About to Pull Trigger on Sony S Purchase. Any last minute things I should be concerned about?

I'm about to purchase a Sony S with the following specs:

SVS13A290X Premium Plus
i7-3520M processor
Win 8 Pro (Fresh Start)
1600x900 Display
2GB 640M LE
512GB RAID-0
12GB RAM

This will be my portable work machine, primarily used for:

-Photoshop CS6
-Lightroom 4
-VMWare

It seems to hit everything I need for speed, weight, hard-disk size, and a decent enough gamut for on the go editing.

Am I wrong? Is there anything I should be concerned about for these tasks before I drop $3200 on this thing?

Also - I hear Acronis does not play nicely with these machines. Is that still the case? Can you recommend a better backup solution?

Thanks all!

 

I hear upgrading the display on it does wonders. Personally if I were you is go for the 15" with higher resolution and much better IPS display. The new ones don't have the orange issue anymore, mine is perfect.

Sent from my GT-N7000

 

If it's for work I would go for something more durable like a Thinkpad T530 with he high-gamut display (especially if you use PS and Lightroom) or an HP 8570p w/Dreamcolor display if your company budget allows.

 

I just ordered almost the same thing, with a few differences. I decided against the 3520 CPU, because it is only a 10-15% improvement on the 3320 (according to various benchmarks), and the extra $180 didn't seem worth it.I used that money saved to buy an SSD from Newegg which I will install shortly after I receive the laptop. But since you're splurging on the 512GB SSD, it seems like money isn't the issue (you can buy a 3rd-party 512 SSD for far less, but then you have to worry about cloning drives and whatnot).

Also, I read that fresh start is kind of a waste of money because they still include a bunch of the proprietary Sony software, they just don't include the trials. I decided that I could just do a clean install if its too cluttered and save $50. Again, looks like money isn't as much of an issue, and maybe you need Win 8 Pro for some work-related reason.

I also decided against the 15" because of portability. The screen and better 3612QM CPU would be fantastic, and I would put those extra number keys to good use (Excel junkie, I am), but it does me no good if I can't open up the laptop on an airplane... In the end, they still cram some pretty impressive specs into 3.5 lbs on the 13".

Anyway, I don't have mine yet, so that's all the wisdom I can impart at this juncture.

 

Guys

Thanks muchly for the advice!

5150Joker - Is the end of orange-gate absolutely official? This may change things.

Kanuk - I very much like the T530 or, better yet, W530. However, I have to have something smaller and lighter than those (or the HP). I have my desktop for critical work - this machine really needs to be small and light enough to be hoofed, on my back, by foot and by bike all over the place. Unfortunately, it's a sacrifice I have to make.

There's actually an Asus ultrabook (The VX31, I think) that has stellar gamut, but it lacks the HD and RAM that I need - which is why I'm willing to go up to the Sony's form factor - but I can't go up to the >5lb weight of the Lenovo or the HP.

JonsConspiracy - Believe me, I'd like the cheaper solution, and once I would have been happy to tinker - but right now I really need something that "Just Works". I do need pro for work, so I figured I might as well take what I can get with Fresh Start. It sounds like we have similar needs and gripes.

Does anyone have any insight on whether or not the Acronis issues have been resolved with the latest version of TIH?

Thanks again all!

 

It's the UX31. Check out the UX32VD - it has the same display but it's a bit thicker and has a replaceable HDD (you could swap in a 512 GB SSD yourself).

 

I just had the exact same custom model delivered to me yesterday. The laptop's build quality is great and plenty fast. The screen however has a significant "screen-door" effect due to some coating that was applied by the screen manufacturer. Compared to my 2009 Vaio Z screen with the exact same resolution, this screen sucks. I'm thinking of returning it or getting the panel changed. Called Sony customer support and they said the tech will replace it with the same part number, which will probably not solve the issue. Kind feel bummed about the screen compared to my Z. Maybe i can graft the screen to my new S.

I really wish i hadn't dropped my vaio z =(

 

Whach - I'm curious when you placed your order and when it arrived relative to the estimated date you got with purchase. I ordered my 13P yesterday, which an estimated ship date of April 4th. This morning I got an email saying that my computer is being built. The order details still say its estimated to ship on April 4th, but the email also says, "In the next couple of days, you will receive another email with your tracking number." .... so I don't know which to believe, April 4th, or "the next couple days". I am really crossing my fingers that it arrives by April 2nd, because I am traveling on the 3rd and would love to use it on my trip.

Did anyone get their laptop before the estimated date? Is this email about it being built a good sign that it's ahead of schedule, or just some automated email that everyone gets the day after an order is placed?

 

Lets see. I placed the order on the 18th of March, It was shipped on the 22nd and arrived on the 26th from China via Express Shipping (Fedex). Pretty quick I think.

Let me know what you think of the screen!

Curious to see if you have the same opinion.

 

Much sympathy; we've all done it, at least once! Coupla thoughts:

1) You can still get an SVZ new or very little used still under wtty on eBay at very good prices, occasionally insanely low prices. It really gives you a "do-over" with the Z and will remain a very powerful machine for some time to come as long as you don't foresee a need for >8GB RAM.

2) That Asus UX32VD does have a superb 13" IPS screen, extremely bright with color gamut almost as wide and accurate as the Z's FHD screen. By getting the 32VD model you're adding:

a) a weak but OC-able nVidia gpu
b) up to 10GB RAM, where most ultrabooks are still at 4 max
c) a standard fit for any commercial 2.5" SSD, saving you a bundle on that 512 you're after
d) clearly a lesser cpu than any of the Sonys you're looking at: it's an Ivy Bridge i7 ULV, but again depending upon your needs is not half bad. I've read specs and reviews and it is apparently equiv to a SB i52XXXM dual core.

3) Are you absolutely certain you can't squeeze the Sony S15 on most airplane tray tables (and of how often you will need to do this) because otherwise the S15 is the best of all worlds at a pretty low price point with a fabulous screen, quad core SV cpu, strong GPU, user serviceable SSD, etc.

If you can, put the final replacement machine on homeowners or renters insurance policy. Doesn't cover malfunctions, but covers accidental damage and theft for around $20/year!

 

I'm glad to hear that your laptop shipped quickly. I ordered on the 26th, so if it takes the same time as yours then I'll get it on April 3rd, which is a day later than I want/need it

I'll let you know what I think about the screen. My current laptop (HP TM2t), has pretty terrible viewing angles and a lower resolution, so my expectations are low. That said, I do have an Asus Transformer TF700, which has an excellent 1900x1200 resolution on a 10" screen and it is beautiful. It boggles my mind that they can put a full-HD (or more) screen on $500 tablets, but I can't get the same thing on a $1,100 laptop with a 13" screen.

 

It all depends on the airline. JetBlue, yes... Delta, no.... American/United/Southwest, maybe...

The worst thing for me is being on a cross country flight, and not being able to use my laptop. So many lost productivity hours. It kind of defeats the purpose of even having a laptop. Maybe someday I'll be important/wealthy enough to always fly business class, and then 15" could work.

I have a desktop that I primarily use at home. The only time I use a laptop is when I travel.

 

After much consideration, I actually just went and ordered a UX32VD. The screen/weight were the selling points, and I think (hope) that it has the oomph to handle what I throw at it (CS6, LR4, VMWare)

Guys - thanks for the info and help!