Sony C series VGN-C190

Hello all!

I'm new to this forum and have a few questions.

I just returned my HP DV2000T Core2Duo because of build quality issues.
I am in the market for a laptop and have my eye on this one. It is available to order on sonystyle as a customizable item.

My final three choices are

Sony Vaio VGN-C190
Macbook
Lenovo 3000 V100

I know the sony was just released and probably very few people have it as of yet.

A few general Q's

Where are sony's laptops built?

Turn around time for customized laptops from sonystyle?

Durability?

Customer support; good/bad?

Thanks in advance!
Chris

 

The major question with the Vaio C-190 is why the US version does not include the Nvidia 7400 as an option. This option is available in the UK and across Europe but it appears Sony is sticking with the Intel 950 as the only option for the US market.

It certainly limits the attractiveness of the C-190.

 

i noticed that on the configuation. really a bummer

 

Consider yourself lucky for the getting the FE series with dedicated graphics. Here in Canada, we only get the GMA 950. Same goes for the C series of course.

 

Yes, but the C series is still a really nice, cheap lappy to tide me over until Santa Rosa shows up next summer. I'm very interested in it and don't mind the integrated graphics. I do hope that everything works correctly, unlike the SZ series.

 

BTW, penetrode, I'm also considering the Lenovo 3000 V100! What a coincidence! Have yet to find anyone with an opinion on this latest version. What have you heard? It's another cheap, high-powered lappy, but I worry about its drab looks. Also, battery life is not too stellar on the 3000 series.

 

uber,

I actually purchased a Lenovo 3000 N100 which my girlfriend uses now. If I'm not mistaken besides the GPU and size, these are identical laptops.

That being said if I can make this jump in reasoning...The V100 seems to be the best bang for your buck. Price paid to value received is unmatched, period. Build quality of the lenovo is good and features such as biometric reader are just icing on the cake. The only complaint I have about the N100 is the bulkyness which you may find with the V100 although is supposedly an ultra-portable.

I am considering the V100, but may refrain for the sake of variety, since I already have used a N100.

Although I'm leaning heavily towards the vaio C or macbook, Im also considering the Dell M1210.

Although I rarely play games on a pc, the Vaio C would be a no brainer if it had a better GPU.

One thing is for sure, IMO stay away from the HP DV2000T. I was very dissapointed in it's build quality, lcd screen ect....

 

I just ordered a CTO from sonystyle

Review is forthcoming!

 

yah... ive been searching and searching for user reviews of this unit, and i cant find anything... if you have non-sony.com pages, please let me have them.

Take lotsa pictures from the moment you receive the box... i was going to go to the sony store to see it in person, but I dont have the time.

i like the notebook, even though it is a little meaty.

so what config and specs did you order?

congrats
sxm

 

awww, NVM if you mean the 17 inch CTO.

i thought you meant the C series.

 

SXM,

I ordered the C series 13.3"

here is a quick config summary

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5600 / ICD 1.83 GHz
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center 2005
1 GB DDR-SDRAM (DDR2-533, 1 GBx1) Windows Vista Premium Ready
Standard Capacity Lithium-ion Battery (BPS2C)
Black/Black
80 GB Hard Disk Drive
13.3" WXGA
802.11a\b\g w/ BT
DVD+-R DL_DVD+-RW_DVD-RAM Drive

I went to the local sony store this past weekend to check it out and was impressed. The area surrounding the keyboard almost felt like carbon fiber. Very well built laptop all-around. The only downside to this is like you said, it's a tad on the thick side (ala dell xps m1210), and no dedicated graphics.

I will be submitting a review sometime after I receive the comp.

 

Did anyone at Sony Style mention if a dedicated graphics option would become available in North America?

I don't understand why the C-Series with the Nvidia 7400 is only available in Europe.

http://vaio.sony-europe.com/view/Sh..._en_GB&pageType=Overview&category=VN+C+Series

 

i called sonystyle and they told me the GPU was on the European model only.

 

penetrode, i'm tempted to get one too but in gray. Thanks for the Lenovo update too, I just saw it. So, both units are "thick" huh? The Sony C definitely looks thick in the pic.

Oh well, there's just nothing else on the marketplace safe for that new Asus W6 in leather, but that won't be available for a while. This is the cool lappy for now, but it's one pound heavier than my Asus W5F, so I'm still on the fence.

 

wow, im glad to hear that you got the C series...

nice specs, although I wouldve gotten the 2.0ghz 4mb cache.
was this notebook a customized, or one that was pre-configured w/ those specs.
did you get an extended warranty?
what was the final price you paid, if you dont mind...

the notebook doesnt have 7400 means longer battery life.
it would be nice to have a dedicated graphics, but its really unrealistic to play intense games on a 13.3 inch screen. the integrated can handle alot of older games.

 

I recently bought a sony VGN AR270 and sent it back. Quality was not what I expected for the price and the OS software was corrupted. Even the software on the restore partition was bad. As for the support, they lied about overnighting me a restore disk and a week later told me it was backorderd. They are nice enough on the phone but useless for results. The CD drive didn't fit the case properly and the carrying case that was supposed to fit the 17 inch screen was too small. After two weeks going around and around with em on the phone I gave up and sent it all back.
Noel

 

Sxm,

I configured the computer and did not get the extended warranty. The final price was $1,401.87, ground shipping was free.

Yea, no 7400 is kind of a bummer, but I hardly play any games at all on the pc, when I do they're older games like civilization 3, simcity 3000, transport tycoon, ect...

 

Ubercool,

When I saw the comp in person, it didn't seem as thick as it sounds on paper (1.45"). I also visited a dell kiosk and checked out the dell m1210 (12") and it was about the same thickness. I didn't have too much time to play around with the C, but my initial impression was the thing is built like a tank. Very sleek with clean lines. I previously ordered and returned a HP DV2000T, and just on build quality alone, the HP looks fischer price.

If you don't play resouces whore games like WOW, I'd definately keep the C series in your top 3 choices.

 

Thats a bummer man...

I used a vaio desktop/lcd for 5 years and did have some problems. The 17" sony lcd monitor, which i purchased 5-6 years ago for an insane price of $999, burnt out twice. The second time, it was out of warranty, but I convinced Sony to send me a replacement.

I've had pretty good experiences with sony customer care so I'm gonna run with that hoping I'll get the same with the C series...

 

penetrode

what did you mean by looks like "fischer price"

lol about your lcd, but thats why I asked about extended warranty.

w/ regular warranty, after 1 yr, youre out of luck.

i think i should go to the store and look at it in person.

 

"fischer price" as in the HP DV2000T, in my opinion looked/felt very toy-like and cheap.

 

ahh, i get it

 

Thanks, penetrode, btw I just checked the site and while earlier it said that the C would ship "on or about Nov. 1" now it says that "shipping date is not available." That's Sony for you!

 

where does it say "shipping date not available?" Are you checking the US site or the Euro site?

If your able to add the item to the cart, I think that means it's currently shipping.

My estimated ship date (process time + build time) is Nov 8th.

 

I posted this on the other thread. If you buy your laptop using major creditcards, most likely they have free extended warranty up to one year.

 

I used the U.S. site and put it in my basket to see est. shipping time. Your BTO is Nov. 8? That's good. I'll wait for you to report back!

 

Hmm...I just configured one and added it to a cart...and it says:

"Shipping availability:
Please allow 5-7 business days for production to complete. Your account will be billed when product ships."

 

that sounds like a nice little incentive. is it 1 yr on top of the standard 1 yr warranty? or 1 yr on top of the extended (if extended was purchased) cause i was thinking about extending a min of 3 yrs...

can you give one example cc that does this?

tia

 

I am pretty sure all major branded credit cards do this as well as your bank branded check cards.

examples: VISA/MC :chase, citicards, MBNA, Providian, ect...

 

C series built quality is better than SZ?

 

I can't speak for the SZ, but I saw the C in person at a sony store and it's built pretty solid. Has a nice layout around the keyboard. It's a bit thick for a 13.3"

I'll submit a review once I get the lappy!

 

I think the grey color is not shipping until Nov 6th. The black color is shipping now.

 

haha found it for amex here: https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/cda/dynamic.jsp?name=BuyersAssurance_Blue&type=intBenefitDetail

so even if you extend the warranty, you get an additional yr free through amex.

 

i went to see the unit today at the sony store... it was good looking, although thick for a laptop... the unit on display didnt have the battery, so i couldnt judge the weight... there is no latch for the lcd display, so i'm assuming its magnetic (all the other laptops on display didnt have them either)... screen looked good. overall, it looked like a basic laptop great good basic features at a grood price. the one in the store was model number vgn-c150...

it didnt have all the fancy stuff like a camera or microphone.

if theres anything else, ill post it later.

 

ok so sonystyle.com cancelled my order. I called customer support and they do not know why my order was cancelled. A supervisor is supposedly calling me tomorrow to explain. Unfortunatly, there is $1400 sony has hung up in a pending transaction via my bank account.

All this is a bunch of bs. I'm told my money will be credited in 48hrs.

Im not gonna deal with sonystyle.com anymore. I'll be re-ordering via a different vendor, probably pc connection....

 

Sorry to hear that. They probably changed their mind about BTO orders, either price-wise or inventory-wise.

 

Checked my account and suprisingly it has been credited.

I'm weighing other options now.

might go for a Vaio SZ, thinkpad T, or xps 1210...maybe still the C?!

 

What is the different between C1 and SZ3?
Apart from graphics and design it looks the same thing: 13.3", Core 2 Duo ...

 

Went to the Sony store in Manhattan to look at the C-series yesterday. As others have pointed out, build quality is excellent. In addition, the keyboard feels superior to the SZ with much firmer construction. The black version with copper accents is very striking. Track pad and mouse buttons are very solid and feel better than the SZ as well.

The downside is that the case is quite thick and it's very disappointing that given its dimensions, Sony has chosen not to offer the Nvidia 7400 as an option in North America. If I were going to buy one, I'd buy the UK version w/7400 or wait to see if Sony comes to its senses here.

That said, the look and feel of the C is really impressive. Just don't expect a lightweight unit with huge battery life.

 

BTW in the Eurpean Sony Style online shop
http://shop.sonystyle-europe.com
there are four C1
-C1S/H (grey), C1S/P (pink!!!), C1S/W (white): 1350 euro (1720 US$) , Intel GMA 950, HD 100 GB.
-C1Z/B (black):1500 Euro (1910 US$) Nvidia 7400, HD 120 GB

 

well I never received a phone call from a supervisor, but I did get an email response stating,

"Thank you for your recent Sony Style order.

Your Sony Style order has been cancelled automatically by our system due to a system error.

We deeply regret any inconvenience caused by this cancellation. Please visit our website at www.sonystyle.com or call 1-877-865-7669, option 1 to work with a Sony Style sales representative to replace your order.

Thank you for choosing Sony Style!

Sony Direct Customer Care
www.sonystyle.com"


I responded...

""System error", sounds like a classic bullshiet excuse to me.

You guys really need to check your systems. I will never use Sonystyle.com, because apparently you sell (or try to sell) computers, but don't know how to use them.

I WILL NOT BE RE-ORDERING, please delete all my personal information, and do not contact me again."

 

I would not spend that kind of money now. Santa Rosa notebooks are going on sale in May or June and you'll take a beating investing too much today.

 

what a shame that sony had to eff themselves over

 

Just played with the Sony C (the black one) at a Sony electronics show where the PS3 was also displayed. The screen seems pretty similar to the SZ and it is slightly thicker. however the keyboard doesnt have as much flex. The actual keys itself is the same as the SZ (the size and the same). however when pushing around on the keyboard, there is significantly less flex than on the SZ models (both premium and standard). I wasn't able to push the machine to do demanding tasks, however the right side vent wasn't too bad.

 

Just picked up my C series today. Full review with pictures coming this weekend.

 

Excellent! Where did you end up buying it from?

 

bestbuy.com

 

Let us know what you think! I would love to get one of these!

 

from bestbuy.com - VGN-C140G/B

"1GB PC2-4200 DDR2 memory for multitasking power, expandable to 2GB; 667MHz frontside bus, 2MB L2 cache and 1.66GHz processor speed"

why pc2-4200 which is 533, why not 667

dont know why sony keeps shooting itself in the foot


but... even though you are testing and writing a review for us/the public, please get some money shots of that laptop and post asap, please

 

sxm, if you follow this forum closely, you would have read that 667 memory makes little difference in performance but ups the risks of bad memory, so it's actually a smart move on Sony's part.