Originally posted by: UNCjigga
Which models do you have experience with? I know plenty of people with TX and S series VAIOs and they absolutely love them. I *have* heard bad things about a few store-bought 'consumer' level vaio laptops though.
For the most part (though there are a few choice exceptions), Vaio hardware is not terrible. In fact, I can without a doubt say the displays are some of the nicer choices on the market. Of course, aesthetically the machines are quite nice as well.
The chief reason reason I tend to now sway others away from choosing a Vaio is Sony's truly awful service. Not so much as far as technical support is concerned mind you, as most here are savvy enough to deal with minor technical inconviencies (and even component failure of the interchangable type, be it a hard drive, proccessor, etc). Warranty support however is an entirely other matter.
I cannot fault a manufacturer all that much when components (integrated or discete, electronic or mechanical) fail - it happens unfortunately across all manufacturers. The difference between most other manufacturers and Sony lies in the likelihood of Sony standing behind their product. In too large of a percentage of cases, they do not. I've personally had quite a number of Vaios (over the course of a six year period), beginning with the F series, and progressing forward through the FXA series, the G series, the S series, and early T series. Dealing with Sony on hardware failures was (to be quite honest) an absolute nightmare on more than a single occasion, and several times I progressed through the proper channels on support issues as high up as a few VPs. The last in a series of unresolved issues (a hinge on an S series that simply snapped in two, which the representative I initially reported the issue to said "Oh, we've had that happen on some of them lately.") went as high as a regional VP of Operations. Over $350 (plus shipping) for a single hinge seemed a bit too steep of an out-of-pocket repair cost for a machine
still under the initial warranty, and despite my calmest, most professional demeanor (and explaining that this was an opportunity for Sony to keep me as a customer, rather than lose me, my future purchases, and the future purchases of all those to whom I recommend products), Sony declined to service the machine without payment. His only solace was, "Sorry. Businesses can't afford to repair all things that break." For the price point Sony mobile machines generally keep, this is quite simply an unacceptable practice.
Had it been a single instance, I could have likely foregone the conclusion I reached regarding warranty service and support. However, it was not an isolated case I dealt with, and later found it was a faily common theme reported by other Sony end-users. At that point, one has no other recourse than to vote with one's wallet, and the wallets of others he/she has influence over. What I do recommend to people is that if they are absolutely set on a Vaio purchase,
do NOT do so without the protection of a third-party extended warranty of some kind.
In DigDug's case, I would recommend the ThinkPad far above any Vaios. The other machines mentioned are also excellent choices, and should be researched prior to purchase. You might also consider the
NP5720 as it falls into your price range, offers both the video and display options mentioned above, and meets your weight requirement.
In the end, much of your choice is going to be personal preference of course, and should be the make and model that best suits your needs and budget.
Good luck.
I would consider others such as Acer and Gateway just for good measure.
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