Sony Vaio XG700K P3-750 / DVD & CDRW / 14.1" / 20GB / 128MB RAM / Win2K Notebook $1599

[swNYC]

Clip from the site:

This Sony Notebook is not your basic portable computing system - it's optimized for Expandability as well as featuring advanced laptop technology
Like the hot swappable multi-bay that can hold a floppy drive, DVD-ROM, CD-RW, and Optional Hard Drive or additional battery
The included Docking station provides the ultimate in Connectivity with ports including the i.LINK® (IEEE-1394) FireWire interface, S-video, NTSC Video-Out, Two USB Ports, PS/2 Keyboard or Mouse port, Optical Digital output, Control A1, Serial, Parallel, PC Card (Type II or Type III), & Floppy Disk Adapter
The heart of this laptop features an Intel Pentium III processor 750MHz with 128MB of SDRAM
CD-RW drive
8x (maximum) DVD-ROM drive
20GB hard drive
14.1" XGA TFT Screen
Integrated V.90 56K Data/fax Modem
S3 Savage graphics chip with 3D graphics support and 8MB of Video SGRAM
Sony Jog Dial® control
Built-in Stereo speakers
Includes: a high-capacity Lithium-Ion battery, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, & more

J&R Link

 

[RossMAN]

I know I should 1) not buy a laptop and 2) if I did hold out for an eBay IBM ThinkPad T20 or T21 but wow look at the specs

This Sony Notebook is not your basic portable computing system - it's optimized for Expandability as well as featuring advanced laptop technology
Like the hot swappable multi-bay that can hold a floppy drive, DVD-ROM, CD-RW, and Optional Hard Drive or additional battery
The included Docking station provides the ultimate in Connectivity with ports including the i.LINK® (IEEE-1394) FireWire interface, S-video, NTSC Video-Out, Two USB Ports, PS/2 Keyboard or Mouse port, Optical Digital output, Control A1, Serial, Parallel, PC Card (Type II or Type III), & Floppy Disk Adapter
The heart of this laptop features an Intel Pentium III processor 750MHz with 128MB of SDRAM
CD-RW drive
8x (maximum) DVD-ROM drive
20GB hard drive
14.1" XGA TFT Screen
Integrated V.90 56K Data/fax Modem
S3 Savage graphics chip with 3D graphics support and 8MB of Video SGRAM
Sony Jog Dial® control
Built-in Stereo speakers
Includes: a high-capacity Lithium-Ion battery, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, & more

Two possible bad things:
1) Not sure if the hard drive is 4400 or 5400 RPM, probably 4400. I believe the IBM ThinkPad T20/T21 is 5400.
2) I see no 10/100 Ethernet.

 

[swNYC]

RossMan: I have an IBM T21 P3-750 and it came w/ an IBM 10GB 4500RPM Drive only. Not sure about the new ones though. Sony laptops usually come w/ IBM drives too. I've dissected my coworker's Vaio to fix something and it was an IBM Travelstar.

 

[tigerbait]

$2600 list price

 

[RossMAN]

Thanks. I just realized that the IBM T20 for $1309 which I missed out on was almost $300 cheaper, came with Ethernet and I think all the other specs were pretty much the same. I do like the Sony's design, firewire port, docking station and touchpad though.

Tough choices.

 

[Mangos]

Sony's laptops are usually really nice. I love the displays on these things.

 

[bwainecho]

In JandR, u can also use Flooz
Use AMEX, u can save 10% more
https://www.flooz.com/offer/amexofferzone/default.asp?
10% off with AMEX
1600 - 160 = 1440.

A hot deal!

 

[The Saint]

quote from their page on this model (you can see it yourself by following tigerbait's link):
"Optional Integrated Ethernet (via PC Card)"

hah, now I have two questions in regards to this:
1. in what sense of the word "integrated" can they possibly be calling this optional pc card integrated?
2. in what sense of the word "optional" can they possibly be calling this pc card optional when it's not even listed as one of the computer's available optional accessories?

heh, just found this piece of misleading marketing to be pretty funny......

 

[popinjay]

)))bump

 

[Sluggo]

Sony has Win2k, I thought most of those IBMs had WinME.

 

[lzpoof]

Some laptops actually have small daughter boards inside of them for ethernet and/or modem. That could be what they mean. PC Card may not mean PCMCIA/Cardbus



<< quote from their page on this model (you can see it yourself by following tigerbait's link):
&quot;Optional Integrated Ethernet (via PC Card)&quot;

hah, now I have two questions in regards to this:
1. in what sense of the word &quot;integrated&quot; can they possibly be calling this optional pc card integrated?
2. in what sense of the word &quot;optional&quot; can they possibly be calling this pc card optional when it's not even listed as one of the computer's available optional accessories?

heh, just found this piece of misleading marketing to be pretty funny...... >>

 

[aamimd88]

found it @ PW for $1598/ and free shipping.

 

[glee719]

Rossman where do you find T20 for $1309?

 

[FJ]

Errr, looks like other sites have it for similar prices:

CompuAmerica
LACC

Here's a listing from MySimon:

MySimon

F

 

[Gusfo0]

That thing is slick.

 

[kilnight]

VAIO XG500 for $1249

I just picked one of these up at Costco... smaller HD, 50 less MHz, 13.3&quot; screen, and no CDRW drive... but still a nice deal at $1249... I'd rather spend $200 on a 12x firewire burner and/or get a firewire hard drive...

check it out