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Help me stay loyal!

S

sud

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 26, 2008
118
0
Australia
So here's the thing, I like most of you have been a loyal Mac user for many years, in fact Iv had a mac laptop since the first iBook 12" G4.
This is my dilemma.

Iv just purchased a 2.4 13" MacBook Pro, swapped out the stock HDD for a Crucial 128 SSD X Series. I like it, it works just fine for what I do.

Then I saw the Sony Viao Z series, yep its double what I spent on the MacBook Pro but its more then twice as good. Im so MAD at apple for lagging behind on the hardware side!!

Can anyone here help me stay loyal to Mac and convince me not to sell the my week old MacBook for the Viao? The main reasons why I would consider the Vaio is for its light weight, i7 power, 8gb Ram, 256gb quad SSD in raid 0 configuration and screen resolution/quality. The screen is simply amazing.

Why should I keep my Mac when its so dated compared to the Vaio?
Will the Vaio be as durable as the Mac? (As trouble free?)
Will its resale value hold like the Mac?

What would you do?

I use my Mac for a business degree Im studying for, iTunes, syncing my iPad and iPhone, streaming movies to Apple TV, the usual web browsing, banking, plus I like photography so edit photos and also some HD video.

I know my mac can do all of that, but I usually replace my laptop annually, might as well get the Vaio, with those specs it would probably last 3 years. To be honest I think the Vaio looks better to.

Iv not yet decided which way Ill go, so hopefully you good people can help tip the scale.

link to Vaio http://www.sony.com.au/product/vpcz128gg
 
I have a VAIO too... it is the worst computer I have ever owned. i will never buy a Sony computer again. awful... so much stuff broke on it within a few months of use. It's not quite as expensive as the one you're looking at tho..

So...

Which one described you best?
1: Thinks specs are the most important thing in a computer
2: Sees the computer as a tool and looks for the best user experience


If you answered 1 go VAIO if 2 stay with Mac
 
You just bought a laptop that does everything you need it to do and now you're thinking of spending twice as much again on a new one? Good luck with your business degree.
 
Gakboi said:
I have a VAIO too... it is the worst computer I have ever owned. i will never buy a Sony computer again. awful... so much stuff broke on it within a few months of use.
Click to expand...

Shhh! They will never learn unless they try....(I too had the same experience with 2 vaios. Sony is hit or miss on their computers but in my experience mostly miss).
 
If you have ridiculous specs, but don't use them, you won't see a difference. So if you wish to go spend twice the money you just spent on a crazy computer that you really don't have a need for, just to have the specs, go ahead.
 
Forget about that Sony. I too have the 2.4GHz 13" MBP. When I got it, it was my first Mac, and basically it was the most affordable for me. And I worried about the CPU being a little skimpy, though the RAM and everything else was quite nice in my opinion. Turns out, the ONLY time I've seen the processor beg me for a little mercy is during intense audio record and editing. I would never go back to another Windows machine ever again. Just stick with the Mac.

If you have money to burn, go ahead and get the Sony, then give us all a point to point comparison.
 
Hey! Dude you may want to rethink that Vaio purchase. I just read online that Sony recalled the Vaio F and C series due to an overheating problem. models include the VPCF11 and the VPCCW2, with an expedited 55,362 units affected. Not sure what model you want but it's worth you doing some research first.

Good Luck!
 
The sony Vaio Z is a nice computer! Specs for that size are quite amazing, but it's also the most expensive 13" laptop I've seen on the market. If you compare the specs and price it's comparable to the i7 15" MBP. The Vaio Z may be light but it's definitely chunkier and larger than the 13 MBP. I love the 0.95" compared to the 1-1.3" thickness of the Vaio Z. (The extra internal room allows Sony to add more components) I don't know why people continue to say why can't a company put this or that in their machines, they use the same intel chips, same nvidia and ati cards, same chipsets, it all has to do with internal space in the unit. The Z has over 10 inches of cubic space more than the 13" MBP.

But like most people are saying the user experience is important. That's where you need to judge for yourself what experience you are looking.

Apple has taken the road of portability and function. Hence that's where their entire MBP line is. Yes there are more powerful notebooks out there. But the way I see it I want a device that can do everything extremely well, from watching and editing movies, working on the road, working at home and reliability. I've yet to find a PC that can do that for me and I've been using PC's much longer than macs. I've used macs for the last 4 years and don't see myself switching back as long as Apple continues to release products that meet my needs.

Goodluck with your decision.
 
Personally, I would not even compare both computers, the price difference is just way too big. And as far as I'm concerned, I would never buy such "top of the line" -in terms of last technology- laptop.

I barely rely the heat dissipation of the portable machines beyond some reasonable point, and seeing that it is not even a standard laptop, but a thin and light one, I would be even more afraid of the durability of the computer.

If I wanted horse power, I would go desktop. The last tech is nice, but until I'm sure the laptop won't burn out under heavy use I would not jump into a 4k buy.

Just my thoughts.
 
I agree with the posts that say "Get the Vaio".

If it works out for you, then you have what you wanted. If it doesn't, then you've probably learned a valuable lesson. Regardless of how it works out, some lessons have to be lived to be learned.

No amount of advice will have the same effect as actually doing it yourself, then living with the consequences of your actions.
 
Loyality?

You can (should) be loyal to your wife, parents, kids, whoever else matters to you. To a company? Apple has never been loyal to you, and if it came across as such it was simply a business decision on their end. Your buying decision should be based on your needs exclusively.

kryca
 
kryca said:
You can (should) be loyal to your wife, parents, kids, whoever else matters to you. To a company? Apple has never been loyal to you, and if it came across as such it was simply a business decision on their end. Your buying decision should be based on your needs exclusively.

kryca
Click to expand...

Very well said.
 
To all of you who replied with facts and answers that make me re consider thank you, you are a credit to this forum, and will certainly help make my decision.

To the rest who insist on sarcastic remarks..........
 
I don't have much experience with the Sony products, though my uncle really likes their machines. I have heard of problems with their products with their newer machines but you should do some research as to how people like that particular model. Just because the sony product has more features, it definitely looks like you are paying the extra money for the features. Extra features do not necessarily = longer lifespan.. oftentimes the better features can lead to more problems if they are not properly tested.

A couple questions to consider.
1. Do you really need those extra features for what you are using it for?
2. Are the features that you gain really worth the extra money?
3. Have you looked at other machines with similar specs to see the cost comparison (Even compare it to 15" MBP pricing...)
4. Have you spent any time with the sony machines to determine if you like the quality and feel of the overall machine? Or has your experience with the sony products mainly been via internet postings?
5. Why are you replacing your machine every year? Is it for the best and greatest specs? Just because the VAIO has more specs than the MBP does not mean that it will still remain the leader in the future.
6. How is the warranty of the Sony machines? Have you done search to see how Sony does in customer service? How easy, if you do have to do any service work, is it to get them to do any fixing. Sony, like any manufacturers, may have problems, and Apple makes it easier with a little better customer service than other companies with multiple options - in store and phone cs.
7. A good way to see about resale value is to look on auction websites (ebay) and just used products sites (craigslist, etc.) and see the value of a particular model and look at the original cost.

You need to choose a computer that you will be happy with, even if it is for just a year. If you are going to be unhappy with the apple, then get the vaio... but don't choose one or the other just for the brand. Choose the machine that best fits your needs and one you truly will like. Sometimes you can use your money wisely depending on what your actual usage pattern is. What about other alternatives? An external monitor for your mbp which can provide you more real estate, but still the flexibility of a laptop...
 
Software

I think one other thing to consider would be new software since you are changing platforms to Win7 so factor that into the price too. I've been using Win7 recently and frankly, most of the problems with Windows are historic so don't worry about

As far as value for money goes, if you think the Sony will last 3 years at double the price of your MBP you change every year then it sounds like a bargin, IF you keep it for 3 years.
 
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