New Member of the FZ Family... maybe

I've been looking at laptops for a while now and I believe the FZ290 is going to fit the bill. I almost made the mistake of buying the $699 Sony that Circuit City has, but luckily, the salesman's attitude detered me from buying anything at Circuit City... but that's another story.

Anyway, I was originally just looking for something to take to college to type papers and such, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I tend to hang on to computers and other big purchases for a while, so I thought I would spend a little more money and get something that will last a while. I never feel the need to have the latest and greatest, but I do like some bells and whistles. I haven't placed my order yet. I contacted SonyStyle in regards to any available promotions. I figured it would be worth a shot if I could get some free accessories or something. I'd like to order by the end of the week, so hopefully they'll get back to me. The configuration I put together is as follows:

Intel C2D T7250 (2GHz)
Vista Home Premium (meh...)
2GB DDR2-667 (2x 1GB)
160GB SATA
DVD+/-R (standard)
NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT (standard)
802.11 a/b/g/n w/ Bluetooth (standard)

For $1008.98, I think it's a steal considering it has the 8400M GT and a C2D processor instead of the older Pentium.

 

Looks like a pretty good deal considering it's straight from sonystyle. I also have a fz series and i would have to say that it's one of the better 15 inch laptops around. The build quality is great and it's light and easy to carry for the school days. Considering it has an 8400gt and as long as you're not an intense gamer, this setup should last a while.

 

I don't mind playing games on the lowest setting. I've had this desktop for about 6 years and only recently upgraded the graphics card to a Radeon X1650 Pro so I could play Call of Duty 4 and Battlefield 2142. If the 8400m GT is good enough for those games, that would be great... if not, I'll find something else to pass the time, lol.

I'm actually sitting here wondering if I even want to *try* to play games on a laptop. If I get the above configured computer, add a router, sleeve, and mouse to the mix, I'm looking at about $1170 total.

On the other hand, I could go with the $699 Vaio at Circuit City, add a router, sleeve, and mouse and be on my way having only spent about $825 after the $50 MIR.

$345 is a pretty significant chunk of change to a college student.

I tend to overthink things and since I've been looking at the laptops, I keep asking myself the same questions over and over.

What if I ever get a phone with Bluetooth?
Would I be happy with a wireless G system rather than a wireless N?
How often would I need the added performance/range of the N?
How is the 8400m GT in comparison to the x3100?
Would there be a drastic difference between the T7250 and the T2330?
Can I get by with the 160GB hard drive instead of the 200GB?

Of course, most of those questions I need to answer for myself. I would like some real world info on the processors and graphics though. I can look at charts all day long and conclude that one is better than the other based on whatever, but its nice to hear actual reviews from people that use the product on a daily basis.


For reference purposes, here is the Circuit City Vaio:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=199887&c=1

It's obvious the $1000 build will outlast the Circuit City build, but by how long? Just how much more advanced is the more expensive build?

 

Well, I have a T250 and a 8400M with my FZ21E, I play everything smoothly, COD4, Stalker, Bioshock, even Crysis (of course not high detail...). The only adventure was to getting windows XP recognizing everything in the laptop ( still wating on Function keys libraries though).

Your questions are for yourself to respond, really

It's all about what the main purpose of the laptop is, for me it's work related.

 

I don't think I've ever been this mad...

Sony just changed their models and now the FZ starts at $1139.99. Granted, it starts with most of what I had configured in the one I was going to order, but now its $130 more. What gives...

 

Try looking in the clearance/refurb section. Check the Clearance box on the left and you should see some FZ290s there. Google sony 10% outlet and you should find a 10% off code.

 

Thanks for the tip. I checked the clearance section this morning and none of the pre-configured FZs have the options I want and they don't allow you to make changes.

The old saying "if I didn't have any bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all" comes to mind after reviewing my situation. First, I was set on HP, but by the time I got the money, I missed out on the $500 coupon. I kept looking around and found the Vaio at Circuit City. I called them and double checked to make sure they had a granite model in stock. I drove 45 minutes to the closest Circuit City and the salesman ended up being a p***k and the only color they had was indigo. Then, I found the perfect CTO model on Sony's site and I had plans of depositing the money into my bank account today so I could order it this evening and not more than 3 hours after picking it out, Sony changed the model and increased the price.

The search continues...

 

I logged into my SonyStyle account and checked my shopping cart to see if the original $1008.98 build was still there. It was and it said it was still in stock. I could even go back and edit the order, but I didn't. I figured I'd give them a call first to make sure the order would go through. He confirmed that the order would have been rejected. I told him I was a member of a notebook review community and I was curious if there were any available ecoupons. He asked what kind of computer I was interested in and what it's use would be and so forth. He said we could put together a build and then he would see what kind of discount he could do. We put together the EXACT same build as I had for $1000 and after his $50 discount, it was still coming in at $1140. He said there were improvements to the model line, but for some reason, he didn't know what they were. The only thing I could see was the addition of a "polished mosaic" option for the keyboard color, an eco-screen option, and a blu-ray option. I didn't want any of the three.

I wonder if I should hold out to see what kind of deals surface for President's Day or if I should just call him back and order it. He said the $50 discount may or may not be applied when I call back. With my current luck, it probably won't, lol.

 

UPDATE:

I've been putting this purchase off in hopes that a sale would come about for President's Day. HP is offering 25% off of their SE models. I posted this in the "What Notebook Should I Buy?" forum and also asked advice on the HP in the HP forum. Now, I'm turning to you guys for advice on the Sony. As you know, the model is now an FZ4000. Here are the two configs I've put together. I'd like advice from the people that actually own either of these or have extensive knowledge. In my initial help thread, Sager was suggested as an alternative since I mentioned that I'd like to play CoD4, but others don't seem to have problems running it on the 8400m GT that comes in the FZ... I'm not so sure about the 8400m GS that comes in the HP. Anyway, here are the two configs. I WILL be placing my order tomorrow. I've already spoke with a Sony sales rep and decided to wait until tomorrow so I can get free shipping. I'm also guaranteed a $50 discount if I place my order over the phone.

Sony FZ4000 - $1222.97
Vista Home Premium
T8100
2GB DDR2 667MHz
nVidia 8400m GT
120GB 5400rpm HDD
DVD+/-RW
15.4" WXGA (Hi-Color)
Intel PRO/Wireless 802.11 ABGN with Bluetooth
Matching Sony Vaio USB Lazer Travel Mouse
Matching Neoprene Sony Vaio sleeve for the notebook and A/C adapter

HP dv6700t Special Edition - $1108.22
Vista Home Premium
T7500
3GB DDR2 667MHz
nVidia 8400m GS
250GB 5400rpm HDD
DVD+/-RW /w LightScribe
15.4" WXGA (HD BrightView)
Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN with Bluetooth
Matching HP USB Travel Mouse


Give me some encouragement here... I could use it, lol.

 

Processor -- Sony
RAM -- HP (however, it's easy to find a 2GB stick for less than $50 after shipping)
Graphics -- Sony (!)
HDD -- HP, but upgrade that Sony to 160GB for el cheapo. 160 is good for me personally.
DVD etc -- HP I guess, but pffft does anyone use lightscribe?
Display -- Toss up depending on preferences
Looks -- Sony all the way
Weight -- Sony (0.04 lbs if it even matters)
Battery life -- Both are probably gonna suck with standard batteries. Sony lists 1.5-3.0 hours, HP doesn't list time.

Sooo, the real advantages the Sony has over the HP are the CPU and GPU. The T8100 CPU will provide a cooler running, more efficient machine which to some people is huge and to others not a big selling point. With the GPU, if you want to do some light gaming or photo/video work, you'll want the Sony. I would say overall the HP doesn't bring anything new at all to the table but it is well spec'd and likely well worth the money. It all comes down to what you're looking for specifically.

I chose the Sony for T8300, 8400M GT, Blu-Ray, and the style (yes I can be that way). Good luck!

 

The FZ-4000 is better -- it has the new Intel chip in it that uses less power. Also, it has a true AV mode, so you can play movies without booting windows. I have the FZ-290, I bought it around Christmas and I love it. I wish I could have waited and got the 4000 though...Also, the 4000 is BRAND new, so it will last for a while you can count on that.

 

I'm really excited about ordering it. Does it include any goodies or is it just what you see what you get?

 

When I bought my fz290 in November the hd war was still on. Today I would opt for the Blu-ray disk.

 

Ok, get a load of this. The Sony config is exactly the same as before, but I changed the processor on the HP. Here's the Sony config and the modified HP config.

Sony FZ4000 - $1222.97
Vista Home Premium
T8100
2GB DDR2 667MHz
nVidia 8400m GT
120GB 5400rpm HDD
DVD+/-RW
15.4" WXGA (Hi-Color)
Intel PRO/Wireless 802.11 ABGN with Bluetooth
Matching Sony Vaio USB Lazer Travel Mouse
Matching Neoprene Sony Vaio sleeve for the notebook and A/C adapter

HP dv6700t Special Edition - $1129.45
Vista Home Premium
T9300
3GB DDR2 667MHz
nVidia 8400m GS
250GB 5400rpm HDD
DVD+/-RW /w LightScribe
15.4" WXGA (HD BrightView)
Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN with Bluetooth
Matching HP USB Travel Mouse


I really like the Sony for the name, style, graphics card, and everything I've heard about the screen, but the HP's specs are impressive for the price. I only worry about the graphics card.

I'm placing my order in a few hours and I'm scrambling to make the last minute decision. I really don't want to come down with a bad case of buyer's remorse.

 

I took a gamble with that...glad that I won.