AW v/s FW

I am torn between these two. I watch lots of movies, and would love to have the one that suits the couch potato lifestyle. Only I move around a bit (not a lot though). Is the AW too heavy? And will the FW be as pleasurable for playing DVDs and blu-rays? I'm going for the same specs btw.

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8800 (2.66GHz)
4GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 2GBx2)
320GB Hard Drive (7200rpm)
Blu-ray Disc™ playback
XBRITE-FullHD™ LCD technology (1920x1080)

The FW sells at 1300 (aprox.), the AW at 1600. Is the AW worth the $300 difference?

Thank you for your time

 

This is a tough one. It would be a slam-dunk for the AW if the line still came with the RGB LED in the States (if you're in the States). But it doesn't.

It's also an odd mismatch: the better video card is on the smaller screen model but it is likely that the larger screen is the more convenient screen -- for several reasons. For one thing, the same high def FullHD resolution on the larger screen gives you larger print in the native resolution. And the insides of the AW have been built to expand (more than one hard drive is possible, for example, although it is not a given that the insides are the same if you order it with only one hard drive in the CTO).

I'd look at the pre-configured models of both and see which was the better offer. A pre-config of the AW probably will give you a TV tuner, for example. And then I'd walk around with a slab of wood of the two weights and sizes to see if one or the other really bothered me/relieved me (if I couldn't actually try one at a retail store).

Upshot: You'll probably have the same or better screen experience technically on the FW (since the better card and the smaller screen should give a crisper image). And the size of the FW packs a larger screen at the weight of a smaller screen on other manufacturer's notebooks.

So, absent the RGB LED, the FW is probably the better all around deal right now. But who knows what September/October will bring? An OLED on the Z? (I'm dreaming but you get my point.) The technology is changing so quickly that spending less for equal enjoyment means savings for buying the next latest and greatest sooner. (Does that make sense?)

 

Okay: notebookjournal.de just now came out with a review of the CCFL FullHD on the AW3 series. Here are the test results: http://www.notebookjournal.de/tests/inspection/sony-vaio-vgn-aw31xy-959

The screen has a better contrast ratio than I recall on the FW FullHDs but the brightness is about the same. The HiColor of the FW1 had much higher luminescence but never has the FW screen come in at 500:1 on contrast.

Just what you wanted to hear, right? Sorry....

 

If you don't move around a lot and you watch movies, especially Blu-ray, I would say get the AW. The screen is much bigger and the font is larger for the same screen resolution. The only reason I opted FW over AW is its size and weight.

 

Wait, the Display here is an LED panel. The Full HD CCFL is used in the AW31 S/B and the AW31 ZJ/B.

Cheers,
Tobi

 

I personally dislike nvidia's mobile chipsets and their drivers. After the 8x00 series meltdown I will not buy a laptop with nvidia GPU if I can avoid it. Hence my preference is the smaller, lighter FW series with the ATI 4650 GPU.

Besides the mobility 4650 is faster than the 9600m.

Cheers,

 

Yes, it appears you are right. The review of the AW31 does not mention LED but if you go to the review of the AW21 (which they say has the identical screen) you do find the explicit reference to RGB LED.

What does this tell us if that RGB LED is so dark and has a contrast in the 500s to 1 range?

Maybe a brighter HiColor CCFL just might suit many (non-professional) users a lot more than this screen. A HiColor sure needs a lot less color tinkering, that's for sure.

 

Thank you so much for your helpful feedback everyone. I am truly thankful. I will go for the FW, since it seems to compare to the AW when it comes to the screen and its quality, but at a lower price.

 

And if you're right-handed and want to actually use the notebook on your lap, the FW has a centered keyboard whereas for the AW with its keypad on the right, you either have to type to the left or shove the computer off to the right on your knees.

Don't laugh. That AW is heavy and larger -- and awkwardness as a notebook (rather than a desktop replacement) is a consideration against the AW.