Macbook Pro 15" vs. Sony VAIO Z/FW Series (BTO)

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>Hi everyone!</p>

<p>It's about the middle of July, and I've got about 6 more weeks until move-in, and that means it's about time for me to order my college computer. For a long time, I've always told myself that I would get a Mac, because they seem so reliable. But now, that's about to change, because Microsoft is about to release Windows 7, which supposedly is pretty good too from what I've heard, and Sony VAIOs (all with pretty good reviews from CNET and such) that have caught my eye all qualify for it.</p>

<p>Right now, my budget for my computer is up to $2,500. (My parents doubled the limit from $1,200 because I turned down Chicago, saving them over 30k/yr) I'm going into engineering, so I'm interested in a good graphics card. </p>

<p>Here are the configs: </p>

<p>MBP 15"
Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 (2.66 GHz)
Mac OS X (big plus!) and $10 upgrade to Snow Leopard in October
4GB of DDR3 memory
256GB solid state drive
8x DVD+/-RW
256MB nVidia GeForce 9600 GT + hybrid system (with GeForce 9400M)
15" widescreen glossy LED
8 hours of battery life
Free iPod touch and Apple iWork included
3 years warranty
**Total price: $2,804<a href="Over%20budget%20because%20of%20extended%20warranty">/b</a>
--> 13" version is $2,343 w/ 9400M graphics</p>

<p>Sony VAIO FW490 BTO
Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 (2.53 GHz)
Windows Vista Home Premium (yuck)
8GB of DDR2 memory
128GB solid state drive (too small)
Blu-Ray
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon 4650
16.4" glossy widescreen LCD (too large, perhaps)
6 hours of battery life on extended
100 bonus song downloads with computer case and mouse
3 years warranty
Total price: $2,051</p>

<p>Sony VAIO Z790 BTO
Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 (2.53 GHz)
Windows Vista Home Premium
4GB of DDR3 memory
256GB solid state drive
8x DVD+/-RW
512MB nVidia GeForce 9300 GS + hybrid system (with Intel GMA 4500)
13.1" glossy widescreen LED
Up to 9 hours battery life on extended
100 bonus song downloads with computer case and mouse
3 years warranty
Total price: $2,272</p>

<p>The computers include academic discounts.</p>

<p>What do you guys think? </p>

<p>I don't have very good eyes ... would a larger screen be more helpful or it doesn't matter? The smaller screens would give me more portability, which is also important.</p>

2

<p>Hi. I apologize for the rather long post. I’m in class right now and bored out of my mind. So I’ll try to help you out.
First off, I have a few questions:
What are you going to use said laptop for?
Are you going to be gaming, if so, what games?
Are you going to be transporting it to and from class often?
Do you have prior experience in Vista? Just asking this, because you said “yuck” for vista haha.
Are you likely to be using lots of multimedia? I realize you’re doing an engineering program, but other than the numerous programs you will need, will you need the capability to watch Blu-Ray movies and the like?</p>

<p>After looking at your choices, the first thing I noticed was the price tag. So, I was curious to see why your customizations are so high.
-One of your customizations has 8 gigs of RAM versus the other two that have 4 gigs. If you’re planning on upgrading to windows 7, that’s completely unnecessary. Unlike Vista, Windows 7’s general requirement is only 1 gig of RAM.
-6-9 hours of battery life. I’m not sure if that is entirely necessary, but I don’t know you and if you need that much, then by all means ignore this comment.
-One of your configurations has a Blu-Ray external drive, I’m guessing.
-Graphic cards are a bit intense. I know gamers who use 1 gig cards on their desktops. Also, both nVidia and ATI are great brands for graphic cards. (Not saying that’s a bad thing. Just trying to put some commentary in here as well)</p>

<p>Now some things that seem a bit odd:
-One of your choices has a 16" screen whereas the other two have 13". I would look to make sure the weights are about even if you want something transportable. Most 16" laptops are desktop replacements. Basically, that means they’re meant to sit on a desk all day and used for a wide variety of applications.
-Your eyes aren’t very good, as you have stated. Glossy screens are generally brighter than their brother in crime matte screens. They’re also a lot harder to clean, but that’s a different issue.
-You are thinking about going with a hybrid system for graphics? Is there any particular reason for that?</p>

<p>Yeah… like I said… bored college student. Sorry you had to get all that. I’ll definitely help you out after you provide a bit more information. To be honest, I will suggest that you look more into other options. A way to find out about these things is to take a test drive. Go to your nearest Fry’s, Best Buy, Office Depot or most electronics stores and check out laptops, especially for their graphic output. I’ll be back!</p>

3

<p>Well, I’m gonna use the laptop for work and stuff – projects, papers, labs, etc. I’ll carry it to class just in case I need to take notes, but for the most part, I intend to take notes by the old-fashioned pencil and paper method. I don’t intend to use my computer to play games. </p>

<p>I have prior experience with Vista. The computer I’m using right now used to run Vista, but I chose to downgrade to XP because my experience was so horrible with Vista. Hence the “yuck”</p>

<p>I don’t really care about the Blu-Ray, but one of the configs above has it because Sony’s offering a free (built-in) Blu-Ray upgrade for that model until 7/25. </p>

<p>As for memory, I do prefer 8GB so that it can last me through 4 years of college. Apple charges $900 for the upgrade, which is why I only have 4GB, b/c $900 is way too overpriced and I would rather upgrade the memory on my own. The Sony Z won’t be offering the upgrade until later this month, but the upgrade is about $400. As you may have noticed, I’d really like a solid state drive, because it stays cool to the touch and conserves more power than the traditional spinning hard drives.</p>

<p>As for graphics, I don’t really have a preference for both companies, b/c as far as I know, they are both very good at what they do. (But I’m not the most technically aware person ever so correct me on this if you want)</p>

<p>As for my configs, I actually have 2 15"+ laptops and 2 13" laptops. I just lumped the 13" MBP with the 15" MBP tech specs … b/c they both have similar stuff inside them other than screen size and graphics. (the 9400M isn’t bad from what I’ve heard) </p>

<p>The 15" MBP is 5.5 lbs, so I’m guessing that’s not too heavy to lug around. The Sony FW is heavy, as I’ve said before, and I think the screen is overkill. I love the petite size of the Z, because it’s only 3.1 lbs, but the screen is a little small (13.1"). Battery life is important to me because I don’t want to carry my charger around all the time. I’d like to stay away from the power outlets.</p>

<p>The problem with screens these days is that no one offers antiglare screens anymore. All of the screens above are either glossy or glassed over … which is why I’m a little weary about the MacBooks. They all have the glass coating on the screens. (My 3 year-old computer that I have now has antiglare) … I was just wondering if a large screen would help my eyes out or screen size doesn’t matter. </p>

<p>I like the hybrid graphics option, because I can change to the integrated graphics option to have more battery life and waste less energy, especially if I’m just web surfing or typing a paper. I like the idea that I can have the extra graphics power when I need it, like when I’m working on engineering projects and stuff like that. </p>

<p>Anyways, I have done my research. Where I live we only have Best Buys (because Circuit City died), and the only brands that attracted me were the Sonys and the Macs when I went there last month. (I like HP but I hate the batteries they put in the computers and the notebooks they’re selling now are too thick)</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

4

<ol>
<li>The MacBook Pro would also include a printer, or $100 towards a higher-end one.</li>
<li>Why so much memory? What do you plan on doing with your computer? My school’s engineering recommendation for laptops is 2-3gb of memory. I highly doubt you’d run into anything that needed 8gb - if so, your school would probably have a computer lab for you to use that’s capable of doing such.</li>
<li>SSDs are fairly new technology, and right now, they’re extremely expensive. You’d get a lot more bang for your buck if you went with a traditional hard drive, and even bought a back-up drive just in case. You could even wait a year or two and then buy a SSD. I’d be willing to wager the price will be less than half of what they currently are by then.</li>
<li>If you’re an engineering student, chances are you’ll need to run Windows, so you’d either have to run a VM or use Boot Camp on the MacBook Pro.</li>
</ol>

<p>Just because you can spend $2500 on a laptop doesn’t necessarily mean you should. If you don’t need the specs you’ve posted, perhaps your parents would be willing to give you the laptop + money. </p>

<p>I really do love the MacBook Pros, but if you really feel you need the specs you’ve mentioned, you can find a Windows laptop with a lot higher specs at a cheaper price.</p>

<p>I don’t have any solid recommendation, as they seem a bit overkill.</p>

<p>Edit - Just pointing out that I typed this post before you replied (above), so you might’ve already covered some of what I said in your response.</p>

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<p>If you can afford $2500, it might be better to get a cheaper desktop with superior specs plus a laptop that’s still pretty good.</p>

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<p>^My school supports Mac, PC, and Linux for engineering.</p>

<p>And 4GB comes with the MBP 15" and it’s only a $20 upgrade for the Sonys. (I kind of agree now that 8GB is a little overkill) But Windows does tend to eat a lot of memory for no apparent reason.</p>

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<p>

Ouch, that’s rather unfortunate. Vista had many bugs when it came out and caused a ton of problems for many people. </p>

<p>

Nice! Free blue-ray is always good. Generally, 4 gigs lasts quite a while. Then again, technology is changing at an ever faster rate, so going with the 8 gigs may not be all that bad. I’m guessing you’re going to be using 64-bit vista, then, since 32-bit maxes out at 3 gigs. I’m still rather weary about going with the 8 gigs, but that’s your choice in the matter. </p>

<p>

Yeah, I noticed the parentheses a bit too late there. I’ll be honest. I have never owned a mac nor do I plan to. But, as far as the Sony’s are concerned, it seems like you don’t care much for the FW except the options to get 8 gigs of RAM and an amazing graphics card. Like I said earlier, those kinds of specs are generally for desktop replacements. You know, I felt the same way as you about battery life. So, I got a 12 cell battery for my laptop and everything. Never got my laptop to lower than 80% of its battery life. So, I traded the 12 cell back in for cash and a 6 cell battery and it fits my needs just fine.

I would look more into resolution rather than screen size. Since you want something portable, maybe even ultra-portable, screens will be left small, generally.</p>

<p>Anyway, it looks like you know what you’re doing. Good luck in your decision.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>Also forgot to mention. Sony’s offering a free extended battery upgrade. So … why not?</p>

<p>what.cd: What do you think about SSDs?</p>

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<p>Again, I don’t see any reason for shelling out a ton of money for a relatively heavy and less portable desktop replacement when you could instead get a desktop that has better specs and leaves you with $1000+ left over. When you use your laptop outside are you really going to be doing a lot of things that require a high quality graphics card and a ton of RAM?</p>

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<p>HP e9150t
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit) (free Windows 7 upgrade)
Intel(R) Core™ i7-920 processor (2.66GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache)
6GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM <a href=“%7E%20$25%202GB%20upgrade%20on%20newegg”>3 DIMMs</a>
640GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
1 GB ATI Radeon HD 4650 <a href=“easy%20to%20upgrade%20via%20newegg%20as%20well”>DVI, HDMI, VGA</a>
HP 2009m 20-inch 16:9 HD Ready Widescreen Monitor
Blu-ray player & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner
Wireless-N LAN card
HP USB 2.0 stereo speakers
HP multimedia keyboard and HP optical mouse
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
Norton Internet Security™ 2009 - 15 month
3-year HP House Call Extended Service Plan
Total Price: $1,404.97</p>

<p>That leaves quite a bit of money for a solid laptop.</p>

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<p>I simply don’t like the idea of maintaining 2 computers. And the MBP 15" is relatively light at 5.5 lbs, and the 13" is 4.5 lbs.</p>

<p>The Sony Z is a VERY light computer at 3.1 lbs.</p>

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<p>I think whether you can see clearly depends on the resolution not how large. do you have some chance to play both mac and vaio? if you do, go and try it.</p>

<p>Also, some integrated graphics card can derive memory from RAM, this can be found in BIOS settings (actually, i havent found that yet). Maybe you can ask if Geforce/ATI/Vaio can do that</p>

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<p>hey, i own a vaio FW and I have to say its a great computer, very fast and my specs aren’t nearly as good as yours (4gb ram and 2.10GHz). Also, im running windows 7 RC on another computer of mine and that is fantastic OS. Personally i wouldn’t get a solid state drive just go for the regular memory you get more for a better price. For school Microsoft office is also great. Size might be issue, its not really heavy but good luck finding a bag that can fit such a oddly sized screen. Battery life is mid level nothing fantastic. But overall its a great computer, in fact there all great comps cant go wrong with any of them.</p>

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<p>Other than the Sony Z, do you guys know of any laptops out there with matte (antiglare) screen? I really like the MBP, but I’m not fond of the glass coating. It’ll create all sorts of glare, and I’m worried that it won’t be good for my eyes.</p>

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<p>My opinion as far as the SSD is to wait a couple years. Prices will drop a ton.</p>

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<p>well apple is rumored to offer all the macbooks with a matte finish don’t know how long though or whether they will do it. the 17 inch all ready offers that option </p>

<p>[Apple</a> considering matte option on more Macs?](<a href=“http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/15/apple-considering-matte-option-on-more-macs/]Apple”>Apple considering matte option on more Macs?)</p>

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<p>^Even when they do go with it, it will take a while b/c they need to arrange deals with their suppliers … stuff like that since most companies have ditched the matte screens. </p>

<p>The MBP 17" is just too huge for my tastes.</p>

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<p>Just because you have a large budget doesn’t mean you need to spend it all. You don’t need an SSD, so that will save quite a bit. You also say you want a good graphics card. None of those three are “good” except maybe the MBP’s. And why the “ew” for Vista? It’s a very solid operating system now that service packs have been released, and Windows 7 is right around the corner.</p>

<p>[Newegg.com</a> - ASUS UX50V-A1 NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400(1.40GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce G105M - Laptops / Notebooks](<a href=“Not Found: 404 Error”>Not Found: 404 Error)</p>

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<p>I bought the Sony Vaio Z last month and so far I’m really impressed. The configuration I purchased was about $2000 (no SSD…don’t spring for that because it’s going to be a lot cheaper in about a year). It’s incredibly light, has amazing battery life, a jaw-dropping screen (1600x900 and matte versus a lower resolution and glossy MBP screen), and is really powerful. I have a pretty solid desktop too (3.4 GHz Quad core, SLI graphics cards, etc) and I used to default to that over my previous laptop (a crappy Toshiba) because it was just so much better. I haven’t turned on my desktop since purchasing the Z. It really does handle everything (surfing, documents, movies, music) quick and efficiently. My desktop is now just for the occasional game really. Though it’s neither quite as light nor as thin as the Macbook Air, I feel like its the Z’s closest competitor. And, in the end, there’s no competition since the Z’s specs are just so much better. Oh and the Z is quite an attractive computer to boot if that’s something you’re after (it has a very sleek, stylish, professional look that imho beats out the rather less serious, rather playful styling on the MBP).</p>

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<p>^When you said amazing battery life, how amazing exactly? I heard that some people have gotten up to 13 hours on a single charge on extended (they’re giving free upgrades on that) and that’s crazy.</p>

<p>But do you have any issues with overheating? Some people have complained about that.</p>

<p>Yea and the design’s nice, clean, and modern-looking.</p>