13-14 inch Sony Laptop!!

Hi,

After several days of research, i have finally decided to go for Sony Laptop.

I am looking for a good looking laptop within the range of 1500 USD.

Please suggest me a model for a 13-14 inch laptop.

Thanks in advance

Sue

 

the two choices are the SR and CS, and i am pretty sure you will be much happier with an SR,

i'm assuming you're a girl.. so you probably want something small and light, and you can also get it in pink or baby blue. i'm pretty sure most people here will agree with me on the SR

 

Hi,

I am also thinking on SR390..

VGN-SR390
Customization Details
MOTION EYE® Camera
Super-Multi Drive
No Fresh Start™
320 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive [7200 rpm]
QuickBooks Simple Start
Microsoft® Works
Windows® Live OneCare 90-Day Trial
Trusted Platform Module / Biometric Fingerprint Sensor
ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3470 with HDMI™ Output
No Engraving
Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz)
Standard Capacity Battery
13.3" WXGA (XBRITE-ECO™ technology)
Night Black
Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit
4 GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 2GBx2)

Is this configuration looks good? I am getting it for 1550 including taxes...

Are there any coupons avaiable?

Thanks

Sue

 

that's exactly what i would get, it's good that you chose the P processor over the 2 lower T processors, definitely the right choice. you'll notice less heat, and longer battery life on a P processor

all in all, this is an excellent config, you could lower the 4gb of ram to 3gb because i'm sure you'll never use close to 3gb of ram

and.. this is the new refresh of the SR so i'm pretty sure there's no coupons, coupons are usually only available for older models

you can always get a 10% student discount by telling them you're from some random school. or, you could get a bundle (not sure if this is still going on), by ordering a 2 year extended warranty plan or higher (~$200) + 2 accessories of your choice, you can get 300$ off. if you get 2 neoprene bags (~$30 each), you will .. in effect, save ~$40 AND you'll have the extended plan and 2 neoprene bags.. i'm not sure if this is still offered though

this is an excellent laptop, you are making the right choice

 

Sony has just released the Z6xx and really the specs are not much different at all from the series that went before.
I would suggest that you maybe wait a while and see if you can snap up a
Z4/5 at a discounted price.

 

Hi Rachuk,Thank you for the info. Do u think that SR configuration that i have chosen isnt good enough?

 

Pyaranoid the SR that you are interested in specs wise that looks like a pretty decent laptop.
It is just that i think that the Z is better in terms of design and connectivity. It also uses a dual graphics card so you can turn of the dedicated card to get max battery life. It is a little lighter as well also.

I just had a look at the Sony.com website and in the clearance section they appear to have some Z models in your price range on page 8.

 

The SR series is a very good notebook, the version you selected is top notch. However, the Z series are 500 grams lighter with a higher resolution screen. I dont know the specific models in your country but the SR29VN (about the version you selected) costs 1499 euro's. The Z21MN is only 100 euro more with the same processor, ddr3 memory instead of ddr2, nvidia graphics instead of ati (about the same speed though) but switchable to the onboard intel chip to save power. That would be my choise in the 13-14" range anyway.

 

i just checked the clearance for the Zs, the resolution is the same because we're looking at the z540

i DO see one that is clearance at around 1346 USD not including tax / shipping (from what i remember)

this would also be a good choice, but the specs probably arent the same as what you have on the SR, i'm guessing it's 2gb of ram + 2.26 processor + 250gb 5400rpm drive. you get less specs for what you pay, but it is lighter, so you have to make a choice between what is more important to you

good luck!

 

The SR has got 1280x768 resolution display as far as i am aware.
The Z4X comes with a 1366x768 res. The Z5's come with a higher 1600X900 res.
Sony also appears to have the Z5 for about 1,5XX.

 

Is there any major difference between SR and Z5 series apart from resolution?

I would be paying extra 200 bucks for the higher resolution..What is the quality if we buy at sony outlet?

Please advice..

 

actually, it is 1280x800, since it's a 16:10 screen.. so in essence, it's the same as the SR, just wider. and the Z590 come in higher resolution but i think those are out of the price range in the clearance, the one i listed before is the Z540 and it's already listed at ~1346

 

the major difference is that you can switch graphics, it's lighter (made of carbon fiber), and it's quite a bit smaller, and there are subtle improvements in asethetics (i dont own an SR, but from pictures they look pretty similar), and the SR comes with an ATI card versus the Z's nVidia, the ATI is faster in gaming tests, if you're interested in that

 

Hi,

I believe that switching graphics is mainly useful for gaming...am i correct?
What about the overall performace of SR?

If there are any flaws in its performace...i will go for Z...otherwise SR is fine with me..

I have read some where in NBR that fan is constantly on in SR, which is sorta loud...Is it true?

Thanks again for ur valuable inputs..

 

switching graphics is useful for saving battery, when you're on the go, you can gain an extra hour of battery (and it will heat up less since you're using a slower gpu).. but it will operate a little slower, of course

both laptops are fast enough (at least for me), but for the same price, the SR will be faster

i dont know about the fan on the SR =/ sorry

good luck!

 

Thank You Brawn!!

 

No Problem pyranoid!!

i also recommend that you go to a sony store that has these two laptops and check them out side by side, i would personally go for the slower Z just because of the extra portability but if you value performance more, then the SR is for you =] ($1500 is a lot of money, make sure you make the right choice)

 

Sony SR with the dedicated graphics card you are looking for around 3 hours 30 mins with low brightness. This might be enough for you haven't stated what you need.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=4269523&postcount=1496
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3852163&postcount=87

The Z will get you around 5-6 hours battery life with the same settings with the integrated card. The SR standard battery is also rated at 4800mAh and the Z's standard battery is rated at 5400mAh.

The dedicated card in the Z5 benchmarks about the same as the dedicated card that is in the SR.

If you can get your hands on a discounted Z5 then that should come with built in mobile broadband which for some people is good. When i bought my laptop i never really had any need for mobile broadband but a little while later down the line it became very important to me.

You can always get an express mobile broadband card for the SR but i have found the signal not to be a strong as having internal mobile broadband.

The SR that you are interested in has the advantage of having a faster drive.
If you don't use your computer for intensive things though you won't really notice the difference between a 5400rpm and a 7200rpm drive.

The SR3 also comes with a 64bit operating system so it will address 4gb of ram. The Z5 comes with Vista 32bit i believe but it is possible to upgrade to 62bit.

If having long battery life and better connectivity is not very important to you then maybe go with the SR.

 

Thank Rachuk for the feedback..

If i get the battery work for atleast 3 hrs 30 min..it is fine with me..But if i go for an dedicated graphics with Z5 series..i would be getting the same battery life as SR...am i correct? as i dont do gaming..can i go with Intel GPU for more battery life?

Will there be any huge diffrence in the connectivity?

Thanks

 

yes, you will get more battery for the intel gpu, but i think you might one day do a little gaming, you always want to be open to that option! here are the battery ratings from sonystyle

Z
Standard Battery
Speed: 2.0 - 5.5 hours
Stamina: 2.5 - 6.0 hours
Large Battery
Speed: 3.0 - 8.0 hours
Stamina: 3.5 - 9.0 hours

SR
The SR390 Series includes a standard capacity battery which offers an estimated battery life from 2.0 on up to 6.0 hours*. The large capacity battery increases the battery life to a range of 3.0 up to 9.0 hours*.

*Actual battery life may vary upon usage patterns, product settings, battery and environmental conditions.

as for connectivity, i don't use any of those things so i wouldnt know

 

Brawn..thanks again....So i go abck to ATI and can i have that option to use large battery for SR? If so...i can go with it...

Thanks

 

I tend to look at user feedback and reviews more when it comes to battery life.
Users with the SR and the integrated card and standard battery appear to report a little bit less battery life than those who own the Z.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=306350

The Z has got switchable graphics. This means that the laptop has got two graphics card on board the integrated and the dedicated card.

If you use the dedicated card on the Z then battery life will of course be worse but it still will be probably better than what you would get with the SR with the dedicated card. For one the Z has a slightly higher capacity battery and also Nvidia appear to do a little better than ATI when it comes to battery life.

If you were to buy the SR with integrated graphics then you will lose out on having the HDMI port. That is the only thing.

Other than the lack of built in mobile broadband connectivity should be the same.

 

no problem, i like discussing laptops =]

yes i think you should keep the ATI card, but remember that extended battery weighs more and also raises the back of the laptop by a little bit, some people don't mind this and actually prefer it, but there are also those that dont like it

and one more thing about the Z and SR, make sure you really prefer performance over portability and aesthetics before picking the SR (im sure the SR is very good looking and light though)

good luck, i got to go now!

EDIT: rachuck, what do you mean by the Z having higher capacity battery? i thought since the SR were bigger, jtd have a larger battery pack? i dont know.. please fill me in

 

For a comparison of many different aspects of the Vaio SR and Z, read this:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3687220
(It may lack some up-to-date info, but the comparisons are still true)

 

I am not looking for portability...I dont carry it often...

So, can i go with SR390?

Thanks

 

Brawn this is the standard battery for the Z has a higher capacity battery, check out the Sony website for the different voltages.

You can configure the SR3 with either dedicated or integrated graphics.

Anyway for now pyaranoid appears to be ok with the type of battery life that the ATI SR model can give them.

pyaranoid the SR3 appears to meet your needs for now and it is a decent laptop. If you are keen on it i think you should go for it.

 

My 2 cents on the fan issue:

The fan on the SR runs constantly, indeed, but to my knowledge so does
the fan on the Z. So there shouldn't be any difference here (quite a few
people have complained about fan noise on the Z in this forum, too).

Fan noise on the SR is not annoying as long as the fan is spinning at
its usual low and constant rate (e.g. while using a browser etc.). However,
I notice some spinning up and down of the fan with my SR while typing on
a document, etc. This can become annoying if you are sensitive to noise,
and you are working in an absolutely quiet environment. You can
silence the fan completely in Vista using VAIO Control Center, though.

I would buy the SR anytime again.

 

How much battery life are you getting with the SR?

I am planning to buy SR390 with ATI GC,4GB RAM and 320 GB 7200 HD..

Will i get 3 hrs atleast??

Thanks

 

I would have to agree. The fan on my Z610 seems to be running all the time. Compared to my SZ's fan, the fan on my Z is definitely louder & more noticeable.

To the OP, I think that since you mentioned that you're not looking for portability, I think the SR will be a great laptop for you. Good luck.

 

I get almost 4 hours of battery life (P8400 CPU, ATI graphics, 4GB RAM, 5400 rpm HD, wireless switched off, display dimmed).

You should get about the same battery life with your configuration as I do
(the 7200 rpm drive shouldn't draw much more power than my 5400 rpm drive). In any case, at least 3 hours+.

 

Wow. that should be great...How about Vista home premium 64 bit??
Is it fine or should i go for ultimate with XP downgrade?

Thanks

 

Sorry, I can't comment on this really. I have used my Vista Home Premium
only for a few days, and then reformatted my drive and installed Linux.

 

Oh Ok... thanks for all the help...So i am all set in buying the SR laptop...Any coupons or offers for SR series??

 

Well after using vista 64x for a month, i got reeally used to it and started to like it. Maybe a little more than xp now. In my opinion vista looks much much better looking and once you disable UAC, those annoying security warnings will be gone. I m happy i m not stressing over finding ways to downgrade to xp.

 

ssd4all so you get about 3 hours 20/30 maybe with wireless on? That is kind of as i expected. What brightness levels do you use? I know some people who have to use their laptop at 70% brightness when it is on battery whereas i'm fine with using mine at 30% brightness. Of course increasing your brightness will decrease your battery life.

jr.com appear to have some cut price SR models.
Also portableone.com try them out as well.
Techonweb also appear to have some very good deals as well. The below laptop has got a 200GB 7,200rpm HD.
http://www.techonweb.com/products/productdetail.aspx?id=A02QRH
The above model does not have WWAN built in but they sell a Z53 that does for about the same price.
Check them out for SR models as well.
They are also authorised Sony resellers.
http://direct.where2getit.com/cwc/apps/w2gi.php?template=search&client=sony_b2b
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...ogId=10551&langId=-1&cmsId=authorized_dealers
Buy.com also appear to have some deals and they are also on the authorised resellers list.

 

Thanks Rachuk.. I have finally got my SR for 1295 exluding taxes..

P8600,4GB Ram, ATI Mobility GC,320 GB (7200 rpm)..Is it a good deal?

Thanks again for all the help..

Cheers

 

I think that it is quite a good deal. Congrats on your purchase.

 

Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity yet to do exact battery life measurements with wireless on.
If I'll ever manage to do this, I'll post the results here.

The almost 4 hours (actually 3 hours 55 minutes) that I mentioned were with wireless off, and screen brightness
set to about 40% (as far as I recall). I also had both the CPU and GPU running in power saving mode, and the
battery being brand new.

(A note for Linux users: Battery life under Vista and Linux is exactly the same, provided you install ATI's proprietary
fglrx driver under Linux, in order to benefit from the power saving features of the GPU.)

@pyaranoid: Congratulations! Enjoy your SR, it's a nice laptop.

 

So, how do you like your SR390 so far, Pyaranoid?