Durability of SZ laptop

Hi all,
I'm tempted by the SZ650N/C and found some good deals on those lappies. However, i'm a bit concerned about the durability of the laptop as it appears to be so breakable. I've been using HP Business Notebooks for 4 years and used to their boxy yet durable build. Any ideas? Deciding between the SZ650N/C and the HP 6910p with same specs and the Sony is 300 more expensive, but it's yes, gorgeous. The warranty is another problem as I can only buy them in USA and have no way to activate the warranty for other countries like Australia or Singapore, and it's only one year though. Thanks all

 

the sonystyle reps mentioned that the 640 should be more durable than the 650
though it does not have the led backlit and is a little heavier

 

Why would the 640 be more durable then the premium models? From what I've read on these forums, the 600 is suppose to be the sturdiest SZ series yet. I'm pretty sure you can get a Canadian warranty from a US bought SZ.

 

the 640 definitely won't be more durable than the 650, the 650 and above has a carbon fiber casing, which is much more durable than the 640

i would def get the sz650 or above if you like it, because durability won't be a problem with that laptop

 

they're all more durable then hp models I've seen. My company moved from HP to Sony and in the past 2 years we been using the sz series we have had only 1 in need of replacement due to breakage because a forklift went over it.

HP's after 2 years were mostly exhibiting the standard signs of stress cracks along the hinges, motherboard failures etc..

 

im sure the magnesium is more sturdy because it doesn't flex as much as the carbon fiber one.

ive tried both. the few ounces is negligible

 

Nope! I've asked! Else I would get it from the States too!

 

I've asked sony support and they said that the warranty would apply to Canada as well. (It was online chat, so I don't know how reliable they are....)

 

maybe it applies to North America?

 

Sony says carbon fiber is much more durable than the magnesium casing but if you ever see both side by side, you can see why some will have a hard time believing it.

The magnesium one seems stronger and pushing the carbon fiber case from the back will produce the ripple affect on your screen.

Besides, what exactly are you planning to do with this notebook? Throw it into a tornado?

 

maybe its deceiving because rigidity and strength sometimes represent differently.

 

its a very durable machine, dropped my sz160 a couple of times and still working fine.

 

You are probably right. Curse the english language with their 6 billion word long dictionary. Or maybe I should go after the Sony advertising department.

 

I've been in a similar dillemma before while considering between an SZ380 (SZ650's predecessor) and an HP nc6400 (6910p's predecessor with similar construction) and got the HP instead (for about the same price).
While the SZ certainly looks better and is much lighter with better screen, but the lid flexes a lot and has a cracking sound when you open and close it because it stresses the thin screen (the salesperson say I should use both hands to open the screen). If you're careful, you're probably fine, but since I carry mine everywhere and am not too careful myself, I know I will break it at some point. Also, I get better resolution options (WXGA+) with the 14" HP.

There's also a gap between the keyboard and the chassis and I'm not confident that this is totally spill resistant as Sony claims, but the HP's keyboard and touchpad feels better and quieter (with the rubber touchpad buttons).

Another problem with Sony is the warranty. At least in Australia (and everywhere else in Asia ex Japan), they don't offer a decent a 3-year international warranty as standard (neither can you purchase it). Unlike HP, Sony's replacement parts are very expensive and repairing it will be hell.

If you like the SZ's features (weight, screen, dual graphics) and looks but can accept the shortcomings, go for it, but I'd still say the HP is far more durable. Oh, the HP has a crappy graphics card.

 

Thanks all guys! I'll be working in a corporate finance department really soon and my job is to go to firms to get the data and also work on the road and wherever they ask me to. I think the Sony is very ideal in terms of weight and the screen,but the HP offer more consistent performance and warranty for peace of mind. I actually bought an SZ650 for my friend and god, it doesnt have the latch to hold the lid when you close the laptop and that's scary.
One more thing is the docking station as I'm a docking freak because I have so many stuffs to stick into my lappy. As far as I know, the advanced docking station of HP is far outweight the PRSZ1 .
Overall, I think i'll go with the HP 6910p but trust me, I'll get the SZ once I got my bonus payment.

 

i have used a lot of diff laptops like dell, ibm, samsung, hp, toshiba, sony.

i would give ibm / lennovo as No.1 in terms of sturdyness

but my sony does not seem to lag in that........i dont feel it will break......it looks pretty solid to me.

i have sz430n/b

 

Its not international but 3 yr warranty is definitely available for the sz series.. we have a few at work with it. We stopped buying the 3 yr warranty because we found the failure rate was so small on them.

One gripe i dooo have is that the battery is never covered by the warranty..

 

Yes I am aware of that, hence I explicitly state "international" because the Vaio overseas service is valid for 12 months only (and they charge exorbitant prices for warranty anyway).
I rarely use the warranty on any of my notebooks, but it's always for peace of mind so I don't have to worry about the cost of repairs. I also like onsite warranty because it is so convenient for me not having to go to the service centre.
Sony should improve on their warranty.