How does this Sony VAIO compare with a Dell M1210?

This VAIO named VGN-SZ23GP B is coming out in HK soon for the equivalent of about $1600 USD.

The price is a bit more expensive than the similarly matched Dell XPS M1210 and the specs (CPU, HDD) are a bit worse, but i like Sony for their design and product quality (the old sony i have is still running with no problems despite years of rough treatment).

Yeah, so what do you guys think of this in comparison to the dell? (i've posted this in another forum earlier). Good laptop?

Btw are sony laptops still as durable as they were ? I heard they are now all made in china instead of japan...

Full specs: http://www.sonystyle.com.hk/ss/vaio/product/vgn-sz23gp_b/vgn-sz23gp_b.pdf

 

in general, sony looks a lot better than dell.

also, they are a lot thinner, so the m1210's 12.1 inch actually may weigh more than the 13.3 inch sony.

the specs are nearly the same, but i would prefer the sony, because 12.1 screen is hell to your eyes.

 

Agreed I would get the sony for the looks. The SZ series does show its fair bit of style everywhere you take it. While you see plenty of Dells

Plus the fact thats its really ligthweight and easy to carry. My SZ120 is always been good to me and I can highly recommend it.

 

the SZ23 is a far cry from SZ120 tho

 

There is no doubt that the SZ is one very fine piece of engineering and design work, But the XPS is also a fine laptop. It would really depend on how much faster the CPU is, and how much more expensive the dell is. If you can get the SZ with similar specs at a similar price then you would be crazy not to get it over the dell. Its lighter, thinner, better screen and looks way better.

 

the Dell has a 0.34 GHZ advantage for CPU and i think their HDD is 7200rpm?


Sony does look good tho. High quality components. Hope its one of those made in japan ones (unlikely as it is).

 

price of both is around 12000HKD

 

If dells batterylife is true, then theres your advantage that weighs more than looks.

 

I doubt we'd get that type of battery life out of the Dell unless you happen to just leave it on with the lowest settings and not really use it.

Not to say it can't be accurate but most manufacturers battery time that they state aren't what we would get under real world usage. SZ for example Sony states 6 or 7 hours depending on which model you get. I have the SZ150 which is supposed to last up to 7 hours, I get around 4 hours. And this is using stamina with most settings turned down.

 

Dell if you spec it out will be a better system. BUT wont ave things like the new card bus slot, good looks,fingerprint scanner,memory stick reader builtin.

But you can get it BTO with bigger batteries and better camera and a better vid card, few other things.

 

Maybe so but its still a SZ .

 

You should play with both of them a little over several days. I LOVE both my XPS and VAIO machines (^_^)^ )~hug!

 

Haha thats a possibly solution... what Thebugman said, get both.

Assuming both have a 30 day return policy or some where like that, get them and play with them and keep whichever you like more.

The return policy for the Sony though depends on where you purchase it from. I believe for Sony USA, if you order directly from them, that they offer a 30 day money back guarantee, but from retail stores a lot of them charge a restocking fee.

 

no testing option for me here. if i want the sony i will have to place an order now (and receive it when it comes out in a few months).

Does this low end model include the fancy extras like finger print scanner?

I am not sure it does.

Essentially imo, the difference between Dell and sony is 200MHZ of cpu clock (dell advantage) and better looks for Sony, at the same price.

The sony has some battery saving feature too.

 

Over here in Oz you can get a dell 2gig CPU, 2gig Ram, and a 100gig 7200 harddisk for the same price (roughly) as a sony 1.8gig CPU, 512meg of ram, 80gig 5200 HD.

But yeah the sony looks better and is lighter.

Regards,
Simon.

 

OK, i am going with the Sony

Its got cool looks, weight, i assume from my old vaio that the production quality is high.

This is a very good deal (price wise) for a sony actually. I reckon it will be a hot product once it comes out because its a very capable laptop that is within the reach of most consumers.

 

sounds like a good idea getting a Sony. Just read all the sz posts here before posting questions. Most questions has been answered by someone at this point in time.

 

No, the Dell XPS M1210 does not come with the fingerprint scanner. Also, for those wondering about the Dell return policy, it's 21 days.

 

well this lower cost model of SZ that i am getting doesn't have a fingerprint scanner either, so its all equal

 

Heh ok so I was wrong about the exact days on the return policy. Its been a while since I got a Dell laptop, I ordered one for wife about 2 months ago and it got delayed by about 2-3 months that I cancelled it and we ended getting a Sager instead.

 

Are you ordering a customized one straight from Sony? Generally all preconfigured Sony's that I've seen include the fingerprint scanner by default.

 

http://www.sonystyle.com.hk/ss/product/vaio/vgn_sz23gp_b_e.jsp

Kind of...this is the one i am getting.


No finger print reader for this one (this is a lower end model i guess). Nor do i get the new LCD or carbon fibre chassis. But hey, magnesium chassis is still very solid, and I like Sonys because i have had a very good experience with them.

My old sony is 6 years old, been dropped unaccountable times (the chassis is really battered and bits of plastic have fallen off), but is still functionally perfect. Now, i know that today's laptops are no longer built to last forever, but i hope that the sony quality is still fairly good

Besides, in a toss up between the Dell and the Sony, Vaio simply had more class


PS: does anyone know whether this is made in Japan, China or Taiwan?

 

Just a quick Q....


Just it possible for me to upgrade to a faster duo core CPU (e.g. from T2300 to T2600) a few years down the line?

 

yes you can swap cpus.
SZ18 still beats the 23 but may have a better keyboard lol
i still love my SZ18 =p

 

hmm

well, with the 23 i shave $500 USD off the price..

I lose the goodies like Premium Carbon Fibre and the nicer screen, and my CPU is a bit worse...but for a user on a budget, thats the best option

Great news that the CPU can be upgraded. Probably no point to tho, there's no use for great CPUs unless one's gaming, and the CPU's not the bottleneck for games in this notebook.

 

i have a friend who just ordered that DELL M1210 from Dell HK, ill ask him how it is when he gets it

 

Any Sony VAIO will own any Dell, anyday. That is the law. Dell has been known to make "ok" computers at cheap prices. If you want to watch your wallet, go to Dell. If not, then go to Sony, because you'll be glad you did. Sony's SZs are made entirely in Japan, not like Dell, which is made in Malaysia. With Sony, you'll get style, quality, power, but you're wallet will be drained.

 

well i am fortunate in that for me, Dell and Sony are approximately equally priced

 

There was a person that put the Merom chip into his SZ and it worked. Granted I think it got hotter, since Merom run hotter from what I've heard and read. So you may in the future, upgrade to a Merom series instead of a faster Core Duo.

 

how is "Sony better than any Dell" a law? Really, that was a meaningless effort to brag about your sony, along with your other posts on notebookreview.com! It's either "SONY BETTER THAN ALL DELLS,HPs,IBMs..." or it's "Thinkpads look ugly." No one wants to hear you brag. Have you ever thought that some people can't afford to pay that $? So you deride thinkpads because they are worth a lot more than your FE?

Seriously. Just stop, and quit acting arrogantly. This forum was designed to ask questions and help others, not for ranting "Sony is the best" in every thread.

The XPS series all have exceptional build qualities, usually associated with the high-end machines. And the SZ doesn't have "quality" if you ask me. Sure the style fits some people, but the machine's interior has the quality of the oridinary brand. The Sony tech support sux, worse than dell's regular support. The M1210, in fact, is more reliable.