Your computers are great but...

Now that I finally got a TZ, I've fallen in love with ultraportables again. I don't think I can buy a bigger notebook again, they'll have to be 10/11". And I'm enamored with Vaio's ultraportables especially because they know how to make awesome screens, nice designs, and get great battery life. For instance, the TZ's Asus competitor (U1/U2 series) gets mediocre battery life and won't have as great a screen. My next notebook will mostly likely be the next Vaio T series.

Sony makes great computers, but why do they have to have poor customer support and relations with their customers? I just keep hearing horror stories from their support, and that their accessories are overpriced and they do some things such as disabling VT support on all of their Vaios, being sell-outs and getting paid to put so much bloatware on your systems, installing that bloatware that checks for non-OEM batteries, etc.

I don't think I'll ever need to use their support, probably won't ever need VT, would just do an OS clean install etc. but its still disconcerting to hear.

I love many of their products but they treat us like crap apparently.

 

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Rahul you finally got a TZ? Congrats. Which one?

 

Graz!
Which config did you buy? Did you also try the TV-tuner? *LOL*

Meanwhile I became happy for buying it. I will need the built-in antenna-array and the external-antenna-plug, and built in a Hauppauge or a pinnacle-system asap...

 

I bought the lowest end North American model, TZ130N/B, but also for the "low" price of $1500. It doesn't even have the MotionEye camera that all other TZs have, its rare!

I will be able to buy another notebook next January. But why'd you guys go off topic?
I'm just torn that they make great ultraportables but have crappy service/support. I love my TZ right now, but I dunno if my next ultraportable may be a Sony.

 

Sony Support has been great with my experience. I had DVD problems and they replaced the DVD drive and gave me new memory. I've had my S460 for 2.5 years. I have a service plan with Best Buy that has really helped after the first year was over especially because they replaced my keyboard when a key broke off and they gave me a new battery when I asked for one.

rahulnirmal - Did you post that review on CNet before even owning a TZ?

 

Dear Rahul,

We appreciate your compliments on our wonderful ultraportable laptop. Our engineering research team has put many, many hours into cramming everything they could think of into such a small, portable, and let's face it, downright sexy package.

As for our customer service, we feel our customers are schmucks. Seriously, if you can't remove our hideous bloatware yourself, what good are you?

VT support? Come on, what have you done for us that we should enable this? Yes, you bought our computer, but whoopdy-frickin-doo. But do you know how much stuff we sell? Haven't you heard Bluray won the format war? We've got too much other crap to do to bother with your asinine request. Seriously, we don't like you enough to just willy nilly enable support to a cool feature like that.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to call customer support so you can be told useless information. Please note, b*tching on forums will not get you anywhere, and in all likelyhood, we will just point and laugh at you.

Sincerely,

Sony Support

/sarcasm

 

Think I'm gonna buy a bottom of the line tz, then add ssd when price comes down... your thread inspires me

 

Bahahaha, carl, that cracked me up.

When I buy a Sony portable, I automatically assume I am on my own. Sad but true. Helps being in IT. I don't need their help anyway unless the hardware goes bad.

 

ya Sony products = great and stylish, Sony Customer relations = zero or negative if possible, oh and the reason you got good service unrealfire is because it was through bestbuy and bestbuy does a good job of taking care of their customers unlike sony itself that does nothing but make you feel bad and jump through hoops just to get some service

 

hey do you check out the Sony TR World forums?

-C

 

I did post this before. I had major problem with S660P little over a year ago.
I don't bother calling them about little stuff. If you are persistent and are able to get thru first 2 technicians you will get help. They made 3 attempts to fix my laptop. When I send it for the 4th time I made a list addressed to the supervisor with all work orders and of what was done and fixed. Some items like HDD and memory where replaced twice. Anyway, my list helped. Looks like one hand doesn't know what the other does. They have standard procedures and tests to follow. Majority of people calling have no knowledge of computers, so everybody is treated same way. I know how this works. I do the same to my customers (different industry). I only hope I am not being bashed on some board like Sony is.
From what I hear from my coworkers and friends it is the same with all major computer manufacturers.
I think everybody should have some basic computer knowledge. It helps.

 

Rahul...

Come on over to Dell in the Spring and maybe we will be able to throw in a SSD for ya!!!

Our XPS Support is Gggggrrrreeeeeaaaaatttttt!!! says Tony the Tiger!

 

Upgrade to 2GB mem, add an 8GB SSD card and over clock to 1.4Ghz. No need to upgrade again for a while.

Welcome to TZ world... 4hrs 15 mins on no power saving mode on a standard battery.