Questions on SZ series

Hey guys, I'm currently on the notebook market and look to perhaps buy a VAIO SZ (wanted a professional look). Im not a computer wiz so my computer knowledge is very basic. So when answering please try to keep it relatively simply, and sorry if some of these questions seem so typical or trivial.

First i was just wondering, as i scrolled through some of the pages of this forum, theres alot of talk about SZ7's vs SZ6's. Whats the difference?

Second of all, as i viewed the SONY USA site, they offered customizable features. Unfortunately, i live in Canada and it seems they don't offer this type of personalized setup. Would they be introducing something similar to this soon?

Third of all, i hear a lot of talk about the new intel penryn processors. Generally, what are the major differences and how would it make me "wait" for them to be released? Is it safe to assume that sony will incorporate these in a near future update?

 

1) This thread should answer any questions: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=207577

 

ooo, btw i've gone through many other forums and have found that many people have problems with their Vaio's, could this just be that these individuals got "lemons" out of the crop? Do you guys have any problems with yours, and if so how does Sony ensure customer satisfaction?

 

Sponsi, i don't really understand how that answers my questions. It doesn't talk about differences, if any new updates are gonna come out, what the difference is with Penryn.. please clarify.

Thanks in advance for anyone that helps out

 

Well here is the deal, Sony gives you alot of bloatware (in other words, software that is crap that you don't need) so by doing a few cleanup steps when you first buy your laptop and configuring your lappy with the right settings, you should have no problems as long as you run a decent antivirus while always updating it.

As to SONY customer Service, just like alll the other notebook manufacturers I have spoken to (HP for example) are a total waste of time. They only give you guidlines as per their books. Nothing as individual care or going out of their way to provide you with any update or driver that you have specifcally asked for. All they would tell u is SONY doesn't support bla bla bla.... They just support you with what was pre-installed on your laptop.

All in all, I LOVE my SZ484N (specifications in my signature) took me a while till I got used to its configuration and knowing what best suits it and how to install and configure it as I'm no average user.

But for a basic user, a SONY would be one of the best in my opinion alondwith Toshiba.

 

The main difference between the SZ6 and SZ7 is Penryn, larger hard drives (but no longer hybrid), and some models come with more ram.

T8100>T7250
T8300>T7500
T9300>T7700
T9500>T7800

Penryn is 45nm which means the chip is smaller and more powerful than the previous generation. It is worth waiting for them for a small increase in battery life and performance, though Intel has said that through February, penryns will be in short supply.

 

I would personally wait if i was gonna get the best. and if you are choosing the SZ series it means that you ARE going for the best coz you don't buy 2 laptops, you buy 1 and keep it for a long damn time right?

 

Thanks guys, the outlook is starting to become clearer

Do you guys know anything about the customizable features? Because i've been to the sony store, best buy, future shop here in Canada and seem like they only offer one version

 

Any in store VAIOs will be not be customizable.

If you can wait, I would highly recommend waiting for a Penryn notebook (T8100-T9500). It will run cooler and battery will be somewhat extended. The cooler part is what attracts me the most honestly. Problem is, you might find one in 3 week or it might be more like 2 months.

SZ750
SZ770
SZ791 All have Penryns and are in store available when released.

 

well the thing is i live in Canada, i was wondering if they'd be offering the customizable option online to Canadians consumers? I don't necessarily need to pick it up in stores, i hope they bring this feature to online purchasers in Canada.

How does purchasing it in the states work? Is there anyway i won't lose out on warranty? What about if i purchase it online at the USA site?

 

The "SZ7 series on the way?" thread answered your first question perfectly, differences are clearly being discussed. If I may quote a few posts

 

comon guys, give me some good news about the warranty

 

I've spoken to several Sony customer representatives and each one has something different to say. One says the warranty is valid in Canada even when purchased in the US, and they actually gave a number to get more details but then those guys say it doesn't transfer over. However I'm not sure how they can tell the difference between a US and Canada purchased SZ. Afterall the SZ650 US is the same as the Canadian one. They "require" a proof of purchase, buy some users have reported they were never asked for it, and their warranty began once they registered with Sony. Even if you're asked for the invoice/receipt, you can pretend as if you don't have one and the warranty period will begin the date of the market release(Assuming they cannot tell the difference)

 

so basically I have to take a chance as there are no certainties or sure-bet ways for me to be covered under the warranty.. thats kind of tough to swallow..

however, can I assume that Sony is going to release the same penryn models as the states in the near future (hopefully mid February? i think on their US site it says by feb 18?)