Warranty & Reliability?

I'm very strongly thinking about getting the new SZ Vaio as a replacement for my aging ThinkPad X31. I have never owned a Sony laptop before and I'm a little concerned about complaints I've heard regarding reliability and customer service/warranty service. I know that on the computer magazine annual roundups of reliability that Sony is not in the top range, but I'm hoping this might be changing and that a new laptop like this will be more solid than older versions.

Anyone have any thoughts or reassurance?

 

Most of the comments on sony's customer service that I have encountered are mostly negative, and they steered me from getting the laptop directly from sony (specially the extended warranty). I guess it just depends on the representative that you talked with when you call.
In addition, I think sony's laptop is pretty well build (the one made in japan anyway as I have heard) so as long as we treat them properly, they should last a long time.

 

Having tried to deal with customer services in both the UK and the USA i can honestly say they are absolutely appalling, being both negative and rude, they will try and viod your waranty for the most pathetic of reasons,

Build? search these forums for people with screen issues something sony are suppose to pride themselves on, you will not have time to read them all, little things like the S series has had a loose battery from the very first model which admitidly does not affect its working but just feels cheap and nasty and sony recommend fixing with a bit of tape (my laptop cost over $2000, i dont expect to stick gaffer tape on a supposedly premium product)

Sony spends hundreds of millions a year on advertising and has a customer services policy of i dont care weve already got your money and the advertising will bring in new customers,

Enjoy your Sony experience :buyIBM:

 

Sonys suck. My first laptop was a 400 Mhz $2600 Sony Vaio bought in 1999 from Sony. Busted just after the 1 year warranty and Sony told me it would cost $1300 just to replace the bad motherboard.

Now because of that I think you should buy at least a 3 year warranty for laptops because I think laptops are more unreliable than desktops.

I hate Sony for screwing me up with my 1st laptop, but I have to admit they have some nice models now. I can't trust their reliability, and even my Sony Big Screen busted but was repaired under warranty for a bad chip.

 

Like most people already stated, I have to admit that portable computing is not one of Sony's strongest areas...

 

As ive said in in other threads , Sony spends hundreds od millions on advertising there moto is "once weve got your money we dont care the advertising will bring in the next sucker"

I might make this my signature

 

i too have to question sony's reliability. I have one year and 3 month old sony desktop company and a 2-3 year old compaq desktop computer. My compaq still runs fine, with everything in working order. My vaio sony desktop, on the other hand, had a fail hdd in less than one year. Had to complain to sony for 2 hours before they agree to sent a person to my house in order to put the new hdd in. The new hdd is free. Now i have keyboard, and mouse input not working for vaio computer. With 2 hardwares component fail in less than 2 year, you have to wonder, what kind of product are they making. My cheaper compaq computer still has no component failure after 2 years of usage. Oh and by the way, My dad use the oldest compaq computer few months ago. The oldest compaq computer is around 8 years old. The oldest is still working fine, and we brought it for around $800 at that time. Now the oldest computer is in the storage, collecting dust.

edit: when i call sony, the first thing they told me is to reformat.

 

Yeah I can second all of those. My older vaio's case cracked a little next to the mousepad...pretty lame build, aint it?

But Ill still go with Sony, because of the beauty of their laptops.