Sony FE vs Thinkpad

I'm curious what people think about these two machines?

IBM Z61m $1287
Core 2 Duo T5500 1.66
1GB Ram (1x1GB, Expandable to 3GB)
DDR2-667/PC2-5300
120GB 5400RPM HD
DVD-RW
15.4"WSXGA+
ATi X1400 128MB
Bluetooth
Webcam
Fingerprint Reader
1yr warranty

Sony FE-790 $1299
Core 2 Duo T5600 1.83
1GB Ram (1x1GB, Expandable to 2GB)
DDR2-533
80GB 5400RPM HD
DVD-RW
15.4"WXGA XBrite-HiColor
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600
Bluetooth
Webcam
1yr warranty

 

What are you gonna do with it? From a quality perspective, the ThinkPad will be better built. I personally would prefer the high resolution screen on the on the Z though the screen on the Sony looks better if you like glossy screens. The 7600 is a better card if gaming is a priority.

 

Both are good computers. Read my review in sig.

 

Depends on what you need. For gaming, the sony FE will do a better job with the 7600go. Otherwise, the thinkpad is absolutely better built than the Sony FE, has the best keyboard, IPS screen (though matte for business users), better mechanism, and a nice business look to it. Overall, unless you need graphics, the Thinkpad is better in almost every way.

 

I'm going to be using for school as well as having it function as my desktop replacement (music, DVD, web surfing}. I don't do any real gaming so a better graphics card is not a real priority but, I want to make sure it won't useless for the majority of software today and in the future. I see tons of systems with the Intel 950 integrated graphics cards but, I'm worried they won't be able to keep up with the software/hardware in the next 2-3yrs. Will an integrated gpu be a dinosaur soon?

The more I think about this, the more I"m thinking about getting a more portable machine. I've been looking at the Sony SZ-340:
Core 2 Duo T5500 1.66
512mb Ram (1x512mb) I would buy an extra 512MB
DDR2-533
60GB HD
DVD-RW
13.3 WXGA
NVidia 7400 128MB and Intel 950
Bluetooth
Webcam
Fingerprint Reader
1yr warranty

Is the build quality of the SZ series closer to the IBM? I like the 14 inch Thinkpads but none carry a discrete graphics cards. You can find the above SZ priced at about $1300 plus whatever the cost of the extra memory to get it up to a GB.

I'm thinking I should go with a smaller machine and just get an external monitor for my house.

 

Unlikely, some people prefer better battery life which an integrated card will give you.

 

Is there a big difference in the Intel 950 and the ATI x1300 with 64mb of dedicated graphic memory? I see some of the 14" Thinkpads have this as an option.

 

The integrated card has better battery life.

 

SZ is more expensive, less powerful, the only good things are portability and battery life.
Z61m is better than Vaio FE in every way except for the GPU, which i assume you don't really need.
more hdd space, faster RAM (667Mhz), better webcam, better build quality, higher resolution - it's up to you to decide if this is better or not, you really need decent eyes to work with WSXGA+

 

If you were planning on CTO from Sony your out of luck. I just called them because the site says to call for extra savings and the Sony operator said the FE790 had been disconinued and the FE890 is the only option. I said the FE790 is still on the website and she said they just haven't pulled it down yet and that if an order is placed for one it will be cancelled. The good news is that the FE890 comes with and supports 667 Mhz RAM, has an express card slot and a type II slot the bad news is that it's about $100 more depending on your configuration, and also it looks like it's black or very dark gray, instead of the light gray/white of the FE790. I ordered a pretty well equiped one for $1690 plus tax.

 

Yes, I noticed the new FE-880 yesterday. I like the darker color as well as the upgraded specs. It only makes the Sony more attractive in my eyes.

 

I also saw the new FE880 and 890 in the store. The grey seems much more wear proof. I couldn't tell if it was metal or a metallic coated plastic. Same beautiful screen.

 

I have bought the Fe 890 today including 2 gb ram, 1.83 intel core 2 duo, 120gb hard disk, Nvidia geforce 7600 and bluetooth for $1695 including tax and shipping. I tried to order Fe 790 2 weeks ago but they didn't accept my European credit card, which kept me waiting for my US banking card. I am glad I have the fe 890 now with Vista Running on it and the beautifull new color..

 

Congratulations! Can I ask what screen config you ended up getting? From the looks of their website Sony is offering 2 screen options, the Xbrite-Eco (Grey) and the Xbrite-Hi Color (White). I've read that the Xbrite-Hi Color is a little better screen but, I haven't seen them both side by side to compare. I also wondered if the color designation (white and grey) actually meant that the case was available in two different colors. I hope not. I want the Xbrite-Hi Color but I don't want the case to be white!!

 

I too just ordered the VGN-FE890 from SonyStyle.com. I wanted the GeForce Go 7600 and that forces you to get the XBRITE-Hi Color w/ "White Camera". Hmmm. Did they mean white camera or white casing? Before placing my online order, I called several times to SonyStyle to clarify, but I would get conflicting answers from different Reps as to what color case it would come in. Some would say White, Platinum White, or Charcoal Grey. I even called the local SonyStyle store and they don't know which color the Customized version comes in. I'd much prefer the Grey casing, but I'll find out when I get it. Hopefully within the next two weeks.

 

Thats funny because I also called Sony's 1-877 number yesterday. The salesman I spoke with told me that the Xbrite-Hi Color screen has 2 lamps compared to 1 in the Xbrite-Eco. He also said the Hi-Color version of the FE890 has a white bezel, meaning only the area around the LCD is white but, the bottom part of the case as well as the keyboard and palm rests would be grey. I wonder who's right? I was going to stop by the SonyStyle store today and see if they had one on display but, I doubt they will.

 

Thanx! It is15.4" WXGA TFT with XBRITE-HiColor Technology and MOTION EYE White Camera, this is the only possibility with Nvidia 7600.
The case will defenitely not be white, that's refering to the motion eye camera. If you look to all the pictures they have available about vgn 890, you'll see it's the motion eye camera that is white..

 

bmdouble:
did you get the laptop yet? if so what color body is it? is it nvdia 7600 card?
Thanks.

 

Yes.. I received the laptop from SonyStyle.

The Xbrite-Hi w/ GeForce 7600 definitely is White. Not pure white, but more like a silver white pearl. The camera definitely isn't white, it's color coordinated with the black bezel.

I verified that the Xbrite-Eco comes in charcoal gray only.

 

I ordered the FE890 with the Xbrite-Hi Color (white) but finally convinced my sister to buy this one off me. I ordered the FE890 in the Xbrite-Eco (gray) for myself. I'm able to compare both screens side by side. I configured both to have the same graphics settings. I can definitely say that the Xbrite-Hi has a slightly brighter and vibrant screen.

Tooks some photos.. which show the two contrasting screens:





It's pretty obvious which screen is the Xbrite-Hi.

 

Xbrite-Hi looks great.

 

What does it mean when you guys say that the Sony is less powerful than the IBM, even when configured the same?

 

You got that backwards dude.. Sony is more powerful than IBM !
They have the best LCD in the world and have good Nvidia cards while IBM doesn't have any !