Sony Z or (Refresh) Black Macbook?

i need a notebook for back to school, within the next three weeks. I am deciding between these two. I have used (owned) windows all my life but also am pretty comfortable with OSX. Both are great for me, the only problem i have with windows is security, hence why i am considering a macbook. I dont do much gaming. Mostly email, word, internet, movies, maybe an older game once in a while but nothing even half intense. the only reason i am holding back from a mac is because apple has not upgraded or even said a word on when and what will be upgraded. i really dont want to wait till mid sept, i will need it around the first week of sept. If something fantastic is in the new MB i am willing to wait a little longer but im not wasting time on a simple speed bump. My question is, is the mac really special and worth waiting for or should i go and just get a pc. non-biased opinions are appreciated.

 

Well based on the fact that you can't wait past the first week of september then your only course of action is to buy what's available, be it the Sony or the new Macbooks (if they are here by then). Apple most likely will be refreshing the Macbooks and making them feature rich where it will attract a lot of people as they usually do but there's no way for anyone to know as to an ETA.
At this point I would wait for the new Macbooks rather than buying the current line as I think they are hurting a bit on specs right now. Again if your computing needs are necessary around the first week of september then buy what's available.

 

The Sony Z is in its own league, its beyond compare because of its build quality (carbon fiber), its screen (dura-view 100% color saturation LED LCD), its weight, its design, its aura --> everything. And its shipping August-20-29 as opposed to the Black MB..

I think the Macbook is one overpriced fashion-accessory. And its priced to induce feeling of "greatness among all cuz its soooo pricey" whereas the specs speak for themselves, and they SUCK.

 

If you prefer OSX over Windows and will use it as your primary OS, get the MacBook, else get the Sony. What Macs have going for them is software, but on the hardware level, performance per dollar sucks.

 

Although I haven't seen a Z in person, the keyboard looks pretty much the same as the CR's, which imo is better than the Macbook's, if that makes a difference to you. The strokes are softer and not as clickity. But your choice really comes down to OS preference, which I don't think anyone can really tell you what you like.

Check your bookstore for laptop deals though, as mine has very good deals on macs (especially out going models), but you would have to keep in mind the price of switching software (if you pay for yours that is).

 

Yea, but it doesn't run Mac OS, so discussion over. Right now, Apple has far more creative software than the Windoze platform. I've simply been amazed what has been added to the platform that syncs with the iPhone. It's a whole new world right now.

 

You'll get biased opinions wherever you post... but if you post over in the "What Notebook Should I Buy?" forum, at least you'll get a better mix of biases.

Other than that, I think Chris27 summed it up nicely.

And while the Macbook is due for an update soon, with Apple, no one can really say exactly what's coming next, or when.

 

just like most computer companies, Apple will not announce anything until the machines are actually available. In my opinion, and judging from Apple's own vague "announcements", it is definitely worth the wait to see exactly what Apple will be releasing. The MacBook is almost guaranteed to get a redesign this time around. Also, I am not really incredibly biased in terms of the OS, as I use both every day and use Macs and PCs, but I can honestly tell you, my PC usage is slowly becoming more and more non-existent. The only thing my Fujitsu Laptop is used for now is a Download machine and mini server. I usually don't even use it, just remote control it using VNC.

I was definitely in your situation before, with a little bit different types of use. where I really knew what I was doing on both, but as soon as I actually owned my own Mac, I started to really learn what makes Apple's products tick.

It is extremely nice to only have to deal with one company when you have any issues either with the OS or the Hardware, and even nicer, you have a retail store with knowledgable people that are willing to help you with your specific problem, and you can bring your problem too them, instead of trying to translate it over the phone.

the other thing is that when you don't want to go into a store, you actually have useful documentation available online all at one site. Most people aren't even of the Windows support site because it is so unusable and people just forget about it.

I say wait for the MacBook, especially if it is Aluminum with an updated screen and specs, and maybe a little something extra.

 

Gonna just bring out the ID card before I give my opinion. I use both OSX on an MBP and Vista on a desktop pc. I have sold Acer, HP, Sony, Toshiba, IBM, Compaq, Fujitsu-Siemens amongst others in former employment and dealt with all of them as companies.

Simply put I prefer OSX over Vista any day. A lack in numbers of softwares available for OSX is IMHO more than made up for by the quality of some mac software (Office on pc does own the mac '08 version though). I do want to clarify something here though. The hardware spec for spec offered by Apple cannot compare with the majority of similar pc laptop manufacturers. Thats hard fact. However like many things hardware specs are not the only story. 2 cars may have the same engine but if one is a Skoda and the other an Aston Martin there are other differences. The lure as far as usability rests on the presence of OSX on Apple's laptops and Apple's laptop designs and hardware/OSX integration. A couple of opinions:

1) The current MB is a design POS and not only deserves but needs a major technical overhaul to warrant purchase in 2008. The screen is very poor, the chassis is old, plasticky and cheap (not the same as some plastics, its the feel), it weighs as much as an MBP and is thicker than one, it does not have the backlit keyboard of its brothers the MBA or MBP and its integrated graphics are lacking to say the least.
2) The new MB should change almost all of this. Hopefully it will have an LED screen, backlit keyboard, thinner lighter chassis and at least an Intel X4500 GPU (integrated yes, as crappy as the X3100, no).
3) Even with all of this the Vaio Z will still in many ways technically bounce it up and down the playing field. Its construction also seems fantastic from all reports and without a doubt Sony offer the best LED panels in the business and much higher res than the MB or even an MBP. Some have said the Vaio Z even makes the legendary TZ look pale and washed out by comparison, and the TZ is better than any Apple laptop panel bar none. Match that to 9 hours battery life and its an amazing all-day laptop. And don't forget that 9300M GS and slanted typing positions (personal preference)
4) 2 problems with the Vaio Z. 1: It costs almost the same as an MBP or MBA so if a 15.4" or a lack of removable battery and less ports isn't a problem this is another valid option. 2: It doesn't have OSX.

An Apple laptop can officially and legitimately run Windows (a legal copy). A Vaio cannot run OSX if you abide with Apples EULA strictly. Please remember, an EULA is not law. It might be based on it but it is not it and if you bought a copy of Leopard legally and run it on a non-Apple laptop (find out yourself how-to, its not hard but we can't say here due to NBR regs, I can say google 'OSX dongle' for info and no more) it is not a breach of the law or the EULA. Even if it was the EULA is non-enforceable due to the way Apple sell the product (again look that up yourself). You still loose the hardware integration though, as you do running Windows via boot-camp on a mac laptop. Either way there are limitations.

Still confused?. I would be too.

Long and skinny: If you can wait I really really would. It looks like all out war is about to break loose in this category. That can only be good news for consumers. My advice is to buy a very cheap netbook to tide you over until all models have been launched. This is probably the worst time in MB history to buy one. Buying now is a recipe for disappointment. When they are all released decide which suits you then and only then. Then sell off the netbook or keep it as a backup (my recommendation) and be secure in the knowledge that nothing will be showing up a couple of weeks around the corner to ruin your mood.

 

This guy nailed it.

 

Dude, the OP said he was fine with both OSes.

I have a Macbook Pro, and guess what? I run Vista on it for daily work and fun. Occassionally for giggles I would boot into OSX and surf the web. After using both OSes side by side for the past year, I've realized that Vista allows me to be more productive. Windows Explorer and the task bar are more powerful and efficient than Finder and Expose/Dock. And screen maximize in Vista Aero makes me more productive as it focuses in on the content. Unless you plan on doing a lot of graphical or movie work, OSX is simply a toy compared to Vista. Everything of real economic importance runs exclusively or better on Vista: SAS, AutoCAD, ArcGIS, Stata, Visual Studio, Excel with macro functionality.

 

Hey Naus, I reckon it may again be personal preference. I find myself more productive on OSX rather than Vista. Horses for courses and down to the way your mind looks and deals with things I guess. But you sparked my brain as I forgot to mention to the OP Parallels.

Jvis you probably know all this already but you could have the best of both worlds if on ac power with enough ram and run 1 OS within the other. Testers often swear by this method. Does anyone know if it would be better to have dedicated graphics for this rather than integrated. I'm a novice when it comes to parallels of its pc equivalents. If it is better to have dedicated and this would be something you could use Jvis focus more on machines with dedicated GPU's and their amount of dedicated ram allocation.

 

I've tried running Parallels, but it's pretty slow on my 2.2ghz MBP. The reason is I use a lot of RAM and processor intensive software for Vista. Secondly, you still have to boot into Vista (which is already a slow boot natively, now do it virtually).

VMWare's solution is slightly better. But again, it was novelty for me. After a few weeks of virtualization, I just said to hell with it and booted straight into Vista. The surprise was that I came to really enjoy Vista.

 

One thing to add; from my own observation I found that the best time to buy a mac product it seems is to buy it either really early in the product cycle or at the very end of its life cycle.

At the beginning I find that the specs either match or exceed the competition while remaining reasonably priced. At the end, after the replacement/refresh is announced, you can get a pretty good discount on the previous model (I was able to pick up my MBP in my sig after the Penryn models were announced for an unheard of price for a MBP).

In between those two time frames, it's common to find macs to be somewhat overpriced compared to the competition as apple rarely randomly discounts products, and why would they as demand always seems to be there. OTOH, other manufacturers always have sales, promos and specials which makes sense as it's getting to be cut-throat in the windows world. I've also noticed other manufacturers going through typically more product refreshes than apple which compounds the perception of apple being overpriced/underspec'ed by essentially expanding that middle period that I've talked about.

 

Just to answer the OP's question. I'm personally considering giving away my MBP to my brother and getting myself the Sony Z series. The main reason is that MBP gets really hot on my lap even when I'm just surfing the net or word processing. Metal (aluminum) conducts heat VERY well, it's no fun having a giant metal heat sink on your lap, especially without pants. I heard that the Macbook refresh might be in an aluminum chassis, so that's something you should be aware of. The outer case of the Sony Z is carbon fiber, so that should not be a problem.

The Z also has a smaller footprint than the 13" Macbook, and is 2 lbs lighter.

 

Spot on Naus, I hadn't looked at the idea of the MB inheriting the MBP's heat issues. When I get my ultraportable the MBP is probably gonna be resting on a cooler pad in front of the soon to be purchased iMac 24". The heat is really starting to get ridiculous but I may just try to mod it with differnet fans as I reckon there have to be higher quality units available and I suspect the bearings may be wearing down causing more heat build-up due to decreased fan efficiency.

 

The Sony Z looks good but wow, is it ever expensive. For a bare bones unit it's $1800 and it goes up from there exponentially as you add upgrades. The 128GB SSD option is $1300! The 64GB option adds a relatively cheap $700. Ouch.

 

thank you for all your answers, this is the most help ive ever gotten from a thread. I am pretty ok with heat as i will use my laptop 80% on a desk and 20% on a bed or lap. I really think its probably best to get a (refresh) macbook because for the price of the Sony Z I want i could get a way better MBP. I will wait for the refresh and i think i will get VMware or Parallels for Vista or XP.

Thank you very much