I think the laptop is alright. A laptop is worth whatever you
are willing to pay for it so I think "scammed" is an unduly strong
word.
I've had quite a lot of experience supporting Sony Vaio laptops
in an office environment. Personally I would never buy one myself
because:
1. The warranty support is terrible. Even for the smallest
issues, I have to bring the laptop down to a Sony store and the
laptop will be gone for at least a week. The Sony stores just
basically take in the product and send it down to their service
centre.
The best support I've received so far is for the Dell Latitudes
(I have no experience with the Inspirons). You call Dell, they send
a guy down. They fix the problem on the spot. Most importantly,
since they fix it in front of you, you don't have to worry about
your data or wiping your hard drive before you send in the
laptop.
2. The website is a mess. It's gotten a bit better now but it's
still awful. Sony has a whole mess of part numbers that are
different from region to region. If you are reinstalling your OS,
finding the right drivers can be a nightmare. Having said that,
they are getting better - getting better in the sense that going to
the website is no longer like getting kicked in the balls, but like
getting slapped in the face a few times.
Having said that, there are a few good things about Sony
Vaios:
1. Most of their high end laptops are not bad looking. Sony has
many different interesting designs. Some are god-awful ugly but
most are quite okay. I think the SZ and TZ series look pretty good.
I find the keyboards pretty good to type on.
2. Sony tends to pack a lot of stuff into their laptops. Even
the ultraportables tend to come with a built-in DVD drive (if that
kind of thing is important to you).
3. Sony laptops tend to be light though some may argue that it
makes the laptop feel flimsy.
4. Sony laptops are usually quite innovative but then again, you
pay for that innovation. The dual graphics chipset thing is good
though it's up to the buyer whether it's worth the premium. Dual
graphics chipsets give you the best of both worlds - increased
battery life when you are not doing graphics intensive tasks, and
much better graphics performance when you need it.
But as I said, I wouldn't buy a Vaio for myself but I can see
why someone else might want one. The TZ is a great laptop for
ladies. It can slip easily into a handbag and it adds very little
weight. The keyboard is smaller than standard size but still easy
to type on even if you have pudgy fingers. If you have smaller
hands, even better.
My gf really wants one. ;)
But anyway, you have to decide for yourself if the laptop is
worth it to you. If you ask me, it's not bad but my opinion
shouldn't matter.
If you were wondering if a Sony Vaio can help you get laid, the
answer is no. You need a Macbook Air for that. But don't worry, at
least the Vaio won't hurt your chances like an Acer would.
:p
