Sony F vs Sony F

Hello!
This is going to be tricky thread, but I really need advice.
I'm looking for desctop replacement and came up with Sony Vaio F - the new one. I really like the looks and always thought that it's very reliable.
I'm going to take CTO model from USA - so I need a piece of advice.
So, I'm choosing between Sony Vaio F 3D and Sony Vaio F 2D.
As for me - I do not like 3D - so I'm not going to use this feature altogether. So, this is neither pro nor con for me.
I'm not sure that matte black vs glossy back is pro or con too. Glossy looks better, whereas matte is more user-friendly with all those fingerprints.
So it all comes to screen. Which one is better? Is it 3D one, or 2D one? Or are they the same (there is 0.4 difference, so they cannot be same altogether).
Are there any more differences between those models?
And final question is SSD. Is it really worth it? I mean - speed is the plus, but spending extra $1000 - is a bit too much. Do you think price will drop any time soon?
Is it difficult to change HDD to SSD? Can I just buy it later and swap?

Thank you for your time and hopefully your advice.

P.S. Please do not speak about other models - I have already made my mind.

 

How about posting links to the models in question?

 

Well, the 2D F was just announced and put for preorder this week, so it'll be a little bit before anyone has their hands on the unit. Until then, it won't really be known what screen technology this one is using. I for one can't imagine the 2D version to have a need for the 240Hz display like the 3D one utilizes, but again it's just a speculation.

Regarding SSD, you'll see on here that many favor replacing it yourself due to the savings doing it yourself as opposed to buying it from Sony.

I own the F21, the 3D model. I think the finish on this particular model very much complements the design of the laptop overall; the matte finish seems a little out of place to me right now. If 3D or unit finish don't matter to you, is it just aesthetics really the big factor here? The price difference between the F21 and F22 is fairly significant.

Another thing worth mentioning is that I still doubt that the F22's screen is indeed 16.4". Apart from the dimensions of the F21 being nearly identical, it would seem weird for them to construct a new shell for an essentially "identical" computer so early in its lifespan.

 

I'll take a stab at a few of your questions.

The matte finish on the F 2D should be better in terms of scratch resistance. The F 3D's finish scratches the second you wipe it.

Since you don't care about 3D, I'd just go for the 2D and save a bunch of money and weight at the same time.

I'm not sure about the SSD pricing, but you may want to go aftermarket. The HDD should be easy to access, but I'd confirm this beforehand.

 

Hello all!
Thank you for your reply!!!
The price difference will not be biggest concern. The main thing is quality and design. I have seen 3D in the shop - it is very nice, but even after first day it was all covered in fingerprints.. So, it is better to use matte finish.
As for screen - may be it is good idea to wait a bit - to see what people who owe it reply.
As for SSD - I heard that OCZ Vertex 3 is the fastest one. I might go for 240GB - cause I intend to use external HDD anyway, but the speed seems amazing. 500+ in writing and reading and costs 550$, not too bad.
Any more suggestions?
How does F series holds games like Starcraft 2 and Civilization V?

 

Why should you get fingerprints on the screen at all? Just keep your grubby paws away. Unless, of course, it is a touch screen.

 

No, I mean no the screen but laptop itself. Glossy case is very bad once it gets touched. As for screen - I'm still waiting to find out if it is any good.

 

What really confuses me about their choice of finish is that the lid is not scratch-prone at all (unless of course you're taking a knife to the lid or something...). Even after a nice cleaning of edge fingerprints, there are no light scratches developed on top. It would have been great if Sony used the same material on the inside.

 

That sounds really nice! I'm edging closer to 2D model - since it's lighter and a bit less expensive. Everything maxed out (processor and ram) gives nice 1999.99 (marketing) LOL.
Read couple of reviews - very good things I heard about Vertex 3 240gb. On ebay it costs about 550$ - but speed is unmatched.
I'm going to use this machine for 3 years at least - so I guess it's good investment...
Becoming Sony fanboy... Waiting for S1 tablet + going to but SE Arc mobile phone soon... Why do they just keep making so nice products!!! And main thing - they do not copy Peach... No, not Peach, Pear... No, it's Apple

 

So it all comes to screen now... If it is the same, 100% NTFC, I'm sure I will go for 2D model. If not - I will have to think about it... Glossy lid finish is very appealing of course, but still...
There is no information in any forums available, so if you have any - please share.
Thank you

 

What was the projected ship date on the preconfig F22? It's in about a week, right? Perhaps if you have a Sony Store near you - or even a Frys - sit it out for just a bit and wait for the new model to hit the displays there and compare the screens. What I wonder is how they're not making a big deal of the display as much as they did on the F21; all I've seen mentioned is Full HD, but nothing about refresh rates on the panel.

Edit: Sony's site says the preconfigs are available "On or around 06/03/2011," which would be this Friday. If that timing stays, that would probably mean their stores will have them displayed pretty soon.

 

Hey keep me posted! I'm thinking of getting the same Laptop, and also possibly buying an SSD for it as well. Also was thinking to get it in 4gb ram, then buy 8gb for like $50 as opposed to Sony's $200. Plus not sure if it's possible to get 2GB of Graphics on it as well
What do you guys think?

 

Of course buy the RAM separate. Although 1333 PC1600 8GB will run you $64 on newegg with a $5 off coupon (Corsair). I just ordered a set yesterday.

 

Any update on new Sony F 2D? What about screen? Any good? Is it premium? It should have become available Besides, does it support Sata 3? Planning to put SSD + 8gb Ram - to make a monster
Besides, has anyone tried external video card? Does it do any good, or it's just waste of money? Cause video card is a bit weak... 540m 1gb is good, but not very good. And it's soldered - so nothing can be done, except for overclock...
I'm siting on 128mb card on my HP - so who's complaining?

 

I was browsing the site again the other day thinking about this discussion, actually. It appears there is a new shipping date of June 15; a little more waiting, unfortunately.