personally I prefer windows to mac primarily because windows is better with home video and other networked applications based on my experience. However, one problem with windows based pcs from dell amd hp is their really poor design amd general ergonomics. I still believe when it comes to design and build nothimg touches an apple mac book pro.However, after coming very close to getting a 17 inch mac book I decided to go with a windows 7 based vaio Fw. the one I got has slightly better specs than the one here. I have the full HD screen and a blu ray writer. Here is why i believe this is an exellent notebook;
1. simply the best looking large screen windows based notebook. Kudos to Sony for excellent styling. (Aesthetics is a toss up between Mac Pro and Vaio FW for me)
2. excellent build quality. way better than my dell latitude from work or my wife's hp from work. The construction is solid. Kudos to Sony engineering for excellent construction (Apple Mac Pro is #1, Vaio is #2 in my books for this criteria)
3. screen size is a perfect 16:9 aspect ratio. Perfect for movies. (The Vaio FW is #1 in my opinion, this screen was designed for multi-media use)
4. blu ray looks fantastic and it is a breeze to connect it to my tv using the hdmi cable. One cable for audio and video. (Vaio FW is #1 for multi-media, hands down!)
5. It comes with 64 bit windows 7 and I upgraded the hardware to 8 GB Ram for blazing performance when combined with the 1 gb grapics card. (Windows 7 64 bit is the best OS in my books, All said and done)
6. came clean with no crapware!
7. sony laptops in my opinion have the best key boards. (Again, Sony created the chicklet style keyboard (not Apple) and if you like it, this is the best)
8. battery is OK. 3.5 hours on such a powerful machine is not bad.
all in all this a superb combination of performance, styling, features and software. do compare this with HP and Dell and decide which you prefer. I bet most will pick the Vaio because of the better build quality, better screen (1080p and true 16:9 size) and aesthetics. Also, compared to a Dell Lattitude that I had from work the Vaio runs much quieter and faster although both have similar hardware specs. The DVD drive on the Dell was atrocious (Dell also did not have a Blu Ray drive).
Given that Sony was one of the prime drivers and developers of the Blu Ray format, one would expect their Notebooks to have the best Blu Ray performance, or at least as good any anyone else out there.
A bit of background... I am a true Sony fan and over the years have collected several of their excellent products LCD TV, DVD Player, Home Theater, Cell Phones etc (some of them from Amazon too). I am very impressed with Sony's design, quality, and performance. Obviously you have to pay a 10-25% premium for the "Sony" brand, but you get a good quality, long lasting, good looking, high performing product, which in my opinion justifies the price premium. Having said that, I am really disappointed with this laptop's keyboard. The keyboard looks good and keys are well spaced out, but the quality doesn't seem to be high. It might be because this particular laptop is "Made in CHINA" :). The keys on this laptop's keyboard look fragile. In my laptop, the '-' key (above letter 'P') came off on 10/25/2009 just 3 days after getting the laptop!
I have been using personal/business laptops (mostly Dells and HPs) for over ten years (some laptops are upto 5 yrs old) and this is the first time a key has came out of the keyboard. I have put the key in place and pressed it and it seems to work OK for a while, but after hitting it 5-6 times, it comes out again. Rest of the keys seem to hold (but I don't know what will happen after 2-3 years of use). Even though this particular issue could be because of a manufacturing defect, I am little disappointed with Sony.
I contacted Amazon's customer service and they apologized for the inconvenience, and were ready to replace it (but were out of stock on VGN-FW550B, my laptop's model). Since I want to use it for business, I couldn't afford to wait for 1-2 months (Amazon's fulfilment time) to get a replacement model. Moreover, my confidence in Sony's laptop, at this point, has shaken a lot. So I am just returning this back to Amazon and would probably go back to Dell or HP.
I would have given it a 1 * for quality (which obviously is Made in CHINA), but had to give them 3 * for their design, price, performance (see useful comments below), which probably is "Made in Japan or US".
Other thoughts: The screen is excellent (glossier than most business laptops), Windows 7 is different, but you get used to it in a day or two and customize it according to your preferences. The Intel Processor and 4 GB memory are enough for me (I don't use it for gaming), battery lasts for a few hours when fully charged, time to charge seemed slower (but it could be just me, didn't time it), the weight is comfortable to carry around (even for the 16.4" screen, which is great. The charger's power cord is little short (but is OK). The resolution (1600x900) is perfect for work writing text files, word documents excels etc.), the price is Excellent and competitive to other models. Good Luck (I wish the one I got was good and hope the best for you)!
Buy Sony VAIO VGN-FW550F/B 16.4-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) Now
this machine is configured to run today's graphics intensive video applications. much to my relief, windows seven ain't bad. i run multiple intensive applications without problem. the design is sleek & ergonomic. construction quality is very good. it boots fast and loads websites very quickly. even the internal speakers are excellent.if you want to watch blu ray videos, or want to do video & image editing (not blu ray), browse the web, play games or use productivity software, this model performs quickly, smoothly & beautifully.
Read Best Reviews of Sony VAIO VGN-FW550F/B 16.4-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) Here
I purchased an FW laptop in November 2008 and the keyboard failed in August 2009. Service was responsive and replaced it. In January 2010., keyboard failed again and Sony will not cover since the computer is "out of warranty". I have another brand that is still working after 8 years. One year life is outrageous!Want Sony VAIO VGN-FW550F/B 16.4-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) Discount?
I bought this laptop from sony directly back at the end of September. I have the C2D P8700 Processor, the 1080P screen (get it, it is SO worth the money!), and the 1 GB graphics card, and the bluray reader. I got a free upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium through Sony. This thing is an entertainment powerhouse. It can play most games I have thrown at it (San Andreas, Oblivion, others) at medium to high settings. The 1080P screen is absolutely gorgeous, with excellent black levels (much better than most competing LED screens can offer, with the possible exception of the RBG LED of the Dell studio XPS 16. The brightness is more than adequate, in a slightly darkened room, the screen must be turned down or it hurts my eyes. Thats a great screen in my opinion.Despite many of the negative reviews on the keyboard posted here, I feel that this computer has one of the best laptop keyboards I have ever used. It does not feel "cheap" or flimsy at all to me, and the keys have a nice click to them with no "give" if pressed quite hard. That said I do have a slightly older model than the one listed, and I hope that Sony has not changed the keyboard out for a flimsier model.
I popped in the Planet Earth Bluray and was blown away by the detail. It looks better on this computer than it ever did on my Sony HDTV.
Complaints: There are very few
1. There is a slight creak that has developed underneath where my right wrist rests on the bottom edge of the computer. This may just be a loose screw, but I haven't had time to open up the bottom of the computer to check it yet.
2. There is a slight amount of wiggle in the top bezel of the LCD. It is not enough to worry me, but it is noticeable when you grip this part of the screen to open the computer. Other than these two minor niggles, I have no complaints about build quality. The outside of this computer (at least the Chocolate Brown model that I purchased) is made of Magnesium not plastic, with a plastic bottom and keyboard.
3. The speakers flat out suck. This is the only truly disappointing aspect of this computer. This thing is so amazing at all things related to multimedia, I cannot believe that Sony would fit such terrible speakers. I have ordered a set of Logitech V20's to put in my bag for when I travel with this computer. Output via headphone is just fine, but don't plan on enjoying bluray-quality sound through the built-in speakers.
Other than these minor complaints, this thing absolutely rocks my world. I am an engineering student, and I rely heavily on this computer day-to-day at school, and it has not let my down. With the extended battery, I see nearly 4 hours of battery life with WiFi on.
Ive done the research, and I don't believe it is possible to get a better quality computer for less money than this. Sony should have called it the FTW.
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