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The Sony Vaio Z series is a freaking awesome device. A friend got one recently and it's making me rethink getting another mac for my next laptop: http://www.s

by rit 16y ago

The Sony Vaio Z series is a freaking awesome device. A friend got one recently and it's making me rethink getting another mac for my next laptop: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644570897 http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryD... Core i7, 8 gigs of ram, I think he's got THREE SSD drives in Raid 0 in there ( I know you can buy outright with a 2 ssd raid 0 config but I found an engadget article referencing QUAD ssd - http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/sony-vaio-z-brings-quad-ssd-drive-and-dynamic-graphics-switching/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/sony-vaio-z-brings-quad-s...). It's a 13" machine and weighs 3 pounds. It doesn't run Mac OS but I find myself needing Linux more often these days than Mac. It's hard to say no to a beautiful piece of hardware like that. To be fair though - nothing beats walking into the Apple Store when my macbook breaks and having them do an overnight repair.

sandGorgon 16y ago
isnt sony the one that deliberately disables vt-x extensions ? http://levicki.net/articles/tips/2009/02/20/HOWTO_Enable_Intel_VT_on_Sony_VAIO_notebook_with_AMI_Aptio_EFI_BIOS.php http://levicki.net/articles/tips/2009/02/20/HOWTO_Enable_Int...
akkartik 16y ago
But you still end up paying for a windows license? Perhaps my biggest reason for buying a mac was that there were no ultraportables without the windows tax. In fact, I don't want to have to install linux on my laptop first thing. Also, Sony's 'fresh start' pay-us-to-not-install-crap-maybe-sometimes option really rubs me the wrong way. I looked into it out of curiousity, and the configs are indeed nice, but buy Sony? Ick.
- Zak 16y ago
  Effectively, all the crap you have to pay them not to install subsidizes your Windows tax. I'm with you in principle, but if they were willing to sell computers with no OS on them, they wouldn't be cheaper.
  - akkartik 16y ago
    1. I wasn't really concerned about price. I don't think the original poster is either. 2. I don't give a rats ass why things are the way they are. (I know why.) I'm the consumer, dammit. And this is my cathartic whiny-complaining thread, dammit.
houseabsolute 16y ago
Interesting, that's a nice looking machine. The only downside I see is that it's more expensive than a 13" macbook pro configured the same way (although it has a better processor).
illumin8 16y ago
That's a great looking machine, and the specs are awesome, but I refuse to buy Sony Vaio. They have some of the worst driver support ever, supporting the exact version of Windows shipped and nothing else, ever. Forget about Linux support, it doesn't exist. Forget about even supporting future service packs of the Windows release. When Windows 7 SP1 comes out and Sony refuses to update your drivers, enjoy your $3,000 paperweight. Been there, done that, refuse to buy a Vaio ever again.
- carmen 16y ago
  linux support doesnt exist? i plugged in Arch USB key and and wiped Win7 first thing - GMA500 is the only problem, but that effects so many devices these days that its inevitable a working driver comes out some time
  - illumin8 16y ago
    Uh... without GMA500 support you're running Linux in either text only or 800x600 with no hardware acceleration. You call that usable?
- viperx 16y ago
  I have been reading the whole thread, but this one made me jump in. I own a VAIO Z series and it is a kick ass machine. I have windows 7 running without any problems by using most of the Windows XP drivers from the Sony website. I agree that Sony are morons for not supporting future OS and linux, but we all know that there is always a way around. Also want to add that the Sony laptops, and particularly Z and F series are very well designed and very sturdy compared with the other brands that tend to make their new modesl cheaper and cheaper looking and feeling.

by rit 16y ago

sandGorgon 16y ago

isnt sony the one that deliberately disables vt-x extensions ? http://levicki.net/articles/tips/2009/02/20/HOWTO_Enable_Intel_VT_on_Sony_VAIO_notebook_with_AMI_Aptio_EFI_BIOS.php http://levicki.net/articles/tips/2009/02/20/HOWTO_Enable_Int...

akkartik 16y ago

But you still end up paying for a windows license? Perhaps my biggest reason for buying a mac was that there were no ultraportables without the windows tax. In fact, I don't want to have to install linux on my laptop first thing. Also, Sony's 'fresh start' pay-us-to-not-install-crap-maybe-sometimes option really rubs me the wrong way. I looked into it out of curiousity, and the configs are indeed nice, but buy Sony? Ick.

Zak 16y ago
Effectively, all the crap you have to pay them not to install subsidizes your Windows tax. I'm with you in principle, but if they were willing to sell computers with no OS on them, they wouldn't be cheaper.
- akkartik 16y ago
  1. I wasn't really concerned about price. I don't think the original poster is either. 2. I don't give a rats ass why things are the way they are. (I know why.) I'm the consumer, dammit. And this is my cathartic whiny-complaining thread, dammit.

houseabsolute 16y ago

Interesting, that's a nice looking machine. The only downside I see is that it's more expensive than a 13" macbook pro configured the same way (although it has a better processor).

illumin8 16y ago

That's a great looking machine, and the specs are awesome, but I refuse to buy Sony Vaio. They have some of the worst driver support ever, supporting the exact version of Windows shipped and nothing else, ever. Forget about Linux support, it doesn't exist. Forget about even supporting future service packs of the Windows release. When Windows 7 SP1 comes out and Sony refuses to update your drivers, enjoy your $3,000 paperweight. Been there, done that, refuse to buy a Vaio ever again.

carmen 16y ago
linux support doesnt exist? i plugged in Arch USB key and and wiped Win7 first thing - GMA500 is the only problem, but that effects so many devices these days that its inevitable a working driver comes out some time
- illumin8 16y ago
  Uh... without GMA500 support you're running Linux in either text only or 800x600 with no hardware acceleration. You call that usable?
viperx 16y ago
I have been reading the whole thread, but this one made me jump in. I own a VAIO Z series and it is a kick ass machine. I have windows 7 running without any problems by using most of the Windows XP drivers from the Sony website. I agree that Sony are morons for not supporting future OS and linux, but we all know that there is always a way around. Also want to add that the Sony laptops, and particularly Z and F series are very well designed and very sturdy compared with the other brands that tend to make their new modesl cheaper and cheaper looking and feeling.