(Read the whole thing to see how my feelings changed)
I bought this laptop a few weeks ago, and it has been amazing. First of all, everything about it is beautiful. Just completely gorgeous. It is bold, but yet sleek and elegant and really attracts attention. It really is the most gorgeous laptop I've ever seen.
If you are on the fence between this one and the slightly cheaper black one with 8GB of ram, go for the white if you like the style better (To me, it looks worlds nicer). 6GB is a very nice amount of ram and it isn't as though ram is outrageously expensive to upgrade if you really want 8GB. I am a photographer who uses very high quality DSLR photos and makes flash animations that slowed down my other computer, but this one handles them like they are nothing. The display is beautiful and perfect for movie watching. In fact, in my family, we all have laptops, but we always use mine to watch movies now because it is so clear. Finally, for those of you who are gamers, it handles my favorite MMORPG like a dream. It really is the perfect laptop for all three activities.
Another thing I didn't even know when I bought it was that it can connect with your Bluetooth capable phone and play music from it.
The lit keyboard is a lot of fun and the ability to launch the web in a matter of seconds using a single button is pure genius. It's perfect for times when you're rushing.
Now, being completely honest, there are 2 things I'm not thrilled with when it comes to this laptop, but they aren't deal-breakers:
#1. The sound system is pretty bad. Maybe that is because I have a Bose system in my car, that I'm a film major, or that I'm a pianist, but I'm pretty accustomed to high quality sound. The sound system from this sounds very tinny. So, I found a solution; I purchased the Logitech lap desk with a fan (it doesn't overheat or anything like that, I'm just paranoid because my first laptop did...) and a speaker system and connected that to it (it is also white, so the combo looks pretty sweet) and the sound is now top notch. So, I'm VERY satisfied. My laptop stays cool, even while I'm doing highly taxing things like gaming and my sound is now fantastic.
#2. I have no idea what in the world that part is called, but the part you drag your finger over in order to move the arrow. I don't feel as though it responds as well as my last laptop's did (it was a Toshiba Satellite), and yes, I have already placed it on maximum sensitivity. So, I simply purchased a mouse so I don't have to deal with it. (I must admit it does have a few neat features, though. Like the ability to scroll by moving your finger in a spiral shape, but sometimes it would take me like 3 times to get it to work... I hear a lot of people like this, so maybe it's just me...)
Other than those two items, literally everything else is top notch. Very beautiful craftsmanship. Sleek design. Fast. Looks even better than in the photos. You will not be disappointed with this laptop. Sony has truly outdone themselves.
Pair it with 17 inch White Notebook Laptop Shoulder Messenger Bag / Carry on Briefcase, the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700, a white mouse, and a black mouse pad and you are ready to go.
Therefore, 5 stars. It is the perfect all-around laptop. And classy to boot.
Feb 21, 2012 Edit:
As of this writing, I'd give it 3/5 Stars with a title of " If I had known ":
First thing I want to talk about is the lower left-hand corner. It melts. No joke. There is a light over there, and one day, it suddenly looked like I'd dropped it. Which, considering I'm a gadget person and pride myself in having the most stylish of gadgets, is mortifying. I'm literally known by all my friends and coworkers and members of my church to be a gadget person! I've had to explain to so many people that that corner heats up and separated itself from the bottom part of the laptop. Ack...
If you closely inspect it, you can see it is not possible that it could be from being dropped, but it has to be from some internal overheating issue. That didn't change the functionality of the laptop, but I'd think twice if you tend to sell your laptop after a year or two of use. I can't remember while I'm writing this when I purchased this laptop, but my review will show that date...
At first, I thought it was my fault, until I went on eBay and found the same exact laptop with the same exact bend in the same exact spot. This is a defect. If I'd known that was going to happen, maybe I'd have done something to cool down that corner or whatever... But I don't know how anyone would have known...
Next, the Blu-ray player doesn't work. I also have an iPad, and got used to watching movies on it, so I never bothered to try the Blu-Ray player (though I had played DVDs, which were fine.) I finally got around to putting in a Blu-Ray disc, and it won't play. I tried everything. I went to Sony's site, and tried their fixes, downloaded VLC media player, restarted the computer... I wonder if it ever worked...
Sony customer service stinks to high heaven. About a year after I got the laptop, it couldn't find Windows. Then, I started having problems with logging in, where it would not be able to bring up my desktop. I learned how to fix this, though (go to safe mode and stop all but the essential programs from booting up at startup.) That may be a Windows problem, though... Nevertheless, before I knew how to fix it, I called Sony for help and they ended up installing this diagnostic program on my computer and using all this non-specific jargon to creatively not tell me what my problem was. Then, they wanted to charge me over a hundred bucks to fix this one issue. I declined and did more researched and learned how to fix it myself. It took me 5 min to fix it once I knew what I was doing. Talk about taking advantage...
I've been asked before why I didn't just sell it and get a Macbook. Here is why I still own and use this laptop:
It is still fast. Though I got it a bit ago, compared to what's out there, it is still powerful and modern and will be for likely a couple more years. It still does the work I bought it to do and still does it well. I even refer to it as my "powerhouse"
Macbook Pros go up to 15 inches nowadays. This laptop is 16.4 inches. I like the extra room.
The Mac is 21 or 25 inches and then they have a 27 inch model, I think. But, it isn't portable. I can take this laptop with me.
A Macbook with this kind of power would run me double what I paid for this laptop. Despite my frustrations, the price was right. Not to mention, I've long since paid off this laptop.
It looks better. Not that the Macbook or Mac is ugly or anything, but this VAIO is stylish. It just looks better.
Overall:
I'd still recommend this laptop, but never for an amateur user. Function-wise, if you don't rely on the Blu-Ray player (like I tend not to, I just randomly was handed a Blu-Ray to watch, otherwise, I likely never would have noticed the Blu-Ray player had issues) and you have the technological know-how or research skills to help yourself when there are problems, and you do not intend to sell it for anything even remotely close to what you have to spend to get it, you'll be fine. If even one of those does not apply to you, skip it.
Ah yes, and one more thing. It is a white laptop, so expect it to get dirty.
This laptop is fast, plays full hd videos,blu ray, has an amazing keyboard layout, has a great screen, the sound is loud, and it plays most games on med-high settings. Compared to other similar gaming machines, this one is a better deal! You get it all. The only downsides are the battery and weight. It dies pretty fast, usually lasts me a good 2-4 hours with heavy browsing and viewing videos. Of course it lasts longer just doing basic things. When trying to carry the laptop with one hand, it is pretty darn heavy. This laptop also looks very stylish. I would recommend this to everyone! I also have one suggestion: Never use this laptop when your hands are dirty with ink. IT WILL STAIN! And if you are a perfectionist like me, you will be pretty upset.
Buy Sony VAIO(R) VPCF22SFX/W Signature Series 16.4" Notebook PC - White Now
I had this laptop for just over a year. Didn't buy extended warranty. I used it approximately less than 3 months total. When the year was over, the video graphics card and the LCD screen both died. Sony support calculated minimum $600 to fix/replace parts with new + to/from shipping cost. I would not buy a Sony laptop again nor recommend them.
Read Best Reviews of Sony VAIO(R) VPCF22SFX/W Signature Series 16.4" Notebook PC - White Here
The laptop has awesome hardware characteristics, the screen is really good and has a high resolution.
However, the overall design of the laptop is ugly.
The keyboard is backlit, but the slits between the keys and the base are too big, so the white LEDs are shining right in your eyes.
The plastic gets all stained with fingerprints from a single touch.
The dotted touchpad is annoying I prefer the smooth sliding and don't get why one has to put in extra force to fight the friction.
The touchpad is not sensitive enough I can't move the pointer from one side of the screen to the other in a single go.
The left/right mouse buttons are too far away from each other, so you can't use them both with the same finger.
Want Sony VAIO(R) VPCF22SFX/W Signature Series 16.4" Notebook PC - White Discount?
I bought this from a different merchant for $699 (sorry Amazon). This is an excellent price for a Toshiba laptop with an i7 processor with 8GB of ram. However, I did not read the features very well. I thought the keyboard had an LED backlight. It does not. Also, someplace else, I read a review about the display colors not being accurate. This was a correct assessment as the screen has a slightly purplish hue to it. Very slight and not worth complaining about. Everything else about this laptop is nearly as good as it gets. You can always get a better laptop, but it will cost you more. And I rate Toshiba laptops very high. They are much better than Dell!
