughly tested – especially if you try and run more than one at a time.

Front View:

(view large image)

Both machines have clean looking fronts as they both feature magnetic catches so no buttons or levers are needed to open. The MacBook (bottom) features a little scallop so you can grip the lid to open it a bit easier. The MacBook also has a tiny IR window for its included remote control. The wedge shape of the SZ (top) makes it appear a bit thinner from this angle but overall it is thicker than the MacBook

Left side view:

Left side view of VAIO SZ on top and MacBook on the bottom (view large image)

On the SZ (top) from left to right we have microphone and headphone jacks, FireWire 400, VGA, PCCARD T2, and Memory Stick.

On the MacBook (bottom) from left to right we have power, ethernet, mini DVI, FireWire 400, two USB 2.0 ports, Microphone and headphone jacks, and a Kensington lock slot.

The MacBook has no PC-Card slot or Memory Stick slot. The mini DVI connector is proprietary on the MacBook but you can purchase adapters ($20 each) to convert it to DVI, VGA, or Video Out.

I do miss having the PC Card slot on the MacBook, and like most tiny connectors with lots of pins that distribute some kind of video signal the MiniDVI port can be inconsistent with respect to color and brightness (the picture may look ok or may have a significant color cast to it, touching the cable or connector – on purpose or by accident - will usually transition it from one state to the other and it can be very annoying).

Right Side View:

Right side view of VAIO SZ on top and MacBook on the bottom (view large image)

On the SZ (top) from left to right we have a DVD+-/DL/RW drive, an ExpressCard 34 slot, two USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet and Modem ports (under a little door) and the Cingular WAN Antenna.

On the MacBook (bottom) we have a DVD+-/DL/RW drive slot and that’s it.

The optical drives are about the same on the two machines other than the SZ is a conventional tray loader and the MacBook is a slot loader. I think I prefer the tray because it’s easier on the media and you can use mini-media, but the slot loader sure helps the MacBook feel sturdier than the SZ.

The MacBook has no ExpressCard 34 slot, no modem (you can get a USB modem for $50), and no WAN card or antenna built in. I really miss my WAN card and wish the MacBook had one built in or a slot (PC-Card or ExpressCard) to add one. You can make do with a Bluetooth connection to the Internet via your cell phone though.

Rear View:

Rear view of VAIO SZ on top and MacBook on the bottom (view large image)

On the SZ (top) from left to right we have power, lots of heat sync fins and a Kensington lock slot.

On the MacBook there is a thin exhaust slot almost all the way along the bottom edge.

HARDWARE COMPARISON

	Sony SZ280P	Black MacBook
802.11	a/b/g	b/g
Bluetooth	2.0	2.0
CPU	2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo	2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory	2gb 533mhz DDR2 (2x1GB)	2gb 667mhz DDR2 (2x1GB)
Video Card(s)	Nvida Gforce Go 7400 128mb, Intel GMA 950	Intel GMA 950
Hard Drive	120gb 5400rpm SATA 2.5”	120gb 5400rpm SATA 2.5”

Both machines feature internal 802.11 wireless LAN cards. The SZ has abg while the MacBook only has bg. I''ve never been anywhere that uses “a” so I''m not sure that’s significant. The MacBook keeps a more reliable connection in many environments I work in (home, office, client sites, hotels) but speed is about the same at a given distance. The MacBook also does a better job of connecting to a new network when I''ve moved the machine from sleep or hibernate modes. Often I''ll have to reboot the SZ or Repair its connection after it wakes up near a different Wireless network.

Both machines feature Bluetooth 2.0 and have performed wonderfully linking to Bluetooth mice and Bluetooth phones.

The MacBook is a few months newer than the SZ so the SZ has a 2.0 GHz Core Duo and the MacBook has a 2 GHz Core 2 Duo. The main differences are the larger cache and 64-bit in the Core 2 Duo. Since neither machine uses any 64 bit software I don''t see a big advantage there (yet) and as for cache, tests I''ve seen show a difference of performance between 5% and 20%. Real world I''m not sure I could tell the difference because I have a friend with an SZ Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz and I can''t tell it from my SZ.

Both machines are at their maximum capacity of 2 GB RAM. The SZ using 533 MHz and the MacBook using 667 MHz RAM. Tests I''ve seen don''t show a significant difference in speed for everyday use but I''m told the 667 MHz helps the GMA 950 graphics.

Speaking of Graphics cards – the SZ has two. One NVIDIA GeForce GO 7400 with dedicated GPU and 128mb dedicated RAM, and one Intel GMA 950. The MacBook has only an Intel GMA 950. The NVIDIA Card on the SZ generates a lot of heat and consumes a lot of power for its performance increase. If you need it it’s worth it, but in everyday use I don''t notice a big difference between the NVIDIA and Intel on the SZ.

Both machines feature 120 GB 5400 RPM SATA drives and I see no real differences in the drives. I wish both had 7200rpm drive options as I know this makes a huge difference in Windows and I assume it would also be a significant difference in OS X.

SOFTWARE COMPARISON

The SZ features Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2, while the MacBook comes with OS X 10.4.8. Via a free utility (BootCamp) you can set the MacBook to dual boot with OS X and Win XP SP2 (there are a number of third party utilities that allow the use of OS X and XP or other OS''s at the same time).

My experience is that OS X is far more stable, far more robust, and far faster than Windows XP. Within about a week I was able to find applications for OS X that did all of the things my Windows software did. In about 25% of the cases it was the same software that would run on both systems (Java). In about 50% of the cases it was similar software that offered some kind of data exchange with the equivalent PC application, and about 25% was a completely different application with no data interchange (although there is not always the need for data exchange either).

On the downside for the Mac there is a lot of plug-in hardware-software items out there that won''t work on a Mac. There is less variety (fewer manufactures and fewer packages that perform a given function) in Mac software. My experience so far is that most of the Mac software is less feature rich but more elegant and stable. If you can find software and hardware you need and it runs on the Mac, it’s something you should consider.

Me, I''m a Mac convert at this point and looking to get away from Windows as much as I can (I still have to support some Windows boxes). I''m willing to trade off some hardware and software unavailability in return for the stability and robustness of OS X. That’s not everyone’s choice but now that Macs are Intel based and can run Window''s too, I expect it will be more people’s choice.

CONCLUSION

Oh yeah, we were comparing the SZ and the MacBook weren''t we? Well, hardware wise, Sony packs a huge number of features into a really small and light, high tech package. On pure specs the SZ wins hands down. The MacBook is less feature rich, but the features it has are a match for the SZ and the MacBook features are much better integrated plus the overall included software and OS is better.

 

Nice write up. I'd also mention that the white version of the same MB will be 150-200 less. So thats a big advantage over the SZ.

I felt the same way about the one button mouse. It was the thing I probably most hated about Macs. That was until I bought one and started using the two finger right click. I tell ya... I love it. I actually prefer that to the normal two buttons on normal laptops.

As far as software unavailablility, there are a few apps that aren't available for OS X (such as Visual Studio) but I've found that I've been able to replace most everything. But the .net framework and an IDE replacement for visual studio are available now.

But I think another really nice point about the MB is that OS X is unix based. Thats a nice attractive point to me. Plus some of the nice features such as Expose, dashboard, and also the ease of changing all of your shortcut key combos.

The idea of having a switchable graphic card is pretty nice. I wish the MBP had that. Also, you said the Sony display was brighter, but which one did you find more pleasing? Or were they about the same?

I wouldn't mind seeing a few more reviews like this. Personally, I would like to see one comparing the MB or MBP against the Lenovos. This was a very fair review

 

too bad you don't live in Hawaii. we coulda teamed up and make the ultimate 13" notebook review! lol

here's a pic I took of my W7j (another 13") with a white Macbook



like with the SZ.. the Macbook, despite being heavier, was significantly thinner and had a lower profile.. although the depth stuck out a lil more. the W7j was also brighter like how the SZ is, but like you I used it a notch or two below the brightest.

I also found the macbook's palm rest to be much cooler.

on the bright side, the SZ can be had for much cheaper these days. NewEgg has a Core Duo version under $1200.

 

Too bad the Black MacBook only come with Intel GMA 950 Video Card

 

The last time I checked, the equivalently configured white macbook was only $50 cheaper. I know at the beginning the black macbook carried a $150 premium, but it seems as though they've closed the gap.

 

"My experience is that OS X is far more stable, far more robust, and far faster than Windows XP"



You have to explain this. I work at a scientific institute in Germany which is flooded with macs but we also have windows machines (and linux machines).

My experience is that Windows XP sp2 is far more stable (I am able to run win xp for MONTHS without restart) and FAR more FASTER than Mac OS X.

 

Nice writeup!

On this point:

I disagree because those sharp plastic edges on the MacBook are brutal, if you run your finger fast along the rim you'll get a cut, and if that thing falls on your toe it could chop it off! I really don't understand why the product designers didn't round off the edges like most notebooks.

 

A nice eview
But I think a comparison Macbook vs Vaio C is better because both have simmilar weight and no discrte GPU.
Vaio SZ and Asus W7J are light and with GF700 GPU

 

Great comparison! I really enjoyed reading it...nice pics as well. The Vaio has more features, but the Macbook's are surely better and more integrated. The smaller frame of hte macbook is a great advantage, more so than the weight imo. My 700m weighs almost 5 pounds with the battery, but it's the small footprint it carries that makes it attractive as a smaller laptop. Although it is starting to show its age...lol

 

So let me get this straight... Even though the Vaio SZ has a myriad of extra or improved features over the macbook... Mac wins automatically cuz it has OS X? So basically no windows notebook can possibly win even if it clearly has superior hardware and build quality? If you're going to compare a PC to a Mac like apples to oranges, you can't just claim that one will beat out the other because it's not an orange. You have to judge them on a basis that they are actually comparable. Just my 2 cents.

 

Speaking from a qualitative point of view I don't notice any real difference when both displays are adjusted to the same level of brightness.

From a quantitative perspective the SZ as slightly blacker blacks (less leakage) and whiter whites (from the LED back lighting I guess) . I think the MacBook has a slightly better vertical viewing angle. No big differences though.

 

I expect its a combination of hardware and software but we just have two very different experiences. I'm the "family" IT administrator and have the following experiences with quite a variety of machines (mostly laptops)
- The servers I maintain are relatively stable with the software I use but thats limited to FTP server, HTTP server, and a RAID disk array. My biggest grief with these is Windows Updates. The update process often causes glitches on the servers that interfere with connectivity once an update is noticed through the time it is installed. Frequently the updates interfere with the operation of the software I use, requiring software updates or reconfiguration or removal of an update. This has been very time consuming. Also over time the machine will get slower and use more memory which requires periodic reboots. NTFS volumes become increadably fragmentd very quickly requiring frequent defraging.
- On laptops things are way worse. Long startup and shutdown times. Hangs, freezes, and bluescreens. Corrupted registries. Failures to enter or exit sleep or hibernation succesfully. Network connectivity drops, network connectivity establishment failures. Lots of glitches that are just frustrating that go away with a reboot.

I could go on an on, and if things like this were just occasional or with particular hardware, I could write it off as a problem with the hardware or hardware driver or a third party software issue etc, but its so pervasive that the OS gets the wrap because it should take care of much of these things like OS X does.

All I can say is from my limited experience, THIS MacBook has been faster, more stable, and more reliableby far than the dozen or so Windows Notebooks I've owned/used/maintained under XP in recient past.

 

Sorry, I definitely meant when the notebooks were CLOSED. I have the dreaded razor edge palm rest too. If you are in a good ergonomic typing position you don't notice it near as much, but how often do you gat that position on a notebook.

 

Well, I hoped that it was clear that from a hardware viewpoint, the SZ won. and that it was my personal choice that I was willing to put up with less hardware and less hardware/software availability for the sake of improved speed, reliability and less maintenance. The Mac did not win automatically, I just chose a Mac over a PC because of things that were important to me and freely admit its not everyones choice.

Now that Mac's are on an Intel platform, the most significant difference is software (most importantly the OS) Because of the huge variety of PC's I'm sure I could find a PC of similar configuration and design and quality so the only significant diffrence was the OS.

 

I know this sounds awful, but has anyone thought of taking a little sand paper (veryyyyyy fine grit like 600 or 800) to the edge of the Macbook? It might soften the edge up enough for it not to cut your wrists.

 

I owned both, the vaio sz premium and black macbook. Not taking the OS into account the SZ to macbook comparison is unfair because the sz's hardware is much more superior and the price reflects that. The vaio c series is a much better comparison. However, this is still a good review for some who have had questions about both.

 

I thought of that and I've seen that or filing recommended but I wonder if the plastic is solid color or if your MacBook is painted and doing that might uncover plastic of a different color so I have not been brave enough to try ;-)

Has anyone done this on a black macbook?

 

Looking at the pic with the SZ and black Macbook side-by-side, I notice the discoloration of both the touchpad and mouse button (due to rubbing). Needless to say, it looks rather serious. Anyone notice this too or is it just me?

 

A true comparison of just the hardware would be to evaluate Windows booting on the Mac vs Windows on the SZ. This would equalize the review to the, some would say, lowest common denominator, but it would become an oranges to oranges comparison (not apples to apples, get it

When reviewing the systems in this way you would clearly see that the Sony is superior from a hardware point of view for features that are quite often necessary for experienced users, for example these features are found on the Sony but are (Mac sadface) missing on the MacBook:

Fingerprint scanner (faster than typing secure passwords, fast user switching)
ExpressCard/PCMCIA slot (useful for just about everything)
Dedicated Graphics (gamer?)
Docking Station availability
Two button mouse
Parallel ports, serial ports (allow the control of scientific and legacy equipment)
Standard video outputs (speaks for itself)
Easy hardware upgrades (upgrading the HD was only meant to be done by Mac "geniuses")

The reviewer also indicated that the MacBook felt sturdier due to its weight... well, since when is a heavier lightweight notebook a feature? The magnesium case of the SZ is superior for strength and lighter weight.

I have owned both of these machines in the past but I sold both on ebay as the screens are too small for my taste.

So, now that we know who is the hardware champ the issue becomes an OSX vs Windows debate... but I'll leave that alone

 

Ah nice, thanks for the correction. With the student discount, there is actually more of a price difference though. $65.

I have to say XP initially feels VERY fast initially. Install a few programs, and the registry blows up and slows everything down. Thats my major issue with XP. Registry sucks.

But my Fedora Core 6 box... Thats SLOW! But then again, Xen seems to make FC6 run really slow. But at least it's stable as hell.

 

The HDD on the MB are user upgradable as is the ram. Theres nothing else user upgradable on the sony either. Standard video out? Well, it does have the adapters, so taht takes care of that. I'm still curious why they decided not to put a express card slot in it. But how many other units in that price range has one? (I'm actually asking that in ernest, I see most having pcmcia)

Yeah... WTF is up with not having docking stations. Yargh.. but I doubt I would pay $300 for one. A port replicator on the other hand...

But I dunno, is the SZ more comparable to MBP rather than the MB?

 

*Shock Horror*
No mention of the battery and life in the review! A price comparision would be nice as well.

However, the review is done nicely to compare everything else.

 

- Unfortunately OSX won't run on the Sony but Windows will run on the Mac. Windows does boot far faster on my MacBook under Parallels than on my Sony. Windows also runs a number of pieces of Windows software (Office, Vidio, Project) faster on my Macbook (under WinXP Pro SP2 under Parallels) than on my Sony

- Experienced people (like those of us with 25+ years in IT consulting experience) learn how to identify and adopt optimal tool sets - and these are not always the largest tool sets - and they do often change with the job at hand. Also true is that the toolset that works best for one person is not always the toolset that works best for another - even to accomplish the same tasks.

Hardware wise:
- The Biometrics was fun but I've found I can normally type a reasonably secure password faster than the scanner can scan, validate, lookup, and enter.
- I miss the expansion slots but there is no functionality I can't replace with a Bluetooth device or USB device. Same for legacy ports and docking station.
- I'm not a fan of the mini DVI port but other manufacturers (ASUS) are starting to use them and it gives ma a choice of three video outputs on one port.
- None of the work I do requires dedicate graphics and I don't play games.
- There is two button mouse functionality built into the track pad and multi button mice are available for the Mac.
- The MacBook features RAM and Hard Drive easily upgradeable by the user. I've heard this is not the case for the MacBook Pro Hard Drive but that is the case for many PC notebooks (more common the thiner or smaller they get).

Weight is definitely not an advantage. I far prefer the weight of my 3.7 Pound SZ weight! Due to materials and construction the SZ flexes, bends, and just feels fragile - thats not to sat it is - I don't know which will actually hold up better. I am however willing to put up the the extra weight of the MacBook for other things it has to offer.

For the things I do, the way I do them, and my personal quirks about elegance, integration, reliability, and quality I like the MacBook better than the SZ. If the SZ ran OS X and OS X Software as well as the MacBook does, the MacBook would be relegated to a backup instantly and I'd still be carrying my SZ, but alas, such is not the case.

 

The Sony sits unused and had been cleaned since its last use. The MacBook is my daily user and was not clean. When I clean the MacBook, most of what you called discoloration disappears (except a bit on the touchpad itself).

Thats the case with most matte finished surfaces on noteboolds I've had. A past Asus, Winbook, and Even the keys on the SZ wear shiny after a while (I use my machines a lot, often 8-16 hours a day, 6-7 days a week).

One of the things I preferred on the SZ was the touchpad because it had a shiny finish rather than matte. That gave it a better feel and no wear marks.

So far (fingers crossed) the outside of the MacBook is wear free.

 

Wow, did I forget to put that in the review? I must be going senile. Hmm, some would say the fact I bought a Mac proves that, but none the less:

Under normal operation on the SZ in performance mode (using dedicated graphics card) I could get three to three and a half hours of battery life with the standard battery. Playing a DVD this would drop to more like two and a half hours. Going to stamina mode (using GMA950) would extend battery life about a half hour.

As to price, the SZ was $3500 with extras and the MacBook $1900 with extras. You can get the Non Premium model of the SZ for closer to $1800 though (thicker, heavier, not a nice a screen) but more comparable to the MacBook



Under normal operations on the MacBook, I get three and a half to four hours. Playing a DVD this drops to about three hours.

So comparing Intel to Intel (GMA 950) battery life is very similar. Not surprising how similar the hardware is (Sony shuts down most hardware the MacBook does not have in stamina mode).

 

Windows under Parallels will of course boot faster than a machine starting from a standstill. A better comparison would be to boot Windows in Parallels under OSX and Windows in VMWare under Windows or Linux. They should be virtually identical startup times.

"Biometrics was fun"... as soon as Apple puts it into a computer and markets it then the whole world will think they invented it... I can also imagine DRM being tied to your fingerprint! I bet Apple leads the way on that So, I guess enjoy your biometric-less PC for now... the future awaits!

 

Well, I don't think it's fair to compare Parallels in OS X and VMWare in Windows. VMWare in my experience, is MUCH slower than Parallels. I don't have a license for Parallels in Windows, so I can't compare those two directly. But Parallels still runs windows faster (not just boot time) than any other machine I've ever used (including my AMD 64 3000+ that uses 1 gb of ram compared to 512 under parallels). Of course the whole not being abel to access the video card sucks...

I personally don't really care about Biometrics. It has it's place, but I don't want one on any of my machines right now.

 

Just as a note, the wireless hardware in the C2D MacBook (as well as the C2D MBP) includes 802.11n as well (something people noticed under Windows). Apple is apparently releasing software along with the new Airport Extreme that will "unlock" the 802.11n capabilities of the wireless in this notebook on the Mac OS X side.

Very interesting comparison, and I think you're pretty much spot on. I haven't owned an SZ, but I did own a Sony S360 for quite a while. I also owned a MacBook and MacBook Pro (both of which I enjoyed, but returned because I had some screen issues, and decided to just go ahead and wait til the Santa Rosa platform debuts, since I can wait a little longer before getting a notebook).

They've been making some really nice improvements to Parallels as well; I'm especially glad they finally found a way to let you use your Boot Camp partition as your OS in Parallels as well (when I had my MacBook, I had to basically do two separate Windows installs, etc.). It's really made it the best platform for me personally, as I've wanted the ability to run Windows, but also generally prefer OS X for most things.

-Zadillo

 

The sharp edge isn't a big deal. You can fix it by just running your fingernail up/down the edge a few times. Works on black and white MBs.

 

Your suggestion of booting the MacBook up direct from Windows sounds the most practical and fair comparison. If I get adventurous I'll put on bootcamp and an XP partition and do some benchmarks Win-SZ to Win-MacBook.

Please save us from the DRM police. How I hate DRM - I still never download electronic music, but buy the CD's and RIP them so my "reasonable use" stays reasonable.

 

I think the main problem people have with the review is the clear underlining bias against PC's.

Every macbook shortcoming the reviewer tries to justify while discredit all additional features on the sz by saying they are not well integrated.

I'm an Apple fan myself, but I hate reviews like this that reinforce the perception that Apple heads are crazy...

i mean come on you can't claim to write a decent review that essentially says dedicated graphics and 1.5lbs or weight are irrelevant when put up against OSX

even apple forces you to pay a huge premium for dedicated graphics.

 

Precisely why the comparison should have been between a Sony Vaio C and a Macbook. I don't think the Macbook should win automatically just because it has OSX, but if you're talking about the computers as they come from the factory, then certainly Apple's OS IS better than WinXP pro. Almost every manufacturer puts so much bloatware on their computers that they're hobbled when you get them. OSX is easy to clean without doing a full reinstall, but this isn't really so for WinXP. Always demons lurking if you don't reformat. I notice a night and day difference between a factory-loaded WinXP notebook and the same computer after a clean install. Fans usually come on less often and the battery lasts longer, not to mention a significant boost in performance. Consumers would be far better off if they didn't have to wade through a swamp of junk software on their new PCs.

 

I'm not sure what you mean about an underlaying bias against PC's. I'm a long time PC user and a dabbler in Mac's. I have a Sony SZ and its the best Windows notebook I ever owned. I bought a MacBook because it was cheap and wanted to see the current state of "Macdom".

When I started using the MacBook I quickly found I could do everything on it that I needed to do, and that the user experience was so much better on the MacBook, that I did not want to go back to the SZ.

I did not discredit any benefit of the SZ. All the features are mentioned there and what I liked or did not like about them. Its clear in the review what features are missing on the MacBook. I also gave my impressions of what was significant to me between the two, and some people may make the same choices and other may not.

Is it crazy for someone to choose a Mazda Miata over a Corvette Stingray, because they enjoy the driving experience of one better than the other? The Corvette clearly outclasses the Mazda in many ways but they may not be important to a particular driver. If you drive a Mazda better than a Corvette, it does not make the Mazda better, it just makes the Mazda better for you.

The point of this review was not to say which was "better" although I gave my reasons for choosing the "underdog". It was so other could see the differences and make their own choices.

Clearly you have different priorities in a Notebook than I. It does not make either of us right or wrong - just different. You should learn not to dismiss other experiences and decisions just because they are very different from yours. Instead, ask questions and learn. ;-)

 

Let's not forget that an SZ will run $250-400 more than the Black Macbook. If you don't have a problem with the matchup, then why should you have a problem with the conclusion? The SZ has way more hardware features than the Mac, but for this user the Mac's simplicity won out! What's wrong with that? There's no favoritism. The SZ's features were superfluous. This is also why some people prefer the Macbook to the Macbook Pro - it has just what one needs, and nothing more. It'd be interesting to see how a non 'power-user' would choose between the Macbook and the Vaio C series of computers, since they're more closely matched in specs and in price.

That said, I think that the Vaio has a few FATAL flaws. First of all is the keyboard. Incredibly long travel keys with NO tactile feedback = gross. The Macbook's keyboard is way better. If the SZ's keyboard were better, I'd buy it. It's stylish, trim and lightweight! However, I'd probably come to regret not buying an Asus w7j, instead.

 

If you send me Sony Vaio C Series, I promise to write a really fair review ;-)

Honestly, I realize the SZ and the MacBook are two different classes of Notebook. When I bought the SZ I was looking for the most feature rich, high tech best Windows consumer notebook money could buy for a traveling consultant. After a LOT of research and for a LOT of reasons I chose the SZ.

Much to my embarrassment, after buying a low end Mac just to see how things were going, I found out they were going very well indeed and that for my purposes, I liked the MacBook a LOT better.

If there was a 13.3" MacBook Pro, I'd likely buy one tomorrow and it would then be closer comparison hardware wide to an SZ. The SZ could still have more features but the machines would be in the same class at least.

What I can't apologize for is choosing a more integrated, faster, more reliable, less maintenance intensive user experience I got on the MacBook over the less well integrated, slower, less reliable, more maintenance intensive user experience I got on the SZ.

Its not all about the hardware, its not all about the OS, and its not all about the software - its about the combination of these three things that allows you to maximize your productivity. For me the clear winner is the MacBook running OS X (and about 20 other pieces of software) over the SZ running Windows XP Pro SP2 (and about 20 pieces of other software).

 

Ahh, Teknerd, I see you get it. I fell into the Windows trap of buying the most advanced machine I could, knowing even if I did not need it today, I likely would tomorrow. Knowing what I know now, it appears I spend about $1500 too much for my needs - lol

I used to hate integrated graphics, but then with the advent of dual cores, it became acceptable. A WAN card is awesome, but I can do the same thing through a bluetooth connection to my phone. The biometrics were awesome but I can type a secure password just as fast as a scan can proces a fingerptint.

To be honest, its not the simplicity of the MacBook - I love tech stuff and bells and whistles. What sold me on the MacBook was reliability and all the rest is small sacrifices I am willing to make for that reliability.

My MacBook starts fast, shuts down fast, sleeps when I ask it to, wakes when I ask it to, always finds network connections, doesn't drop network connections, does not hang, require restarts or kills - it plain just works.

 

Well to be honest, I would expect that an expert would back up his statements by some facts, like numbers, benchmarks etc.
http://reviews.cnet.com/4531-10921_7-6484737.html
http://anandtech.com/mac/showdoc.aspx?i=2520&p=5
Cliches like “blue screen of death” – sorry but that’s certainly NOT an experts argumentation.
Personally, I have never seen a blue screen of death on XP. I used to see them often on my no-name hardware PC running Win 95.
On the other hand I find myself watching the beech ball on mac os x very often, and force-quitting apps was one of the first things I learned on a mac.
My XP system has been running for 4years3months now, and I only had to restart it once: when I attempted to back my whole data drive (~6GB of data) by dropping it on an idisk. This operation refused to quit, and even though I still could use the applications that had been already running, I could not launch new apps. So I restarted the comp after about 10 minutes of waiting. This was once. Once in 4 years 3 months.
Saying that a mac is better than a pc is like saying that a Volvo is better than a car. Any mac is always made by apple, so there is no danger of getting a no-name hw without proper drivers etc. Especially when proper drivers are not available or with cheap components are used that tend to overheat, you will run into problems.
Bad hardware modules will cause problems with any OS, also with real unix systems and also with mac os.
Of course buying a pc laptop like sony vaio does not immediately mean that you have to use windows. If you want, you can install a good linux distro like SuSE or Fedora Core - and how would then a macbook vs sony vaio comparison look like?
As for comparison of macbook and sony vaio laptop: how about the noise issue? I am sharing a desk with a guy with a macbook, and I often find myself considering getting ear-plugs. The jet sound is really awful.

 

You're also engaging in the use of faulty logic here though.

You are basically saying that because YOU have only needed to restart XP once in 4+ years of uptime, there is seemingly nothing wrong with XP.

But of course plenty of people do have problems with it (I myself primarily use XP, and have had to do a number of reinstalls, and have actually had a variety of blue screens that I've eventually been able to get under control).

As for the rest, as you mentioned, OS X can get hung up too, although I've never run into a problem that I couldn't easily terminate from the Force Quit menu or the Terminal.

A comparison to a Vaio with Linux on it would be interesting (I installed Ubunti on my Vaio S360 and it worked pretty well actually), but that's not what the reviewer was doing, was it?

Why criticize the reviewer for his choice to compare two laptops he had access to? And when did he ever claim to be an "expert" either?

I'm not sure what your big beef is with this guy's review. In his experience, the Mac and OS X worked well for him, and he preferred it to Windows. That's all.

-Zadillo

Finally, on to the MacBook noise issue, I recall that being a problem with earlier MacBooks, but Apple seemed to resolve it with a firmware update, and in some cases a logic board swap. Most Core 2 Duo MacBooks I've seen are close to silent most of the time, with the fans being less audible than even my S360 was at load. You should mention this to the guy you share your desk with and recommend he send it to Apple to be fixed/replaced. If it sounds like a jet especially something is clearly wrong (there's no need for the fans to be running at full blast).

 

While I am an expert in many areas, having over 25 years in IT consulting, writing PC reviews is not one of them (I've written exactly two). However I do have a great deal of highly varried hardware and software experience and can easily get a feel for the quality of such things from a user perspective.

I have too much work to do to spend several hours a week cataloging PC glitches, and I could care less how a PC performs in an artificial lab or on someones else's combination of software and hardware - I only care how it works for me. Most of my IT consulting colleagues have similar PC issues so while I have no exact numbers, my impressions is that my experience is not unusual on the PC side. The sheer number of XP updates should tell you something about its quality.

If I had an XP experience like yours I would have never bothered looking at MAC's! Unfortunately my experience across 6 name brand quality laptops running Windows XP is very consistent with what I have had on my current SZ (which I believe to be high quality hardware).

I can't speak to other peoples Mac experiences but this review compared two specific machines of specific configurations and detailed the results. Until someone else compares the same two machines and gets very different results I would not be so quick to dismisss these results.

The fact I travel over 100,000 miles a year working for many clients in many varied locations and environments and picked a much heavier, less hardware feature rich machine should tell you something significant is going on. I could be that I've spent too much time at high altitude without enough oxygen, of it could tell you - like it or not - that in this case the MacBook is much faster, more stable, and reliable than the SZ.

I would love to hear the experiences of others that have used these machines for real work. Maybe I got a bum SZ or an unusually good MacBook. Choosing two machines at random out of hundreds of thousands is hardly statistically significant, but its the two I had and you have an honest and accurate review of the results.

 

Actually I did put Fedora Core on my SZ for a while. It was VERY fast, and very stable (Faster than OS X and same reliability). Unfortunately I could not find suitable drivers for several pieces of the SZ hardware (WAN card, TPM and Biometrics, and Camera) and some of the other drivers (wireless) limited some functionality of the devices. Also I could not find software to do all the things I do, so it was not very practical FOR ME.

As to noise, you'll see from my original SZ article that I considered the SZ noisy. From my comparison review you'll see the MacBook is very quiet. I know other people with SZ's and thier machines are consistant with my SZ. I don't actually know anyone else with a MacBook, but users consistantly report on the fact that Apple chose heat over noise so QUIET is the norm for Mac's.

This is fun guys, keep em coming. I always like to learn things from others and offer my experiences to return the favor.

 

If anyone thinks it would be helpful I could catalog a number of my common activities, and the PC software and Mac software I use for these activities. As I mentioned I commonly run about 20 other other pieces of software on top of the OS. I could even give you a quick one liner as to my impressions between the two (although a lot of the Mac ones would just be - less feature rich but more stable - lol)

I do have the occasional Mac glitch btw - just an order of magnitude fewer than the PC and a lot quicker to recover from.

FireFox seems to be the least stable application I run, but all it does is occasionally freeze (force quit and restart taking all of 5 seconds - a couple of times a week) and occasionally fail to restore all my tabs when I start it (open new tabs from favorites, maybe a minute or two - a few times a month).

I've seen what I think is Finder restarting itself a few times (icons on desktop go away and come back in a second or so) and thats usually when I notice a FireFox issue and when I restart it next time it has none of my tabs from the previous session. Not sure if its Firefox or Finder doing it though.

Believe it or not, that the sum total of all my MacBook glitches over the past Month and a bit. I have more than that on a Windows Notebook PC in any given day and I begrudge the 4-5 minutes of my life wasted with each reboot of the PC that I have to do at least once per day, and sometimes several times a day.

Again, other peoples Notebook experiences greatly appreciated... I do admit that in a server environment on a machine always running a limited set of software, XP can be reasonably stable (much better than a users notebook, but nothing like a Unix server in MY experience)

 

You clearly have a much more reliable power company than where I live as not a year goes by here in Colorado that a power outage does not out pace my UPS's and they shut my servers down.

And this is am REALLY curious about - what have you been doing with the HUNDREDS of Windows updates that have come out in the last four years that REQUIRE a reboot?

Are you telling us you are still running the original XP with no updates? I hope your server is behind a really good firewall and is never exposed to Internet traffic, because its rumored that the original XP did have one or two security issues. ;-)

My experience on my servers that MOST of the issues I encounter are related to the update process or the updates themselves and if you have been avoiding this, that could be the reason you system is so reliable. My servers are exposed to the internet so I've been allowing the many, many, many critical security updates - and that does explain the bulk of my issues in a server envrionment, but I'm not sure what the alternative would have been.

 

Good review. For those who complain about the reliability of Macs in a lab setting, I'll agree- from my experience Macs don't make the best fleet machines- usually the person maintaining them did a poor job and they become almost all but unusable.

However, when it comes to a personal computer, MacOSX is absolutely splendid. The vertically-integrated system ensures everything works, which is really my top priority. Also, the average quality of Mac software is a bit higher (Keynote Vs. Powerpoint, Omnigraffle Vs. Visio, Toast Vs. Nero/Hotburn/EasyCD Creator/Recordnow, etc.)

What I think is best about the OS is usability. You don't see an annoying bubble popping up in the dock telling you to update your computer or that you're now connected to a wireless network. When you plug in a new mass storage device, the computer simply recognizes it and shows it on your desktop. Yes, in Windows it's possible to minimize these nags, but why should they be there in the first place?

I think it's difficult for some people to grasp how a computer with a shorter spec sheet can be superior, but using both you can tell the difference.

Also, does the Vaio even have a DVI output?

 

Nope, no DVI on the SZ, just VGA

One thing I did not mention that I should have in my review was the size and weight of the stock AC adapters.

For some reason a 110w adapter is included with the SZ. Its huge and heavy. The 60w adapter included with the MacBook is tiny and light.

I kind of forgot about that til someone pointed it out today (as I had immediately got a Kensington ac/dc adapter for the SZ so I could ditch the horrid stock one).

I can post side by side pics and weights if anyone is interested.

 

Yeah, it seems like a minor thing, but I definitely love the power adaptors Apple ships with the MacBook and MacBook Pro (the MacBook one is positively tiny). One nice little touch I like with the Apple power adaptors is the little "wings" that flip out that you can coil the power cable around, plus the prongs that you can fold into the adaptor. One thing I always appreciated with the MacBook and MacBook Pro was how little room the power adaptor took up, and how it didn't end up being such a tangle.

By comparison, my Sony Vaio S360 power adaptor was pretty big, and had two separate cables, and the only thing given to "organize" them was a velcro strap to wrap around all the cables after you've bundled them up.

And that's not even to mention the MagSafe stuff.

When you do consider the necessity of often carrying around the power adaptor as well, it does become an important consideration....... I always sort of felt like I was sort of "losing" some of the appeal of the slickness of my Vaio S360 by having to cart around the big bulky and unwieldy power adaptor along with it.

I do wish more PC manufacturers would take a cue from Apple on the power adaptor front.

 

Excellent review.

 

Just read this review and these are my thoughts as well - sorry but the conclusion of this review is simply laughable.

Besides this obviously biased silliness anybody who thinks OS X is better, simplier etc is either A) fairly clueless about OS X or B) XP Pro or C) misinforming the public.

 

So anyone who finds OS X to be better or simpler must be clueless about OS X and/or XP Pro, or misinforming the public? What's your basis for that exactly?

"better" and "simpler" are both matters of opinion and personal taste. As hard as it may be for you to believe though, there are in fact people who find both of those qualities in Mac OS X and they aren't "clueless" about either OS X or Windows, and aren't looking to misinform the public.

Frankly, considering the changes even MS recognized that needed to be made in Windows from XP to Vista, it is clear that even Microsoft could see things that were good about OS X.

I don't think there's anything "silly" about the review; he made it clear that these were his personal opinions and feelings about the platforms, and what mattered to him.

-Zadillo

 

Apoparently you forgot what a nightmare Tiger was when it came out, how many times Apple had to patch up Panther to make it stable and how utterly useless every earlier 'version' were.
I sold my dual G5 solely to get rid of that bugfest Tiger produced even after 3 months of its release.

OS X came a long way and now it's stable - but XP was far the most stable desktop OS ever since SP2 (behind my RHEL station, of course. )

I oversee few hundred workstations here yet I have yet to see anything that would back your claim.
Are you sure you up to the task when it comes to XP...?

Fire fox - when you try to profess your knowledge about a subject it would be more convincing if you would learn how it's actually written, you know - is pretty robust on PC.
It's not the fastest booting browser - it never meant to be - but the most stable one, that's why I standardized it here ages ago.

We only have few OS X workstations but I haven't noticed anything like that.
However I noticed how useless still OS X is in AD environment.

I beg your pardon - this is clear FUD, nothing else. It's either your system or your knowledge (or lack thereof).

Besides a hw upgrade I cannot recall when did we restarted our machines here.
I cannot recall when did I restarted my home PC.
The new SZ we just bought is in hibernation when we don't use it, regardless it's chargin or not - we never log off, just swipe our finger and voila', the correct profile loaded actively while the other one still logged in. When I'm done, I just close the lid, machine goes down to hibernation and remains there until one of us opens the lid when it comes back with the login screen.
No restarts at all - thought it's pretty new, I've yet to start using it for some more demanding task (ie video editing, compositing, rendering etc).
We used our old Dell Dimension 6000 the same way, we never restarted it either.

On the contrary running a lot of 3rd party professional software our XP Pro SP2 or x64 workstations are FAR more stable thanour G5s with plenty of software. Again, it's experience, not assumption.
I must also add that I run many linux servers including colo ones, high-load webservers and the only choice besides my favourite RHEL is Win2k3, not OS X, I'm telling you. There's no way I'd trust OS X with tasks like these.

The key factor is knowledge: if you know your stuff, XP SP2 is a perfectly stable OS, more than OS X used to be or easily a match.
OS X is much more fond for clueless users, right out of the box, I give it to them but that's an entirely different story.

 

Umm I just wrote it - how about interpreting my post as well, not only reading it?

My 'basis' are facts. OS X has a well-known track record of being a bugfest for monts after release - just like XP.

Declaring any of them to be 'better' is silly at best, powerful clueless at worst.

I have them here and it's indeed hard to believe there's any other explanation. Care to elaborate what it could be?

EDIT: OK, I take the "deliberately" off, that's indeed not necessarily the case.

Frankly, you sound like a member of one of the mentioned groups...

Sure. Too bad the review was about two laptops, one hands down wins, it's pretty clear for everybody - including himself too - but he simply ignores the facts and chose to praise the other one, invoking some utterly silly reasoning about the OS which he never backed with facts...