Sony BX560B (business model)

I just got a Sony BX560B from buy.com. I was going to order from Sonystyle, but I was kind of in a rush.

This will be short, and I will post a more extensive review after I get a chance to load some software on it. Right now, my only use has been to copy 40 gig of data to it and do some surfing.

The reason this laptop appealed to me was because of the trackpoint and the 15.4" XBRITE ECO screen. My comparisons will be to a Thinkpad T43p. In my opinion, the top business laptop on the market, but you pay out the nose for it. Mine was in excess of $ 3500. The Sony BX560B was less than $ 1900.

First off, I was amazed at the similarities between the Thinkpad line and the BX line. Fingerprint reader, mute button, function key combinations (like for screen magnification), etc.

I had it running last night for 8 hours while I copied the contents of the hard drive off my Thinkpad to it. Almost 45 gig of data and application development folders.

The big thing that I think the Sony folks messed up on was the heat dissipation. The right underside of the laptop gets very, very warm. I don't think you could use it on your lap. The palm rest on the right side is not to bad, but I will be able to evaluate more closely when I start doing installations - Office, Photoshop, etc.

While the Thinkpad remains relatively cool no matter how long you run it (and I have a 2.26 CPU and a 100 gig 7200 RPM drive with 1 gig of RAM), the Sony heats up after a couple of hours.

On the plus side, the WXGA screen is beautifully bright and easy on the eyes. Hence the reason for my purchase. The XGA+ on the Thinkpad gets a little tough on the eyes and seems somewhat washed out compared to the Sony.

There is lots to like about the Sony - I think they have an excellent shot at being competitive with the likes of Lenovo and Dell in the business market, but they will need to get the heat issue resolved. Right now, they have something that neither Dell or Lenovo can offer, a 15.4" business laptop that is lightweight (amazingly so - the Z60m and D810 is almost 8 lbs., while the BX560B I would guess is around 6+), has a fabulous screen, and excellent build quality.

I will be taking pictures and posting a more extensive review in the Sony section in a day or two. For now, based on the cost, I'm very happy with my purchase and it was exactly what I was looking for. I'm only afraid I will fall in love with the screen so much that I will start using it instead of the T43p.

This is definitely for the business buyer since there are no highend GPU offerings (yet).

(I've already decided that the Dell 9300 I have is going to ebay - for no other reason than the weight and size makes it too home-bound.)

 

You've basically struck on the decision I am making right now between a T43P and the new BX series. I can get the T43P actually very cheap using an employee discount and getting an open bay model, so in practice the BX will likely be more for me. But the prospect of the different screen and the X700 (sales rep said if ordered today would be shipped in a week) is very tempting. Once you are hooked on a trackpoint you don't have very many other options!

I'm sure your review will be great, but if you could mention the following things that would be very helpful for me:
1) You mentioned build quality is good, which is a relief, but have read a view negative things about the keyboard ("cheap" or "flimsy". How does this stack up with your T43P?
2) I've used a flexview screen in the past because of the great viewing angles; I'm sure the color and contrast is better on the BX, but how are the viewing angles on the BX?
3) Is the BX trackpoint up to standard? I love the setup of the keys on the Thinkpads, are the keys ergonomic on the BX?

Thanks!

 

Go to Office Depot. They have 17" BX570 version. You can check out the machine in person if you want to.

 

Just another disappointment found. No built-in microphone on BX even there's a camera. FJ has built-in microphone with camera, when can't BX have one? I'm giving up on this laptop.

 

Too bad none of the office depot or other computer stores around Berkeley have these in stock right now....

 

I happen to go by Office Depot today to pick up something for the office and I saw the BX670B there. I did notice that it wasn't as warm on the bottom right side as the BX560B. The looks were very similar but I would prefer the smaller BX560B.

The keyboard is not quite as ergonomically comfortable as the T43, but I could easily make the switch and my plan is to use it as a backup and for travel. I think it will serve this purpose very well. I would rate the Thinkpad keyboard an A+ and the BX560B an A, maybe an A-.

I used it last night to copy data and application folder from my T43 and I was using it at some pretty odd angles because I had them both hooked up to my home network. One of the things that I was just thrilled about. It very quickly and easily recognized my T43p on the network and allowed me to map the drive on it. Most of the time, even another Thinkpad won't do that! Anyhow, the viewing angles were very good, both vertical and horizontal. Definitely a whole lot brighter than the T43p, and in my opinion, much better vertical viewing angles.

The trackpoint is very good. Even has the vertical scroll button, just like the Thinkpad. Although the rubber nub on the trackstick is not as nice as the Thinkpad, it's a whole lot better than the one on the Dell Latitudes... yes, I've tried those too. I think the trackpoint is the best I've used next to the Thinkpad and that's saying a lot.

Going back to the keyboard... I think after a little use, it will be very comfortable and has a very nice touch to it. I'm a touch typist so I think all it needs is a few thousand touches to break it in and it'll be a winner.

I'm going in to do some installations and take some pictures... Stay tuned.

 

****! You are making this a tough decision....

 

The keyboard on my BX540B, the Caps Lock, Enter, and space bar keys are twistable. The keys wobble a lot and doesn't sit tightly. They feels loosen. Very unfortunate to say, I am returning my BX540B.

 

OK, I did a number of installs last night on my BX567B.

I'm more impressed that I was before. The screen is crystal clear and I really enjoy working on it. It's a refreshing change from my T43p which appears dim and much less clear.

Surprisingly, after my comments about heat, I used it on my lap for at least two hours and didn't have a problem with heat. Yes, the right underside still got warm, but not too uncomfortable to have on your lap. Perhaps it was because the hard drive was not spinning continuuously like it was when I was copying the entire hard drive from my T43 to it. It literally copied for 4 hours.

The keyboard is definitely very good. I didn't have any problem using it and the trackpoint is very good. I just love the fact that it also has the scroll button also and it works manificiently.

Another big plus for Sony is that they now have an update advisor built in that automatically notifies you of drive updates. With Lenovo, you have to run the Software Installer to check for updates. With Sony, you get a little popup advising you that there are updates for your laptop and it installs them. Very sweet.

I have to admit that going from the 100 gig 7200 RPM drive in my T43 to a 100 gig 5400 RPM drive is definitely noticeable, but that is not Sony fault. That's just the way it is. At some point, I may swap out the drive and put in a 100 gig 7200 RPM drive. That may also be the reason for the additional heat because I've read that the 7200 RPM drive is in fact cooler running. The heat seems to be coming from the drive.

I took some pictures last night, but tonight I'm going to do a short video. I will be posting this tonight so check later tonight or tomorrow for the pics and video. Side-by-side, the BX looks far more attractive than the T. It's still very early to decide on how good a laptop the Sony is internally, but externally, I think it's very nice.

Kudos to Sony for a really nice entry into the business market. If money was any kind of issue, I'd definitely go for the Sony over what you can get for the same money in a Lenovo. That includes the Z series which you just can't get. I got some hands on the Z60t at office depot and I don't like it. Feels cheap and in some respects, looks cheap.

 

I own the current Vaio AX570, and believe the graphics x700 is worth the wait on the BX560. I just called sony and if you can wait, the x700 graphics will be available as an option for the BX560 on Dec. 14th. The only thing I hate about the 560 is the eco-brite screen, its a major difference between that and the xbrite, the screen seems blurry and not as clear, is this your thoughts as well??
Jason

 

Actually, I like the screen very much. I don't find it to be blurry at all. Very crisp. I had the chance to see the BX570 right next to an HP DV4000 and I found the XBRITE-ECO to be much less reflective than the HP, yet have good clarity and brightness. The HP was actually hard to look at in the neon lights of the Office Depot.

The X700 is not an option for me because I do no gaming at all and probably would opt for the integrated graphics instead of paying an extra $ 200 for the X700. I'd rather put the money into more RAM and a faster hard drive. I would love to see the Hitachi 7200 100gig drive as an option instead of the 5400 they put in it.

 

Got some photos and a video to share regarding the BX567B. Here is the link...

http://www.fototime.com/inv/6235236184727EF

The video is at the very end.

Also, the keyboard is very comfortable. Used it for quite a bit tonight and I find it almost as good as the Thinkpads.

 

In reference to the weight for the X700, don't trust the Sony Rep. I called starting in mid September every 1-2 weeks, and everytime they told me "o it'll be available in two weeks, check back with us then." I gave up mid November (when their website said the x700 was going to be available, and wasn't).

As to not wanting the x700 for games, the x700 option has a SXGA+ screen, which means better resolution.

jjfcpa, Access IBM has an option to inform you when updates are available from the system tray, you just have to enable it.

 

I went to Office Depot tonight and saw the Sony AX 17" which is basically the same as the BX. Also it gave me the opportunity to compare it with the IBM thinkpad. I must say that the Sony Vaio was really impressive and much more to offer than the Thinkpad. The Sony has the same ironclad security as the thinkpad i.e TPM and the bioscan, the Vaio had a much much brighter screen and i don't know why some people said that the vaio A keyboard sucks cause nothing could be farther from the truth.

The Sony AX 17" had a really nice and quiet keayboard which was very very close to the quality of the IBM t43. The Sony 17" also had the 256MB X700 PCI-E card as well. I have always been the fan of the thinkpad especially the t-43 but after comparing it with the Sony, i must say i really can't justify getting the T-43 which is about the same price as the sony (check sony BX website) and the AX/BX has much more to offer.

 

You are lucky that your battery doesn't stick out like mine BX540's. Other than keyboard and battery disappointment on BX540, its a very good notebook. I just got my camera back from my girlfriend. I will post some pics so you guys can see the battery of 14 inch BX version.

 

I think BX540 keyboard is not as nice as BX560, or maybe it's just my BX540 has bad quality keyboard. I'm actually getting use to it. One thing I need to point out is that the optical drive is really nice. When you eject it, it sounds quiet and nice - a high quality sound. It doesn't spin very loud. The machine itself I have to say overall it is pretty quiet. Trackpoint is good and nice compared to T43. Fingerprint scanner is a nice addition to security.

Screen doesn't seem blurry to me. It looked very sharp at 1024x768. I just hope they have SXGA version.

ATI or Intel graphic chipset doesn't really matter to me. I use the machine for work and general purpose, not gaming.

Despite its 1.4in thickness, this notebook looked very professional and high tech. Hope this information helps.

 

What kind of battery life do you get? That last review I read mentioned run times of only 2.5 hours. The heat issue concerns me somewhat, but not hugely. How does it compare to other laptops you've owned?

 

Heat issue only exist when the hard drive spins continousily like scanning your drive for viruses or doing disk defragment. General usage doesn't cause the hard drive spin occasionally. Battery life I get is about 3 hours to 3.5 hours. I brought the notebook to work at noon and the battery runs out at 5pm. It went in standby mode within those hours for about 30 minutes. If you do a lot of intensive work like play video or defrag your hard drive, it may only lasts for 2.5 hours.

 

i think if your getting the x700 version things like battery/heat mentioned in this thread is useless, but its good to know.

 

I think the X700 will make the battery and heat issues even more pronounced. I think if these two are important to you... cool running and long battery life, then the X700 should be nixed from your configuration.

 

i must say that after checking for keyboard flex today, i found the t-43 to have no problems while the 17"AX did have KB flex, and pretty much all Sony laptops had this issue.