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College Student: MBP or VAIO?
- Thread starter maddan
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I wouldn't get any VAIO besides the new Sony Vaio Z which is going to be released in March. That's the only VAIO better than the Macbook Pros. It has an aluminum unibody casing too, Quad SSDs in Raid 0, a 330M gpu, and an i7 CPU. All in 13.1" at about 3 pounds. It's actually pretty amazing...but also super expensive...
I say get the Macbook Pro 13" model. It's very portable and should meet all of your needs (that you mentioned). Also, I recommend getting iWork if nothing else for Keynote - it's much better than Powerpoint and if you have an iPhone you can download the app to give really impressive presentations.
might not be as expensive as we might think....at 1900USD..it is 400USD more expensive than the 13 MBP...Of course, I am assuming that the updated MBPs will retail at the current prices and that Apple's update to the 13 MBP will not match Sony Vaio Z's specs....
Updated 13" MBP. Divide the extra cost by 4 years and you'll see that it isn't that much. The MBP will also be worth a little money even after 4 years.
Sony Vaio 100%, i mean come on, this is a sony rumor site!
LOL
No, seriously, the VAIO Z series is starting to look like the better option... basically same price and (better) performance as the MBP I'm planning on getting... sans the 15" screen.
yeah i know..it kinda sux!!!
But that is a damn good machine we are talking about here...I mean...with all that bling..it weighs just 3.3 pounds!!! Now that has to be worth something...Now only if there was a way to run SL on it...or if I could somehow start liking Windows 7....
Like I said, it is better to wait for the updated MBP and then decide...if Steve's 'next level' is similar..then a MBP is the sure way to go...Anyway..the updated Vaio Z retails in march...so sit tight..
Don't forget that historically, macs have a far superior resale value than their pc counterparts. I'm not sure how much this means to you, but it's definitely something worth considering.
Personally I wouldn't buy any "consumer level" notebook which encompasses nearly every laptop you'll find in a typical best buy store.
The Dell, HP, and Lenovo business class notebooks is where you'll find the support, build quality, portability and performance mix that will serve you the best. And they'll typically cost you less than an equivalent Macbook Pro.
I am a big fan of the T series from Lenovo, which are available with i7 processors, and are about the same thickness and weight as a MBP.
Both Dell and Lenovo also offer on-site support and accidental damage services as an upgrade to the standard warranty which can be a real lifesaver if you for some reason break your laptop. Accidental damage coverage can be a real lifesaver and something I would recommend to any college student.
$1850 gets you a 15.6" T510 with a 2.66GHz i7, 4GB of DDR3, Win7 Pro x64, 320GB 7200RPM hard drive, nVidia NVS 3100 graphics with 512mb of dedicated memory, WXGA+ LED anti-glare display, BGN wifi + bluetooth, and a 3 year on site warranty with accidental damage coverage.
The Dell, HP, and Lenovo business class notebooks is where you'll find the support, build quality, portability and performance mix that will serve you the best. And they'll typically cost you less than an equivalent Macbook Pro.
I am a big fan of the T series from Lenovo, which are available with i7 processors, and are about the same thickness and weight as a MBP.
Both Dell and Lenovo also offer on-site support and accidental damage services as an upgrade to the standard warranty which can be a real lifesaver if you for some reason break your laptop. Accidental damage coverage can be a real lifesaver and something I would recommend to any college student.
$1850 gets you a 15.6" T510 with a 2.66GHz i7, 4GB of DDR3, Win7 Pro x64, 320GB 7200RPM hard drive, nVidia NVS 3100 graphics with 512mb of dedicated memory, WXGA+ LED anti-glare display, BGN wifi + bluetooth, and a 3 year on site warranty with accidental damage coverage.
You're Kidding, Right?
If you're smart enough for college, you already know that Mac OSX won't cause you all the problems Windows is famous for. You should be able to run everything you need to run, and updates will go much more smoothly. You'll probably have to get MS Office (discount for students on Amazon and at the Apple Store) because some professors only want Powerpoint or Excel work sent to them, which is unfortunate, because iWork is easier to learn. My 15" MBP is almost 4 years old, and it's running fine. I added memory and upgraded to Snow Leopard, no problems. Plus, do you really wanna be calling Sony Customer Service in India late at night while you're trying to finish a paper?
Refrain from buying as long as you can, so you can get the upgraded 13" MBP, hopefully a month or two from now. It's lighter than the Vaio, and the build quality is superior. You'll easily get 4 years out of it. Good luck at school.
If you're smart enough for college, you already know that Mac OSX won't cause you all the problems Windows is famous for. You should be able to run everything you need to run, and updates will go much more smoothly. You'll probably have to get MS Office (discount for students on Amazon and at the Apple Store) because some professors only want Powerpoint or Excel work sent to them, which is unfortunate, because iWork is easier to learn. My 15" MBP is almost 4 years old, and it's running fine. I added memory and upgraded to Snow Leopard, no problems. Plus, do you really wanna be calling Sony Customer Service in India late at night while you're trying to finish a paper?
Refrain from buying as long as you can, so you can get the upgraded 13" MBP, hopefully a month or two from now. It's lighter than the Vaio, and the build quality is superior. You'll easily get 4 years out of it. Good luck at school.
Sony Vaio computers suck, I'm not an Apple fanboy, i owned Acer, Gateway, dell, HP and Vaios, they are really bad, they're slower than what you'd expect from the WOAH specs you read, and also expansive, If you're a student a Mac is great because it helps you to be creative, and also is nice, Macs don't get old as PCs, a 4 year old PC looks old and barely works, a Mac looks new and works still well.... Get apple care just in case
Dell business grade or lenovo.
Their warranties with on site service is excellent. Most business grade service plans are next day including weekends. They come to you to provide service.
These machines are not the $300 POS you see on store shelves or in the ads.
Yes, actually resale value is pretty important to me... and anyways... I just thought about the fact that I can get the best of both worlds on the Mac, using boot camp. I'll get to work with Windows and OS X, albeit by paying a premium price. But, hey, you get a premium computer for a premium price; that's the way it works. Nevertheless, waiting a few months won't hurt... let's see what Apple cooks up against the Z Series.
People here have a lot more experience with Macs, even regardless of any other innate bias. Personally I say get the MBP, and I haven't even seen one of the Sonys.
If you know the difference between Mac OS X and Windows 7, why can't you make up your own mind? There is no need for this question, if you want Windows you take the Sony, if you want Mac OS X and Windows, you take the Mac.
This shouldn't be a question about what laptop to take, both laptops match your needs, this is more of a question to see what Operating System you want OR to justify your own decision.
Make up your mind already and pick one, the only way to see what is proper for yourself is to make your own decision and experiment with the device you bought.
I don't have the money laying around to just "experiment." People come to these forums to get questions answered by real people. I would rather be a smart buyer and find out exactly what I want BEFORE I buy; that way I am ensured I am more satisfied with my final purchase than I would otherwise be. The thing is, I don't know either OS well enough, so I don't know which one would serve me best. I am running on Vista right now, and the last time I dealt with a Mac was around 2004; so I don't know what one has to offer that the other doesn't... I can't just pick the Sony or the VAIO based on OS. But, as I said, since I can use both OS on a Mac, I believe it to be the superior choice thus far. I really think I will purchase a Mac, unless the Z Series can still one-up it after Apple updates it.
That last part will always be a fight to get to the "future", if you wait for future updates it's best not to buy anything because once you buy it, it's already old. (However I can understand for you to wait for the Apple updates, but if you wait for new Sony updates unless that's soon I should just go for one or the other).
If you are new to Mac I can tell you, both are easily done on both OS'es. There are many reasons to go to Mac, but also Windows 7 is not to be underestimated. It's your own choice really, Mac OS X vs Windows is crap in my opinion. You can like, one OS, the other or both or neither. If you haven't tried out Mac OS X, I suggest you should visit a friend or Apple store (or reseller) with enough information and someone who can explain the "way to work" for you. That way you can gain experience and knowledge just by looking what the other tells and shows you.
It's worth to take a look at the Mac (updated or not), both the hardware and software can do like you want it to. The Sony cannot do Mac OS X (it might, with a Hackint0sh but you will never get the same Mac experience and stability).
For the future, I think both devices can keep you up for more than 4 years. The real main difference is just the ability to run both OS'es (Mac) or just Windows (Vaio).
Good luck with your buying, hope you may have many years of pleasure with your new device!
Thanks! I just wanted to clear up what I said really quickly, because you seem to have misunderstood, as evidenced by your response above. What I meant was that if the Z Series still looks better in March, when Apple will (hopefully) have updated the Mac, I will have to think twice about it. I am not going to wait until the Z Series is updated again; that would be crazy haha.
I bought a Sony Vaio last October and it's an alright machine but I've already got fed up with it - and Windows 7! I'm selling it so I can buy a MacBook Pro when they are refreshed. Definitely go for the MBP!