Sony vs. Mac but with a much more compelling twist!

[nomercy0007]

Okay it has always been in the back of my head that i would have to buy a SOny or APple Laptop if i were to buy one. Well i have found two perfect lappies and I need some compelling argument to buy one over the other.

MacBook Pro 15" 2.4Ghz
2GB Mem
200 GB
256MB Nvidia 8600GT
Free ipod

VS. (and here's the fun part)

SOny Vaio FW @ 16" (bigger)
2.53 Core 2 Duo (Faster)
4GB Mem (Double)
400 GB HD (Double)
Blu-Ray Drive (Better)
HDMI port (different)
SD/Mem Stick Slots (different)
ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3470 256MB dedicated and up to 1536 max (um i'm sure that's the same)
Oh, and dedicated A/V controls

So i mean on specs this computer looks to be alot better and i mean the sony happens to be cheaper but that's not the issue. I just would like to know if someone could tell me that if i went with this computer that had alot more of pretty much everything than the mac does, then should i go for the features or just be satisfied with the apple. i mean this Sony laptop (on paper) puts up a good fight. Thanks ppl this is my first post so i look forward to some results.

[dukebound85]

i get macs soley for osx

[opeter]

Yes, Sony has much better hardware configuration. But if you want MacOS X, your only option is the Apple product :(

Anyway, if you are satisfied with Windows, than i would go for the Sony PC laptop.

[Neil321]

I'd still go for the Mac,reason OS X

[iToaster]

Personally, I buy Macs because I like how they work. From a technical standpoint, the Sony is somewhat better, but let's look at it. The MacBook Pro has a 15.4" screen, the Sony has a 16" screen; .6" is not a whole lot bigger, and most likely the Sony has the same screen resolution as the MacBook Pro which would thusly make the Sony's screen less dense and therefore less crisp than that of the MacBook Pro's. For the processor, you won't be able to tell any difference between a 2.4 and 2.5 GHz Core 2 Duo. The 4 Gb of memory in the Sony is better, but due to the operating system (Windows), it probably needs it to run decently. The Sony also has the MacBook Pro beat on hard drive space, but keep in mind it's not like 200 Gb is small. Blu-ray... well, do you frequently (if ever) burn expensive Blu-Ray discs on your laptop? HDMI is like DVI except it can't equal the external display resolution the MBP's DVI can. SD/memory stick slots... is there something wrong with just plugging the camera into the computer with a USB cable? Graphics card... well, Nvidea is better than ATI at most tasks from what I recall. As for the A/V controls, the MBP has them on the Fn keys at the top of the keyboard instead of some other location (I'm not familiar with the Sony described but I would guess they put them on the front). In the end, it's really your choice, but I think you'd be a lot happier with the less cluttered MBP and it's superior OS.

[nomercy0007]

well the screen actually has a 16:9 ratio in order to support movie formats with no black bars and the display is 16.4" so i mean it's the foot print of the 15" but a higher display res like a 17" but you do present a nice point. i didnt know the mac had the playback controls in the FN buttons. i mean i dont want to burn bluray movies (which it's not capable of) but i mean having bluray support is kind of cool. i mean the graphics card is not so important as i will only be doing minor photoshop stuff and it wont be too intensive. and i mean i guess i could hook my cam and phone up to my computer via USB. I mean my friend has a mac and he loves it. i mean i have win xp on my desktop and i'm very happy and i know vista is different but if your vista is fast and your mac os is fast does it matter in the end if i did get the vista. like would i really be losing anything to the mac os x?

[nima]

haha this is the wrong place to take this at but luckily ive bought both products and im proud to say i own a macbook now because although sony vaios offer you more for your money, nothing beats like software because thats what truly makes a mac a mac. i had to pick one so i went for the macbook because i owned a vaio before and they will get outdated fast and lose parts within the next two years like the keyboard on the vaio is plastic with stickers on the querty keyboard.

[thebassoonist]

I had a Sony desktop, as did my mum, and neither of us have bought one ever again. My brother has a Sony laptop and is planning to buy a MBP when he gets enough money. My dad also had a Sony laptop and got rid of it a few months ago, replacing it with an iMac. I guess you could say none of us were really impressed with Sony's computers (but maybe it is just Windows).

[jjahshik32]

Osx, if apple just designed computer hardware with the intention of only using windows.. I'd just buy the cheaper plastic pcs...

[Neil321]

I mean my friend has a mac and he loves it. i mean i have win xp on my desktop and i'm very happy and i know vista is different but if your vista is fast and your mac os is fast does it matter in the end if i did get the vista. like would i really be losing anything to the mac os x?

I'd try researching all that OS X has to offer if you need to ask that question then you will know for sure it's a superior OS

[Sun Baked]

Buy on specs and price ...

Or buy based on the OS.

---

Or wait until Apple does a major update, then they should be in the ballpark again.

[zsft]

I'm in the same boat as you, but I'm considering the SR instead. For the FW...screen I dunno about the resolution, for the same resolution I'd pick the smaller screen cause I feel it looks better. If you prefer the matte screen like me, MBP is better. Sony's RAM option is better, and no you don't need all 4gb to run Windows...wow goddamn, Mythbusters should bust this myth so everyone will finally accept it lol. HDD is probably equal in read times, but faster in sustained rate since it's bigger - given that the max RPM is the same...I'm not completely sure about the first claim, check on this.

Hmm...the graphic card, funny how people think Nvidia is better than Ati. In this case yes, the 8600m GT beats the 3470. But you get a defective GPU and thus defective motherboard since it's all one and the same. You can't use it to the fullest anyway without shortening it's life, so I'd go with the Ati...it runs CS 1.6, I'm happy. So given the current line up, I'd go with Sony. I'd wait til September for the newer MBP though, but I probably won't have time.

You can save the price difference and wait til September to get the newer ipod...though you probably need to add in a bit of money for this.

[Pixellated]

Personally, I buy Macs because I like how they work. From a technical standpoint, the Sony is somewhat better, but let's look at it. The MacBook Pro has a 15.4" screen, the Sony has a 16" screen; .6" is not a whole lot bigger, and most likely the Sony has the same screen resolution as the MacBook Pro which would thusly make the Sony's screen less dense and therefore less crisp than that of the MacBook Pro's. For the processor, you won't be able to tell any difference between a 2.4 and 2.5 GHz Core 2 Duo. The 4 Gb of memory in the Sony is better, but due to the operating system (Windows), it probably needs it to run decently. The Sony also has the MacBook Pro beat on hard drive space, but keep in mind it's not like 200 Gb is small. Blu-ray... well, do you frequently (if ever) burn expensive Blu-Ray discs on your laptop? HDMI is like DVI except it can't equal the external display resolution the MBP's DVI can. SD/memory stick slots... is there something wrong with just plugging the camera into the computer with a USB cable? Graphics card... well, Nvidea is better than ATI at most tasks from what I recall. As for the A/V controls, the MBP has them on the Fn keys at the top of the keyboard instead of some other location (I'm not familiar with the Sony described but I would guess they put them on the front). In the end, it's really your choice, but I think you'd be a lot happier with the less cluttered MBP and it's superior OS.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Sony was running at 1280 X 800...

[elppa]

You have listed features that are on the Sony that aren't on the MacBook but do not mention features on the MacBook Pro that aren't on the Sony FW.

There aren't as many, but the VAIO doesn't have a multi touch trackpad, backlit keyboard or Firewire 800 (or even 6 pin Firewire 400!). The Macbook Pro is also lighter by over a lb. The MacBook Pro also has dedicated play/pause skip forward/back volume up/down keys. In the interests of balance I wanted to point out that it is not all a one way street feature wise.

From this I infer that you are leaning toward the VAIO. If you want/need now then buy the VAIO, I certainly don't think you will be disappointed!

The Sony hardware is very impressive (I like the Z more than the FW) but I think it is naïve to make comparisons now when according to all best estimates Apple are 6-8 weeks away from launching new MacBooks which will no doubt better compete with the VAIOs. In other word: the MacBook is at the end of its lifecycle, the VAIO FW is just beginning its lifecycle.

For all those who asked: Max resolution of the VAIO is 1600 x 900 versus 1440 x 900 on the 15" MacBook Pro, so VAIO wins on this front.

[muldul]

There is one thing that the Macbook Pro offers that sony computers can't OS X, it is the whole reason i chose to get a mac (I hate vista)

[FuuFuu]

Here's my 2 cents

I bought sony vaio last year when i was debating whether to get a vaio or mac. sadly, i chose over specs than OS X and software. i simply regret it, a lot. Cheaper, faster, more RAM, more HD space, its all good. No problem with vista. But as a year past, its not longer a good laptop anymore. even though i customized it and made it the top of the line laptop, the price of it went down more than 1k in a year.

I love computers and i like to get a better laptop every 2 years or so. and selling this piece of crap will get me $500 at most while i bought it for $1700 a year ago.

all i'm saying is, if you want to get better laptops all the time, like me, i suggest you get the macbook as their resale price is way better.

Sony vaio just isn't made to last long.

[clevin]

Sony vaio just isn't made to last long.
you mean the price doesn't last long, not the machine, correct?

PC side of the world, yes, price drops quicker, so people like me can get a good laptop as some more casual spending folks, for much less, just little it later. :)

Anyway, I don't like big laptops, 15, 16, 17" are all too big for me. For OP, if you have to choose one of them, you should be fine with any one of them.

[Guilfox]

Get the MacBook for the following 5 reasons:)

1) People will think you are cooler with a Mac than with a Windows laptop.
2) You will feel cooler than people with Windows machines
3) OS X - Enough said
4) In scientific surveys it has been shown that people with Macs are much cooler then their PC wielding contemporaries
5) Women digg Macs and therefore digg you

[Shackler]

I always see Dell and Sony vs Mac threads. are those two really the next best?

[FuuFuu]

I always see Dell and Sony vs Mac threads. are those two really the next best?

although sony has high quality laptops, its not the best competitor against mac in terms of sales. HP and Dell are i believe.

[Muncher]

although sony has high quality laptops, its not the best competitor against mac in terms of sales. HP and Dell are i believe.

I think Sony would best compare against Apple because of its smaller market share and higher quality computers.

[airjuggernaut]

Get the MacBook for the following 5 reasons:)

1) People will think you are cooler with a Mac than with a Windows laptop.
2) You will feel cooler than people with Windows machines
3) OS X - Enough said
4) In scientific surveys it has been shown that people with Macs are much cooler then their PC wielding contemporaries
5) Women digg Macs and therefore digg you

Pretentious!

Pretentious!

Pretencious!

God, I love being a Mac user :rolleyes:

[jroller]

Not much left to add...

The only compelling argument for the Mac laptop is OS X.

The only reason I own a Mac laptop is OS X.

If OS X is not what you are buying, buy the Sony.

[TraceyS/FL]

Vista vs Leopard

Kinda a no brainer in my book.... i have a Sony sitting at my feet and it's a bucket of trouble. A 1 TB raid does me no good with a thermal problem. All the one board video stuff doesn't do any good when that thermal issue blows the machine up and i lose my recording.

I have a Sony laptop and it's been decent - it's a P3 though, so well, it's been awhile :D

[kingshrubb]

If you wait until September when Apple releases the new laptops they will have better specs, and lower prices (according to rumors).

[iOrlando]

alot of opportunity costs involved with buying macs. Hence most people dont get the whole pricing thing.

There is a certain cost to using the Mac OS. For example, I am willing to pay 200 or so more to be able to use it. You need to take that into consideration when ordering a mac.

[bandrews]

To be honest I loved my Sony Vaio TR2MP. When I bought it nearly 5 years ago for £1500 it was amazing - tiny, wireless, bluetooth, dvd player, 512MB RAM upgradable to 1GB, 1GHz Centrino processor. The only problem I have ever had with it was when I broke the screen (so my fault - not the computer's) and that was with nearly five years of constant use as my main computer for uni work/music/video etc. I have only just changed it for a macbook that cost £1300. While I love the new Mac I still love the fact my Vaio was so small and 5 years later still out-trumps many of these new sub-notebooks and the macbook, I feel will be past it come the end of September. I'm still getting to grips with OSX but much prefer it over Windows.

So, in a very long aroundaboutkindaway I'm saying Vaios are great, macs are great - if you want a Windows machine, go for one.
If you prefer the OSX, get one of those.

[kitch95]

If you don't have a problem with vista then there's no reason why you shouldn't go for that because it sounds like a good machine. But if you don't mind waiting then wait until apple updates the mbp and see what you think and remember you can get something like vm ware and run vista or xp on the mac.

[zsft]

Get the MacBook for the following 5 reasons:)

1) People will think you are cooler with a Mac than with a Windows laptop.
2) You will feel cooler than people with Windows machines
3) OS X - Enough said
4) In scientific surveys it has been shown that people with Macs are much cooler then their PC wielding contemporaries
5) Women digg Macs and therefore digg you

Good point.

But I don't digg materialistic women. But that's just me.

[Guilfox]

But I don't digg materialistic women. But that's just me.

It's not the materialistic aspect of the Mac that's the attraction, rather it's the life style choice it represents that makes women love Macmen. It's like Fonze vs Richie Cunningham........Ehhhhhh

[iMacmatician]

The MacBook Pro has a 15.4" screen, the Sony has a 16" screen; .6" is not a whole lot bigger, and most likely the Sony has the same screen resolution as the MacBook Pro which would thusly make the Sony's screen less dense and therefore less crisp than that of the MacBook Pro's. It's probably lower (15.4" 1440*900 vs. 16" 1440*810).

Graphics card... well, Nvidea is better than ATI at most tasks from what I recall. The 8600M GT is better than the HD 3470, I believe, but ATI > NVIDIA in Mac pro apps because ATI has better drivers.

As for the A/V controls, the MBP has them on the Fn keys at the top of the keyboardThey indeed do. And you can still use the Fn keys as Fn keys.

Or wait until Apple does a major update, then they should be in the ballpark again.They just did a big numerical spec bump, and based on past MacBook Pro history I don't expect that again with this revision. (Maybe they will due to lowering margins.) That being said, I expect some other goodies like a glass trackpad and a case update.

[Shackler]

I think Sony would best compare against Apple because of its smaller market share and higher quality computers.

That's true.
And to the OP this isn't a compelling twist all Mac vs. XXXXX threads are exactly the same.

" I can get higher spec. but for a cheaper price what should i do?"

[Muncher]

That's true.
And to the OP this isn't a compelling twist all Mac vs. XXXXX threads are exactly the same.

" I can get higher spec. but for a cheaper price what should i do?"

Thank you. I hate these threads. You're asking on a Mac oriented forum. What do you think we'll say?

[kingshrubb]

Consumer Reports rates Sony VAIO higher than Apple in everything but the Macbook Pro:cool: Like desktop and ultra-portable.
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1476/p8010243kc5.jpg
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/1314/p8010246dp2.jpg

[airjuggernaut]

Thank you. I hate these threads. You're asking on a Mac oriented forum. What do you think we'll say?
haha I wonder this every single time too.

[winninganthem]

Compared to most other notebook computers in its size class, the Macbook Pro is the lightest. It is a beautiful, well-designed machine. As you'll read on the forums, the build quality varies from system to system, but overall, Apple makes good computers.

If you're in the market for a pro grade notebook, take note that most creative professionals and DJs and whatnot use Apple stuff.

So when you buy a system, consider that comparisons aren't entirely about specs. The overall experience of using it matters too. Mac OS is solid and intuitive. Try it for yourself for a couple weeks and it grows on you. Put all of this in a nice form factor, and hey, you have a nice machine.

[surferfromuk]

it really depends of you want to be productive (mac OSX) or counter-productive ( vista). They're both good hardware it's just that OSX is basically maintenance free and operationally efficient leaving you alone to get on whilst vista is high-maintenance and constantly hassling you about stuff leaving you to get angry and impotent. Ultimately, vista will drain your will to live.

[t0mat0]

For some reason I got this flash of an image of HP dementors using Vista.

Vista - draining your will to live since 2007.

[Slippery Gimp]

Why not have the best of both worlds?

I use 3D Studio Max, which isn't available on Mac OS, only Windows. The only trouble is, I love Mac's since I bought my first one in 2004. After much humming and haahhing I did the only logical thing and bought an iMac and installed XP (not Vista) using Bootcamp. Everything works perfectly, I still use OSX but I can also switch and use XP and 3D Studio Max.

Get the Mac.

[pinktank]

you sound like a person that should wait for the new generation

[Adrian3300]

I have hade 2 sony laptops and ended up being dissapointed with both of them. Unless you intend on playing a lot of games I would go with the macbook. Switching to OS X was the best computing decision I have ever made!

[miniConvert]

I don't care much for tech specs any more. Apple's products are so well thought out, and OS X makes such good, efficient use of the tried-and-tested hardware that they select (they really can't help the nVidia thing), that worrying about having the latest and the greatest is futile.

[nomercy0007]

Hey thanks guys so i am very much so convinced to actually buy a macBook 15" now. but i'm going to do as some suggested and wait until the mac book refreshes come out that way i'll have the best at the time. I'm still really surprised at the effectiveness of these Forums. I"m definately doing this more often.

[Gaelic1]

Good for you!

[neiltc13]

it really depends of you want to be productive (mac OSX) or counter-productive ( vista). They're both good hardware it's just that OSX is basically maintenance free and operationally efficient leaving you alone to get on whilst vista is high-maintenance and constantly hassling you about stuff leaving you to get angry and impotent. Ultimately, vista will drain your will to live.

Well in my experience both are pretty much maintenance free but Vista has a tendency to crash less than OS X, meaning you need to perform fewer application restarts.

[Kiyomizu]

I'm in the same boat as the thread starter. After reading and posting about wanting High Def capabilities for the MacBook Pro, I looked at the Sony FW series and was blown away by all the specs that I need for amateur high def video editing and watching Blu Ray movies on my new Sony Bravia 40" HDTV.

I went to the glittering Apple Store in Fukuoka, Japan and had an incredible experience with a "Genius" showing me what a MBP can do. He really convinced me with everything that I expect from an OS to work so elegantly and flawlessly that I was 100% sure that I would buy a 15" MBP.

But I'm teetering and tottering over the FW and the upcoming MBP. I want an English OS so my natural choice would be a MBP because the Sony FW will only come with an pre-installed Japanese Vista Premium... I love OSX and would love to switch to a Mac though...

I'm going to wait until Apple updates the MBP in September and then make a decision but I do hope that even the minimal basic High Def capabilities will come with the the MBP including HDMI output and an optional BD-ROM. That's all I ask for!! :(

Please please Apple, grant my two wishes.... :apple: My third wish will be for World Peace!

[tmelvin]

Well in my experience both are pretty much maintenance free but Vista has a tendency to crash less than OS X, meaning you need to perform fewer application restarts.

That is the most idiotic statement I've ever read here...

To the OP: Don't listen to this guy. He has no clue...

Vista will crash far more often than OS X. I've had an MB since March of this year, and have only booted for updates. Otherwise, it's been in sleep mode. It always starts, and works flawlessly. I had never been able to do that with XP or Vista, on factory installed DELL's and HP's. The latter systems always locked up, crashed, or had issues where they would slow down, and have to be rebooted during the day, or in the middle of work.

The biggest hurdle for most Windows to Mac folks is the need to tinker. Windows constantly needs tinkering and fiddling with. I've never owned a Windows system that didn't need it. Nor have I used a Windows system that didn't require a rebuild at least once a year. Some of that mentality carries over to OS X, and it shouldn't. So typically what happens is that the user messes with things too much, and botches a perfectly good working OS, and the result is kernel panics, etc. But that's not the fault of OS X, it's the fault of a user who doesn't know what he/she is doing.

[DaveF]

That is the most idiotic statement I've ever read here...

To the OP: Don't listen to this guy. He has no clue...

Vista will crash far more often than OS X. I've had an MB since March of this year, and have only booted for updates. Otherwise, it's been in sleep mode. It always starts, and works flawlessly. I had never been able to do that with XP or Vista, on factory installed DELL's and HP's. The latter systems always locked up, crashed, or had issues where they would slow down, and have to be rebooted during the day, or in the middle of work.You're too hasty to write off his experiences. I've found OS X to be no more stable than WinXP. My MBP locks up -- like it did last night -- requiring a hard restart every month or two. I don't "tinker". I don't install system tweaks and performance hacks. I just chalk it up to using a modern computer and modern software. There are oddities and hiccups. I wouldn't expect Vista to be much more solid than OS X, but nor would I expect OS X to be far more stable than Vista.