Sony vs. Lenovo vs. Apple

Hello everyone,

I am planning to buy a new laptop within the next couple days and I am considering following options:

- Sony Vaio Z, Core i5, 4GB, 128-192GB SSD, carbon fibre
- Lenovo T410s, Core i5, 4GB, 128 SSD, switchable graphics
- Apple MacBook Pro/Air (looking at both), Core 2 Duo, 4GB, 128 SSD

I was almost decided to buy the Sony, but I spoke to a guy at the university campus store and I was told that Sony has recently declined in quality, that now it's at Dell's level and that I should not consider it at all. He claimed that in the last 2-3 years almost every person that he sold a Vaio to has came back complaining. So right now I'm pretty puzzled and I decided to ask this forum members about their experience with Sony laptops. Has anyone really experienced a decrease in quality recently? Are they causing serious problems or, quite the opposite, they're very reliable? Since I'm considering one of their top models I would expect it to have a decent build quality.

At this point the way I see all my options is:

- Sony: great specs, great looks, portable yet powerful, steep price though
- Lenovo: good specs, ThinkPad brand, no one knows when the switchable graphics will be available though (not available online, integrated ships in more than 4 weeks - looong)
- Apple: decent specs, aluminium unibody, good looks, but I never had an Apple before and I don't know if want to do this kind of leap

What's your take on my dilemma? Should I worry about one salesman's opinion on Sony or should I just follow the reviews for Z Series (all are stellar, but there's no info on long-term reliability yet)? Given my options what would you choose?

 

the sony's are a good machine even if sometimes they are slow on updating drivers. AFIK the Z's are excellent machines but I have little first hand knowledge of them.

the T410 is a darn nice machine.

Apple .. WEAK specs, and a little too warm for my liking ( I do own 8 of them ) they are mostly an aesthetics machine, if you dont want or need OSX keep on shopping.

now to add to your list, look at the ASUS models

but to really help you out Please fill out the WNSIB form at
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=377404

 

Just posted a new thread in the WNSIB forum:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=468145

I also appreciate any comments on my original question here.

 

Sony quality problems (still they are better then most of brands)
do not apply to their top lines like SZ and now Z. The best combination of power and portability. Probably returning customers bought cheap models and cheap Sony is same cheap sh.. like any other brand. Cheap and reliable, no such notebook of any brand, unless you buy wooden abacus.
If you want Apple , wait, buying now is waste of money.
Lenovo -well build , terrible, dark displays, and bl..y ugly, suitable for undertakers, chartered accountants and insurance salesmen.
MBP or Vaio Z, are the best notebooks for quality, portability, design. Which to choose depend on individual needs.

 

Honestly, I think it is hard to select one from the list because all 3 notebooks are good in their own right. I know I'm not of much help but if I can afford it, I'll buy all 3 of them. On a serious note, I think if you're able to afford either one of them, just choose the one you like the most. Good luck.

 

LOL, I have 2 of 3. Havnt bought, a Sony in ages though

 

I know, that's why I'm having this problem Like I said, I was leaning towards Sony Z (despite the price), but I was discouraged by the opinion that Sony's quality is not on par with Lenovo or Apple. I figured that asking other Sony owners would be the best way to verify that.

 

Hm, you have a Lenovo T410/410s? What are your impressions? I was seriously considering a T410s with switchable graphics, but after reading this forum thread
( http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=65449 ) I lost a lot of confidence in that brand. I don't think I can wait 4+ weeks for my new laptop.

On the other hand, who knows, maybe it is time to finally consider a MBP. And still love the Z Series Decisions, decisions...

 

I like the T410 quite well actually, the only issue I have and this is with almost all machines it the removal of bloatware.

and as for Apple, I really do hate sending machines off for Applecare all the time. they REALLY hate strong vibrations. and will not concider another one untill they can refresh the line and prove their stable with the higher running temps.

 

The shipping issue? That happened to me too, I ordered an X, it was delayed, I called, and didn't get an answer as to why the delay occurred (guy basically said "I'm sorry but I don't know").

I've got a T41 which I still use occasionally. In contrast, I have a fat T60 sitting on my work desk, and I try not to use that. Even my netbook is faster than my T60 After hearing stories from the Internet and friends, I decided to find an alternative to the dying "PC Laptop King".

I have the first gen MBP (with the Intel dual-core CPU), and a Mac mini. Sure the OS is user-friendly, but that doesn't matter to me as much any more. As long as I can run my applications, I'm ok with any OS. And, as the people waiting for the MBP refresh like to say: would you really consider paying the same price for the same hardware that has become outdated?

I consider the Thinkpad X and Vaio Z to be around the same form factor, with the Z being better in terms of its graphics capabilities. Perhaps if Windows 7 isn't as good as it is I would have waited for MBP 13", but I've decided to give the VAIO a try. I heard build quality is pretty good, plus I have a better impression of the guys at SonyStyle than at the "Genius" bar

 

Sony's reported failure rates are below Apple's.

http://netbookboards.com/2009/11/17...e-rate-is-20-higher-than-laptop-failure-rate/

 

I really don't think you need to worry about Z's quality. Most owners of C2D Z are very happy with the quality and the few that already received i7 Z have also been pleased.

 

Apple is more about simplicity in design, while Sony is more about highly technical, bleeding edge components, and both have very attractive packaging. Most see Sony competing with Apple design wise, but by internals they CANNOT be compared. Now as for Lenovo, they aren't even in the same class. They use almost exactly the same internals as Apple, and never push the edge, because they are always focused on stability, with the Thinkpad line especially. I know I'll get flamed because of this, but absolutely NO IBM or Lenovo I've ever seen was built for durability. Maybe they've fixed that lately, but I was permanently put off by anything they make by a T60 a friend used to have. It was HUGE, expensive, and didn't have any out of the ordinary hardware.

EDIT... scratch that "T60", it was some R series..

 

Important question: what do you want it for?

 

This isn't entirely true, Their lower end cheaper models are built similar to other brands such as Dell, however when you get to the business/higher end systems (the expensive ones) you are buying quality. The Z Series is really well made. IMO, Light weight laptops, without sacrificing anything. You cannot find anything as light as this with the same specs!

Not really steep price if you compare the specs to a Apple Macbook Pro or Air.

Quick Comparison:
Macbook Air - $1799.00
* Intel Core 2 Duo processor 2.13GHz with 1066MHz frontside bus
* 2GB Memory
* 128GB solid-state drive1
* NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics

Weight of Z series is approx same as the Air, however Air specs is quite a fair bit lower than Z Series.

Z Series CTO - $2749.99
* Intel® Core™ i7-620M processor (2.66GHz) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz
* 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1066
* 256GB (256GBx1) Solid State Drive with RAID 0 Technology
* NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M GPU (1GB VRAM) with Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator HD
* 13" Hybrid Matte/Glossy Screen. 1600 x 900.
* ~1.5KG Weight (Inc Battery)

Similar Spec'ed Macbook Pro - $2899.00
* 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB Cache
* 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
* 256GB solid-state drive
* NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory
* 13" Glossy Screen. 1280x800
* 2.04KG Weight (Inc Battery)

So, IMO The sony DOES NOT have a steep price. You compare Macbook Pro and Z Series (Same level of specs), and you get a cheaper Laptop if you go with the Sony, and you get the following benefits:
1. Hybrid Graphics ( & Better graphics)
2. Better Processor
3. Better screen
4. Lighter Laptop

 

I've owned and used all of these brands and while there are definite positives and negatives to each one (and many more when you dig down to individual models), I keep coming back to Sony products. For me the primary reason is the screen. My current Sony's (VGN-BX760PS4) screen sucks my eyes into its vibrancy and luminosity and I never tire while using this laptop.

It also runs super quiet and cool while my old IBM T41p made me sweat while it sat on my lap. Also, the Sony is running flawlessly.

That said, I've got a couple of MacBooks (circa 2007 - my daughter's computers) around the house and they are also fine machines but come up short in comparison to the Sony laptop.

Good luck with your decision!

 

I had a Macbook pro and really enjoyed it, but in the end I just find myself spending most of my time in windows for work and games...so I decided I would not get an Apple again just to run windows on it, hence the new Z for me.

Oh, another reason not to get an Apple now is that they don't have the i5/i7 models yet, so if you must get an Apple, better to wait for it...

As for the Lenovo, nothing to dislike about it but nothing to get excited about either, just don't have the lusty feeling to own one like the Z does.

 

I want this laptop to be my main computer (I don't own and I'm not planning to own a desktop). My usual activities include mostly programming, but also video coding and transcoding and every now and then some gaming (I skipped the obvious like web browsing, email, IM, etc.). I also want this computer to last me for some time, maybe even 4-5 years. That's why I was looking into the more powerful laptops (and that's what drawn me to the Z Series, besides, it also looks really good

 

That's what I was thinking. I wouldn't expect Sony's top and most prestige model to suffer from low build quality. Still, just wanted to get some feedback before I spend $2000+

Makes a lot of sense. The weight is really important to me since I carry my laptop around all the time. When I was saying that the price is pretty steep I simply meant spending over $2000 on a laptop But then again, given Z's specs it should be powerful enough for a really long time.

 

Ok, decision made. Ordered my Z1190 earlier today and the estimated shipping date is Mar 25th. Something tells me it was a really good choice

 

Congrats! Hope you enjoy it

 

Can anyone who has purchased a new Sony Vaio Z confirm whether it supports 2 EXTERNAL monitors? .. One through the HDMI port and a second through the VGA port? I use this feature on the T400 extensively and it works well.

 

"I know I'll get flamed because of this, but absolutely NO IBM or Lenovo I've ever seen was built for durability. Maybe they've fixed that lately, but I was permanently put off by anything they make by a T60 a friend used to have. It was HUGE, expensive, and didn't have any out of the ordinary hardware.

EDIT... scratch that "T60", it was some R series.."

Wow!! I am here looking for a replacement for my IBM R41 that is an absolute tank! There is no other laptop that could come close to its durability. 7 years of being banged around in airport security trays, stuffed in a rollaboard, carried around the world, subsituted as a home desktop for 6 months straight (on 24/7), then finally getting slammed shut with a 15 lb picture falling on it during the Chilean earthquake Feb. 27th. Pulled the picture frame and broken glass off of it, and except for deep gouges in the top plastic casing, the thing was still on humming away with zero defects. The only reason to get a new one is that updating the hardware is almost as expensive as getting a whole new computer. Durable and reliable yes. Pretty no.

 

I had a thinkpad T61. first RAM died after 17 months. the last ram died 3 months after the first. I had to completely change/upgrade RAM. Then 1 month later, the whole computer completely died :|
no more thinkpad for me

 

I am on a similar boat and I have been looking for a long time (5 months).

I actually ordered a ThinkPad T400 couple of months ago and this had the high nit screen for super brightness. I loved everything about the laptop, but the screen was a big disappointment (low contrast, posterization, etc) , so I had to return it even though it was bright.

I looked at the Sony CW and S laptops, but again the screen quality was not good enough.

I looked at the Macbook Pro 13, and the screen was stunning! But I fear of too much compatibility issue with Mac OS plus there's supposed to be a new refresh coming out (which I am getting very tired of...it seems like every week the refresh will happen, but it doesn't happen).

I have never seen the new Sony Z, but in the US we don't have the full HD screen (1080p) which has better color, contrast etc than the current Z in the US (unless you order the signature edition which is over 4k!).

Still I would like to know how the Sony Z compares to the Macbook Pro in terms of the screen quality.

 

I really enjoyed my Sony, but well...see sig.

 

at least lenovos are made sturdy and don't cripple you on the drivers