Any Z alternatives

Hi!

So I purchased a Z and it looks wonderful and is almost here. However, I am beginning to worry that although it seems like a wonderful machine, that I may have spent too much. (although I was originally going to buy a MBP which would be almost as much LOL)

So, portability is very important (it is a notebook afterall). And I do want a minimum of 320m for light gaming (eg. SC2). Build quality is important as I only buy once every 4 years or so.

Am I crazy and should I stick with the Z? Or is there a nearly similar alternative that would match that would be much cheaper?

Thanks!

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=477804

 

No.

10char

 

Not really. I have been looking at nearly every notebook on the market and nothing compares to the Z for specs relative to price. And while I am not entirely fond of the price of the Z, and I'm sure it is overkill for my needs, I will probably splurge on it soon. I cannot stand my crappy HP anymore.

Go price a 13" Envy or MBP and you quickly approach or exceed the cost of the Z for a lower spec system.

 

3820T Acer

 

Stick with the Z, it's pretty much in a league of it's own in my opinion.
Even the SZ model is hard to find something much better.

The Envy is nice, but I don't feel it's up to snuff. The Asus UX is a nice cheaper alternative, but still not even close to the same league. The Adamo 13 is nice, but the way the XPS it sits bothers me. Even then you still have a high price. Mac, the one button grates me, plus Macs aren't the best for reliability, and we all know their costs. That Acer looks good, but... It's an Acer. I have a 10 year old Sony, I have never seen a decent 5 year old Acer.

If I bought today and had the money, it would be a Z. I would do an Adamo 13, but it can't stand up to the Z in performance. If I didn't have the money, it would be the Asus or a used SZ or TT, or maybe a used Adamo 13. The 13in area just isn't competitive enough. Go look at the options for a netbook, or 14, 15 or even 17in. There are tons of notebooks, but for 13 there isn't much. Sony has ruled it for over a decade.

 

trade my S for your Z

 

The LG P310 was the best available last year. It is 1.6 kg (~3.5 lbs) with a 9600M GT, but external optical. This is faster than a 320M but slower than the 330M. I paid ~$1400 for mine.

But, P310's aren't made anymore.

 

fujitsu does make a small laptop

 

Every Fujitsu I have seen fell apart quickly.

 

No alternative. Only one 13"er has better specs - the Acer 3820TG. The Sony has the better keyboard, better display, SSD, backlit keys, weighs almost a pound less and packs an optical drive.

The Acer will cost around $1,200 with a 5400rpm drive that will obviously have to be upgraded to an Intel 160GB X25-M (~$400). That is $1,600. The Sony is a bargain when you look at it.

 

The Acer will cost far less than 1200.

But still it's no comparison to the Z.

 

Dont i have to reinstall windows after i replace the HDD to SSD?

 

You talking about the Acer? IF so, yes unless you have drive cloning software (ie ghost) and a sata-usb converter of some sort.

 

u mean norton ghost? if i get the acer, i think the least i wanna do is to change it to ssd..

 

Base models may cost less than $1,200, but comparing model prices already shipping in Asia and Europe, even adjusting for VAT, that price looks about right for the I7-620M HD5650 Model. I would guess that there will be some introductory sales and bing cash back.

Anyway, the Acer's 5650 will clearly out perform the Sony's GT 330M, probably generating 3DMark06 scores in the 7500 range. It has 8 hours of battery life, not 5. It has dual heat sinks that keep temps fairly low. Like the Sony, the fans seem to run quite a bit - the cost of performance. It has a brushed metal body and handrest. It's not a machine to be lightly discounted. There is some very nice engineering here. At least one 14" model will have an Intel X25-M 160GB SSD. The 13" may have a similar model. To be sure, it has its shortcomings, mainly display and keyboard. It's nearly a pound heavier than the Sony. The Acer flat keyboard takes some getting accustom to. Overall though, the notebook holds its own. I think it compares well to a Z, considering price.

Bronsky

 

What do you mean it hast the x25m ssd? i don think acer will offer that as an option.. =\ anyways, i bought my acer 3820T i7 with 5650, 640GB HD, 4GB ram. comes with 3 yrs warranty and free ext dvd drive. cost me SGD1660..