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

N

nomercy0007

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 31, 2008
3
0
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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).
 
Osx, if apple just designed computer hardware with the intention of only using windows.. I'd just buy the cheaper plastic pcs...
 
nomercy0007 said:
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?
Click to expand...

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
 
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.
 
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.
 
iToaster said:
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.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised if the Sony was running at 1280 X 800...
 
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.
 
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.
 
FuuFuu said:
Sony vaio just isn't made to last long.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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
 
FuuFuu said:
although sony has high quality laptops, its not the best competitor against mac in terms of sales. HP and Dell are i believe.
Click to expand...

I think Sony would best compare against Apple because of its smaller market share and higher quality computers.
 
Guilfox said:
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
Click to expand...

Pretentious!

Pretentious!

Pretencious!

God, I love being a Mac user :rolleyes:
 
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.
 
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
 
If you wait until September when Apple releases the new laptops they will have better specs, and lower prices (according to rumors).
 
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