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Did Sony gave me what Apple was supposed to?

B

BatuKMan

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 3, 2011
10
0
Far away from home
My Dell XPS M1330 went belly up a couple of months ago due to the infamous NVidia 8400M chipset, as I don't live in the USA I'm not entitle to the class action. So it was time for a new laptop.

I followed the rumours and decided to wait for the SB and their announced performance gains. I always had a thing for Macs but for one reason or another never owned one, therefore I was expecting the MBP 13in to move the 1440x900 resolution and continue to have a discrete GPU if that had happened then I would've already order one. Problem it didn't.

Along comes Sony and announces the new Vaio S (VPCSB1C5E) with the following specs:
# Intel® CoreTM i5-2410M 2.30GHz
# Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
# Silver/Black/White/Pink/Blue
# 320 GB Serial ATA (5400 rpm)
# 4 GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM (1 x 4096 MB)
# DVD disc drive
# 33.7 cm (13.3in) LCD, 1366x768 Matte
# Webcam
# AMD Radeon™ HD 6470M + Intel® HD
# 1.75kg (3.86lbs)
# Aluminium/Magnesium Alloy Body
# Wireless LAN(bgn) + Bluetooth®
# HDMI(TM) output
# Backlight keyboard
# 2x USB 2.0 + 1x USB 3.0
# VGA port
# Memory Stick + SD

Considering that the MBP 13in base model hiked 100€ in price with the SB revision (in my country) and that the Sony costs 969€ (£789) in the configuration above, means less 230€ than the MBP.
The BTO options are also more appealing and cheaper.

Intel® CoreTM i3-2310M 2.10GHz: -50€ (-50£)
Intel® CoreTM i5-2520M 2.50GHz: +50€ (+50£)
Intel® CoreTM i7-2620M 2.70GHz: +150€ (+100£)

500 GB Serial ATA (5400 rpm): +30€ (+30£)
500 GB Serial ATA (7200 rpm): +60€ (+60£)
640 GB Serial ATA (5400 rpm): +60€ (+60£)
750 GB Serial ATA (5400 rpm): +90€ (+90£)
128 GB Ultra SATA Flash SSD: +350€ (+320£)
256 GB Ultra SATA Flash SSD: +660€ (+690£)

6 GB 1333MHz DDR3-SDRAM: +40€ (+40£)
8 GB 1333MHz DDR3-SDRAM: +80€ (+80£)

Blu-ray Disc(TM) writer: +160€ (+150£)

AMD Radeon(TM) HD 6630M 1GB: +60€ (+60£)

Wan (HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS) Dl 7.2 Mbps / Up 5.7 Mbps: +80€ (+100£)

Finger Print Recognition & Trusted Platform Module (TPM): +30€ (+30£)

Long-Life Battery (doesn't extend behind, clips underneath, 2x battery life): +120€ (+120£)

Sources:
https://shop.sony.co.uk/shop/VAIO-Laptop-PCs/S-Series-13-3
http://www.sony.es/product/vn-s-series/tab/models

I travel quite a lot, I don't use it in air-planes and such that much but I have to carry it around and with airlines squeezing every penny from us, size and weight do matter.
It'll be my primary machine, so it has to be able to do the usual web surfing, emails, skype and other light task as well as the odd game and Lightroom and Photoshop (amateur photographer).

This Sony might be what the new MBP should have been. What you guys/gals think?
 
The only thing you'll get from your Sony is a headache and continuing bills from all the virus software and support you'll be paying for.
 
Yes, that looks good on paper, but where's the Mac OS isn't that why we buy macs for the mac OS experience.:cool:
 
Most of the specs of the Sony seem better. However, the reason people buy 13" MBPs is for several reasons: OS X, battery life, higher quality build. The Sony doesn't seem to beat the MBP in any of those categories. If you haven't owned a Mac before, you may want to stop by an Apple store and try them out before anything. Otherwise, the MBP probably still offers a higher quality machine overall, while the Sony will give you more power in the short-term. Decide based on what's more important to you.
 
axu539 said:
Most of the specs of the Sony seem better. However, the reason people buy 13" MBPs is for several reasons: OS X, battery life, higher quality build. The Sony doesn't seem to beat the MBP in any of those categories. If you haven't owned a Mac before, you may want to stop by an Apple store and try them out before anything. Otherwise, the MBP probably still offers a higher quality machine overall, while the Sony will give you more power in the short-term. Decide based on what's more important to you.
Click to expand...

worded perfectly! I had a vaio z before swapping to macbook pro, and after getting the macbook the sony felt cheap. Battery life is definitely better than the vaio.
 
Apples to oranges.

Comparing macs to PC's is pointless as the MBP will usually lose on overall specs every time. That means somebody here will have to convince you the MBP is better which leads to all kinds of subjective crap nobody can rationalize.

As far as PC's go though, the new Sony specs look good. (But not surprising as mac owners are used to this).
 
BatuKMan said:
That is why I haven't made my mind up yet, if Apple used Windows then I wouldn't even consider it giving the prices.:cool:
Click to expand...

As I said, go try one out. It makes all the difference in the world, since we can't tell you how your experience is going to be.
 
Grouchy Bob said:
Apples to oranges.

Comparing macs to PC's is pointless as the MBP will usually lose on overall specs every time. That means somebody here will have to convince you the MBP is better which leads to all kinds of subjective crap nobody can rationalize.

As far as PC's go though, the new Sony specs look good. (But not surprising as mac owners are used to this).
Click to expand...

The build quality of the Sony is unknown as it isn't available yet. I played with a MBP i7 13in in a store today, the only thing I wasn't too fond of was the screen resolution, the MBA 13in next to it was so much better to look at.
 
BatuKMan said:
The build quality of the Sony is unknown as it isn't available yet. I played with a MBP i7 13in in a store today, the only thing I wasn't too fond of was the screen resolution, the MBA 13in next to it was so much better to look at.
Click to expand...

I have yet to handle a Windows machine that didn't feel like crap in my hand (having used Macs for the last 8 years or so). Maybe some newer computers have better build, but nothing comes close to the machined aluminum in MacBook Pros.

If processor speed isn't too much of a concern for you, a MBA 13in might suit you better. People complain about the C2D, but in reality, it's fine. It can game just fine too, and with the 320m IGP, it handles most things fairly well. Do consider, though, that the 13" MBA might get updated with SB later this year, so if your need for a new computer isn't TERRIBLY urgent, you could try holding out till summer.
 
pogoyoyo said:
not to mention the trackpad on the mbp's have an epic user experience IMO.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was just about to say this. I can't even use the trackpad of my thinkpad laptop for work after having used my macbook trackpad. I have to have a mouse plugged in to use my work laptop.
 
Weird? A similarly spec Vaio S (without Sandy Bridge but with Intel HD graphics) to a MBP costs $1229 ($30 more than MBP) in the US?

Maybe this will change after update?
 
BatuKMan said:
That is why I haven't made my mind up yet, if Apple used Windows then I wouldn't even consider it giving the prices.:cool:
Click to expand...

You know you can always bootcamp Windows, so you can have BOTH Windows and OSX right? Plus the resale value is much MUCH better with Apple.
 
I admit the specs seem nice ... wait what is that?

Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium ... enjoy your new laptop. :cool:
 
Unibody, Magsafe, Multitouch trackpad with gestures are reasons I can never go back. I shutter at the build quality even when I help fix friends PC laptops (coincidentally was a VAIO last week) which usually is only a couple months old before they crap out and they are with me cause their warranty/follow up service is crap too. Safe to say when they are waiting for me to find out whats wrong with their PC laptop, they start to get buyers remorse while playing on my MBP. :cool:
 
Why do people even bother asking here these types of questions here. Almost all the people that hang out in this place are biased towards Macs for whatever reason (It's definitely not as great as they would all like you to think)
Most of the people here haven't even used windows 7 so they have no idea what they're talking about
and a lot of the people that complain about Windows Laptops are just angry people who had a bad experience with one before and need somewhere to vent their frustrations. Please I'm begging you don't believe the hype.
 
Looon said:
Why do people even bother asking here these types of questions here. Almost all the people that hang out in this place are biased towards Macs for whatever reason (It's definitely not as great as they would all like you to think)
Most of the people here haven't even used windows 7 so they have no idea what they're talking about
and a lot of the people that complain about Windows Laptops are just angry people who had a bad experience with one before and need somewhere to vent their frustrations. Please I'm begging you don't believe the hype.
Click to expand...

So you're the guy who had a bad experience with a Mac, so all your thoughts are the true real deal? Maybe you're just angry and need to vent your frustration.
 
I have a Sony and it runs Windows 7 great, no problems with it. However, if you want to mess with OS X you shouldn't be looking at a Sony since they can't, and hackintosh efforts generally fail with them.

If you don't terribly need the CPU power, I'd also go with a 13" MBA. The screen is way better!
 
Looon said:
Why do people even bother asking here these types of questions here. Almost all the people that hang out in this place are biased towards Macs for whatever reason (It's definitely not as great as they would all like you to think).
Click to expand...

Yes it is. If wasn't so great why would Microsoft have spent so much time and money copying the Apple OS software. You want to know why you like windows7 so much. Because that is exactly what they did.

Looon said:
Most of the people here haven't even used windows 7 so they have no idea what they're talking about.
Click to expand...
I have used Windows 7, it's ok. It doesn't crash near as much as Vista did, and only slightly more than my Macs.

Looon said:
and a lot of the people that complain about Windows Laptops are just angry people who had a bad experience with one before and need somewhere to vent their frustrations. Please I'm begging you don't believe the hype.
Click to expand...

I am an IT administrator for a small business. I have not had one bad experience with a windows machine, I have had Hundreds.

Don't believe the hype, go out and try OSX on a powerbook, then go and try Windows 7 on a laptop. They are both good operating systems. Except with one, there are no virus's. Whether that is because of market share, or productions values, or luck of the draw.
 
axu539 said:
Most of the specs of the Sony seem better.
Click to expand...

I don't agree. It has the same CPU as the 13" MBP, a comparable resolution (the Sony has only 2.5% more pixels then the MBP), a screen quality which most certainly will be inferior to the MBP's (judging from the experience with previous Vaio laptops), a useless GPU (that ATI 6470M is in fact slower than the integrated Intel graphics, I wonder why they even put it inside), bad battery, smaller touchpad.

Overall, the only benefits the Sony has over the 13" MB are price and weight.
 
stockscalper said:
The only thing you'll get from your Sony is a headache and continuing bills from all the virus software and support you'll be paying for.
Click to expand...
Only idiots pay for virus software. The free alternatives use much less resources than Norton and are even win in comparisons all the time. Microsoft Security Essentials or Avira AntiVir is all one needs.
If you buy all the Trial software crap it is your own fault. The only annoying thing is that cleaning the system of all this crap takes long if you go through the deinstall routines. If you go the quick route your loose some hdd space but it is less of a hassle.
 
you're asking for advise on what to buy... dell vs mac in a macbook pro section of a mac website...naturally everyone will lean towards the mac.

For the money it's worth the peace of mind knowing you have a solid computer. i wish you luck in your decision. :)

get the mac.
 
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