Sony VAIO T Review (pics, specs)

The new Sony VAIO T series of notebooks carries on the Sony tradition of providing lots of functionality in a small and stylish package. The new VAIO T replaces the old popular Sony VAIO TR series of laptops. The Sony VAIO T150 I have been using comes in a light weight 3.04 lb package (including battery) and is certainly small enough and light enough to throw in a backpack and hardly notice you're carrying it. Small does not mean fewer features though; with a built-in multi-format DVD burner and good amount of media ports you can even call this a pint-sized multimedia notebook.

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Sony VAIO T Series Notebook (view larger image)

Sony VAIO VGN-T150P Specs

• Processor: Intel Pentium M Ultra Low Voltage 733 (1.10GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, Dothan processor)
• Processor Front Side Bus Speed: 400MHz
• Color Options: Midnight Blue or Burgundy Red
• Wi-Fi: Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG (802.11 b/g)
• Bluetooth: Integrated Bluetooth connectivity
• Screen: 10.6" WXGA (1280x768) with XBrite Technology
• Hard Drive: 40GB (4200 RPM)
• Memory: 512MB PC-2700 333MHz DDR (Expandable to 1GB)
• Graphics Processor: Intel 855GME Chipset Integrated Graphics, 64MB (shared with main memory)
• Optical Drive: DVD-RW multi format and CD-RW drive
• Modem: Integrated V 90 model (RJ-11)
• Ethernet: 10 BASE-T/100 BASE-TX Ethernet with RJ-45 interface
• PC Card Slots: One PCMCIA Type II/Type I slot
• USB: 2 USB 2.0 Ports
• FireWire: 1 I.Link (IEEE 1394) Port
• Media Card Slot: Memory Stick card reader built-in (supports memory stick only)
• External Viewing: VGA Output Port
• Pointing Device: Electro-static touchpad
• Keyboard: 82 keys with 1.7mm stroke and 17mm pitch
• Battery: Li-Ion with estimated life of 4.0 - 8.5 hours (standard battery)
• Weight: 3.04lbs
• Dimensions: 10.7" x 1.34" x 8.1" (Width x Thickness x Depth)

Screen

The Sony VAIO T150 laptop screenhas a good viewing angle (view larger image)

The LCD on the VAIO T150 is a 10.6" diagonal widescreen format. The resolution comes in at 1280 x 768 and the screen uses Sony's XBrite technology. The XBrite screen means there's a glossy finish to the screen that provides for extra brightness. This is particularly good for the display of vibrant colors and wide angles of viewing -- so that the stranger on the plane next to you can easily view the movie you're watching! With such a small screen you'll obviously be dealing with smaller text and using one application at a time is the best you can do given the limited real estate on the screen. This is part of the parcel with any ultra-portable and not a knock against the VAIO T though.

The brightness and contrast of the VAIO T screen actually seems reduced from the TR series screen and it is definitely not as bright as the Dell Inspiron 700m screen I used a couple of months ago. Don't get me wrong, the screen is nice and easy to view, but I can definitely say it is not the best out there and given all the notebooks on the market today offering this extra bright screen, it falls short. You can adjust the LCD brightness between 9 levels of brightness. Dim the screen to save on battery life, crank it up for a great movie viewing experience. You can use a utility called "Sony Notebook Setup" to adjust the brightness and select if you want the T150 to use Cinema Mode or Full-screen mode.

Sound

I certainly don't expect much in sound performance from an ultraportable laptop. But surprise, surprise, the VAIO T somehow blew me away with what it had to offer in terms of sound. The actual built-in speakers are not spectacular; they can get pretty loud though if needed. Volume control and mute buttons on the front of the VAIO T150 make for easy adjustment of volume; these buttons are much appreciated and are well placed and easy to use.

Sony VAIO Notebook Setup Utility allows for configuration of audio settings (view larger image)

I wasn't really amazed by the sound until I put headphones on. The headphone jack is located at the front of the notebook. This is actually a very convenient location as one tends to sit in front of their notebook (I can't think of an exception to this) and having the port right there in front of you and easy to see prevents fumbling around on the sides of the notebook. Once plugged in with your headphones you might be surprised by the amount of bass you can actually generate from this laptop. If you go into your "Sony Notebook Setup" utility and go to the "Bass Boost" tab you have the option of turning on/off the Bass and adjusting bass amount. I kid you not, this notebook provided some of the best bass I've heard emitted from a laptop.

Performance

The VAIO T uses an ultra low voltage Pentium M processor. The processor clocks in at 1.10GHz of speed and has 2MB of cache. I'd estimate the processor can actually perform on par with a Pentium 4 2.0GHz processor - it's not slow by any means. The ultra low voltage processor used in this notebook is using the Dothan chipset and likely explains the fact performance seems better than other 1.10GHz machines I have used.

In the past I've used an application named "Super Pi" to get a quick benchmark for processor speed compared to other laptops. Super Pi simply calculates the number Pi to 2 million digits of accuracy; this calculation is slower or faster based on processor performance. Following are numbers I got for the VAIO T and comparisons with other laptops:

Notebook and Processor	Using Battery	Plugged In
Compaq R3000T Celeron 2.8GHz	3m 3 s	3m 3s
Sony VAIO T150 Pentium M 1.10GHz	3m 0s	2m 55s
Sony GRT360 Pentium 4 2.8GHz	3m 19s	2m 5s
Fujitsu P5020 Pentium M 1.0GHz	5m 29s	3m 50s

The perceived performance of the VAIO T150 was good. Meaning that while using the machine it did not choke on any of the basic applications I used such as Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer or Click to DVD.

Boot up had an adequate time, but it was certainly not the snappiest machine in the world for getting you up and running as fast as possible. I timed the boot up and it took exactly 55 seconds after hitting the power button for me to see my Windows desktop and actually be able to use the T150. The 4200 RPM hard drive slows things down a little, but this is a standard hard drive speed for notebooks. Also, the slew of applications Sony loads onto the laptop that think they need to be in your start tray and running upon boot up slows down the whole process. You could help boot up time by removing programs from startup (click Start > Run > and type "msconfig" to do this)

Design

The layout and design of a notebook has always been a forte for Sony. The old TR series caught your eye due to its white coloring and small size. With the Sony VAIO T series we now have a midnight blue color on the outside case, or you can even select a burgundy red so that you really get noticed. The inside casing has adopted a dark-grey color now, which I like a lot. It looks very professional and stylish. I would even say this color combo of midnight blue and dark-grey is my favorite I've seen for any notebook - I'm not a huge fan of white casing myself so the Apple PowerBook look doesn't hold much appeal for me.

The VAIO T150 weighs 3.04 lbs with the battery in and has dimensions of 10.7" x 1.34" x 8.1" (Width x Thickness x Depth). Put this notebook in your bag and you'll barely notice the weight addition. Now, it's not as light as the paper-thin Sony VAIO X505, but the T150 includes an integrated DVD burner and that's why the notebook is pushed out to 1.34" of thickness with the lid down. When the lid is up the thickness is about 1.0". Some might say that a true ultraportable should be thinner than the 1.34" the VAIO T offers, but if you have an integrated DVD burner it's tough to squish the keyboard area down much. The battery is not flushed with the back of the laptop and sticks out a little, so this adds to the depth measurement.

Like lots of LED lights? You'll like the VAIO T then!

If you like LED lights, then you'll like the VAIO T. There are LED lights to indicate the status of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, battery, hard drive, caps lock, num lock, memory stick, volume mute status, power and one I can't even figure out what it's for. In other words, there's a lot of LEDs that can be lit up, and if you're in a dark room this notebook will look particularly cool!

There are a nice amount of built-in hardware buttons too. I'm a big fan of this. You can quickly open up your DVD player application by pushing the "DVD" button at the back of the notebook. Also built-in are Play/Pause, Stop, Previous, and Next buttons for controlling the DVD player. At the front of the notebook are volume +/- buttons and a mute button. Finally, a wireless slider button on the front left-side of the notebook allows you to easily turn wi-fi on and off. The power button looks very nice, it is a transparent button on the hinge and emits a green glow when the notebook is powered.

Ports

The VAIO T150 gives you a good number of ports so you can expand upon this notebook and add accessories.

Sony VAIO T left-side (view larger image)

On the left side of the VAIO T we have a Memory stick reader slot, PCMCIA Type I / Type II card slot, FireWire (IEEE 1394) port, 2 USB 2.0 ports and VGA out port.

Sony VAIO T back-side (view larger image)

On the back side of the notebook we just have the input jack for the AC adapter, the battery takes up a lot of the real estate in this area.

Built-in hardware buttons on the VAIO T150 make DVD playing easy to control (view larger image)

On the top back of the notebook we have all of the DVD control buttons: DVD (launches WinDVD, this button can be configured to launch another application though), Play/Pause, Stop, Next, Previous. Also on the top back is the Power button, the button only works if the screen is up so don't worry about accidentally turning the notebook on with the screen down.

Sony VAIO T right-side (view larger image)

On the right-side of the notebook we have Ethernet and modem ports. Sony put little flaps over these ports to keep the look of the notebook clean, great move.

The headphone jack and volume buttons can be seen at the front right corner

At the front of the notebook we have the microphone and headphones input jacks. Smart place for the headphone jack in particular as this means it's easy to access and gives you more slack on the headphone cord as opposed to having to curl it around to the side of the notebook. Also on the front are buttons for volume +/-, mute and wireless radio on/off.

Heat

The VAIO T stayed cool when I was using it for typical office applications and just surfing the web or typing up things like this review. However, when watching a DVD the bottom of the laptop got very warm to the point it was somewhat uncomfortable to have in your lap. The VAIO T uses vents on the front, bottom and left-side to allow heat out, if these areas are covered in any way you'll start to have trouble with the notebook getting too hot.

Noise

The VAIO T150 is whisper quiet, no loud hard drive and no loud fan. End of story.

Wi-Fi

The T150 is a true Centrino machine as it uses a Pentium M chip and Intel branded internal wireless card. Specifically the internal card is the Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG. You can use the internet for any access point broadcasting either an 802.11b or 802.11g signal. Sony included an application called "VAIO Wireless Utility" to take you step by step through setting up a wireless network or running diagnostics on any wireless connection issues. I had no problems with accessing the 802.11g router I have in my home and office. The furthest I got from my router was about 90 feet and there was no problem connecting to it from that distance.

Software

Following is an overview of software you'll get with the T150:

• Microsoft XP Home / Professional
• Click to DVD Software
• DVGate Plus Software
• SonicStage 2.1 Software
• SonicStage Mastering Studio Software
• PictureGear Studio Software
• VAIO Media software
• Intuit Quicken 2005 New User Edition
• InterVideo WinDVD
• Microsoft Works 8.0 - Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Calendar, Scheduling, Contact Management + Database
• Microsoft Office 2003 60-day trial
• Norton Internet Security + Antivirus 90-Day trial
• Sony VAIO Update Software
• Sony VAIO Recovery Wizard Software
• AOL 9.0 90-day trial

Some of the included Sony software is good. The Click to DVD software makes it especially easy to burn DVDs. But then garbage such as AOL 9.0 and the trial edition software is a waste of hard drive space. I wish Sony would supply recovery disks and get rid of wasting hard drive space by forcing a user to section off an area of hard drive for recovery files. Although the hard drive on this machine is 40GB, there's only 26GB left to use after all these programs and the OS are installed. That's probably still ample space for the average road warrior, but given the multimedia software and features this notebook provides you might be disappointed at having only 26GB to work with.

Warranty

The included warranty for the T150 is a 1 year limited warranty. This means for 1-year you'll get toll-free technical telephone assistance that is available 24/7. For a complete rundown of Sony's warranty guidelines go to http://www.sony.com/pcsupport. Sony's tech support has a mixed reputation from the word-of-mouth that I have heard, I have never used it or put them to the test so read and ask around in our forums if you want more insight into individual experiences.

Touchpad & Keyboard

The keyboard on the VAIO T150 is actually really quite good for an ultraportable. I found it much easier to use than the keyboard for the Dell Inspiron 700m, the last smallish notebook I used. I had no problem adjusting to this keyboard and never hit the wrong key due to it having a slightly smaller keyboard than what is standard. It is in fact one of the most usable keyboards I've experienced on an ultraportable, second to only the IBM ThinkPad X40. The PgUp and PgDn buttons require you to hold in the Fn button and hit the up or down arrow keys to work, but other than that all the necessary keys you'll use most frequently are represented on the keyboard and are easy to get to. Nice job Sony.

And then there's the touchpad. I've never come across a touchpad I really like, and it always seems that VAIO touchpad's are particularly troublesome for me to use. This was the case with the T150. The touchpad is somewhat random in its responsiveness and the mouse buttons are just okay, they are not clunky but they can't be pushed in all that far and are not highly responsive.

No Built-in Webcam?

Many will be disappointed that the built-in web cam does not show up in the VAIO T as it did in all of the VAIO TR series ultraportables. I thought that was a cool feature that really made Sony stand out from the crowd with its ultraportables, but I'm not devastated to see it go. In the end it was likely a feature that added to the cost of the notebook but was neverreally used a whole lot for anything practical.

Conclusion

Overall the VAIO T is another nice entry from Sony into the ultraportable market. They haven't really made any huge advancements, but rather have just provided a nicely designed and nicely featured notebook that's worth a look if you're dead set on getting a laptop that is easy to carry around and easy to use. With a starting price of $2049.99 the VAIO T isn't a basement bargain special, but you can usually expect to pay a little more with Sony. So if you think the VAIO T150 looks like the laptop for you and that fits your need and lifestyle, then go for it!

Pricing and Availability

The VAIO T150 can be bought direct from Sony or you can purchase from several online retailers.

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Sony totally baffles me. Aside from the integrated Bluetooth, where's the benefit over something like the Fujitsu P7? The Fujitsu has hot swap second bay, CF and SD readers, brighter display and it's a heack of a lot cheaper. In the TR series Sony used a 1.8" drive that was impossible to upgrade, I'm assuming this is still the case, another negative. Then they pull out the somewhat usefull camera? Come on...Sur eit has a Dothan processor, but there's not likely a huger performance gain. Oh, and they leave the memory in one slot so the max is a single chip 1GB, which is also very expensive. Sad...

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Brian

 

Sky, the P7 is $1800, well below the starting point of the T150.

I use a second battery all the time and appreciate that option. It's nice to be able to go 6-8 hours on one charge. In fact, I almost never use the optical drive, short of installing software or watching movies. To each his own though. I'm not sure how the option is a detraction though from the P7.

My bad on the memory issue, I assumed the 1GB was due to one slot.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

It's interesting to note that Sony did include a CompactFlash reader on the VAIO U50/U70 in Japan and will do so for the U750 in the USA. I had to re-read the specs when I saw that, as it's one of the few times Sony has ever conceeded to using another data storage techology in their notebook/pda product line when they have a solution that exists.

I have a Sony camera too and there definitely is sense in the train of thought that, well, if they make really good cameras (they do) and I want all my products to work together well and play friendly then I may as well stick with one company for my electronics. If Sony can continue to make it a more and more attractive option to use only their products...say you gain some advantage by having a Sony camera, Sony MP3 player, Sony VAIO and Sony PlayStation 3 (umm, maybe by putting a memory stick in the PS3 that allows you to view pics or transfer games? Or including an engine in their VAIO laptops that allows playing of PS3 games, now that'd be sweet!) then I'd be happy to fork over my cash to Sony and stick with one brand for all my electronics...as long at they're all good quality.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Brian

 

I'm seriously considering buying the Sony T170 (1GB RAM + DVDRW) but am interested in the debate re. the Fujitsu P7k. Can someone tell me if the Fujitsu is Bluetooth ready? I assume no as I couldn't find it on their spec page. Also, when I configure the Fugitsu P7k to have the same specs as the T170, they are EXACTLY the same price (~$2500 US on US websites). Anyone see a real advantage of one over the other here? What about service from Fujitsu v. Sony?

 

call fujitsu tech support. They are 24/7 and answer the phone in like 1 minute.

Fujitsu Technical Sup port
24Hour/7Days Support Number: 800-838-5487

You have questions, they have answers.

Victor O'Connell

 

The P7 is not, but you can buy a CF card, like the Socket one, that will sit flush.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

a comment on the super pi benchmark... the dothan architecture is basically the same as the pentium m, the exception being the extra 1M of L2 cache. therefore we can attribute the 30% boost in super pi performance over the 1Ghz pentium m to the super pi's algorithm fitting within the dothan's cache. this is the danger of a micro benchmarks, as few people will use applications that fit entirely within the L2 cache.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by jcr

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Skyshade
I don't think Sony T Series is either bluetooth ready either.<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'> Just to update this thread (in case someone was looking for more info). The T does have bluetooth. The older TR has it's bluetooth stripped (for the US version). But I was happy to find out that they brought it over for the T series. Its one of the reasons why I am still debating over the Sony or Fujitsu. I really hope Fujitsu brings bluetooth to the P... (i know there are compact flash and PCMCIA solutions, but I like everything integrated )

Leo

 

Wow, I was seriously considering a T170 until I saw this thread and a reference to the P7010D....

So far, comparing the two:

--

Wireless:
T170: b/g + bluetooth
P7010D: a/b/g

In my case, the 802.11a is more important than bluetooth, as some of the wifi areas I frequent only support a, additionally, I don't actually have any bluetooth devices.

--

Processor:
Both seem to use the same processor.

--

Hard Disk:

T170: 40g max?
P7010D: 80g max?

As one of the primary uses for this machine will be transporting bits of my media library with me on trips, the extra 40g is a nice boost.

--

The fingerprint sensor on the P7010d would be a welcome addition for my purposes (providing some basic security to prevent passers by from fiddling with it). Is the software included with this crap or not?

--

Size: The fujitsu's specs show it measuring slightly smaller, though probably not enought to make a difference.
--

Screen:

The screen is coming down to being -the- deciding factor in my case. The problem is, I have seen the sony in person, but not the fujitsu. The sony XBRITE screen is increadibly bright and clear, and I'll go with it for this reason if the fujitsu screen isn't similarly as good.

Has anyone seen both screens? How do they compare?

Does anyone know of anywhere in the Seattle area where I can get a look at the P7k series? Comp-USA and Fry's don't seem to carry them.

What is the 'weight saver?'

 

if you wanted, you could probably upgrade the T's wifi card to support A/B/G. Yeah, the T uses the small 1.8" drives, so the max is 40 (but probably soon to be 60GB - think: iPod photo). I am pretty sure the T is smaller than the P. I saw them side by side at Fry's in San Diego (are you sure your local Fry's doesn't have both?). The both had extremely kick-ass screens... honestly, i couldn't tell if one was better... they seemed to be the same. Another advantage of the P is that the CD drive is modular... so it can be removed and replaced with another battery or a place holder (weight saver).

I would be all over the P, its just that i really want bluetooth embedded [V]

Leo

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>I am pretty sure the T is smaller than the P.<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>

Going by the stats on the website:

P7010: 3.30 lbs, 10.47" x 7.83" x 1.42"
T150: 3.04 lbs, 10.7" x 8.1" x 1.34"

makes the P7010 slightly smaller by 0.23" x 0.27" in width and breadth, and .08" larger in depth. Pretty much the same size overall.

<blockquote id='quote'>quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>(are you sure your local Fry's doesn't have both?). <hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>
My fry's (in Renton, WA) Only has the older lifebook that runs off the transmeta processor. The screen on that guy was 'ok' I suppose.

I originally was looking at the Sony X505, until I saw the screen in person - the T150 / TR3 XBRITE TFT really blow away the X505 screen! (that and the fact that the wifi for the 505 is a pcmcia card, and not integrated)

<blockquote id='quote'>quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>I would be all over the P, its just that i really want bluetooth embedded<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>
I guess I'm a bit naieve about bluetooth, but what is it really useful for aside from wireless headsets on cell phones, and wireless keyboard and mouse hookups? I'd hate to be missing out on something really neat =)

 

I've had my T150P for a few weeks. It's a great machine. I was afraid I would have trouble reading the screen with my progressive glasses, but it's been no problem. The screen is gorgeous and easy to read.

The battery life isn't as good as I expected. Of course, I'm not using the best settings. Sony's default power management settings don't do much to save power. In addition, I set the laptop into "performance mode". The memory bus goes from 266 MHz to 333 MHz, and the graphics core goes from 200 MHz to 250MHz. In addition, I had WiFi and bluetooth on. I didn't take a measurement, but it seemed that batteries would be just a couple of hours. Anybody know how much the "performance mode" and wireless affect battery?

The other thing about battery life was the short Stand By life. Starting with a fully charged battery, I left the computer in Stand By without power overnight. I came back the next day and found 50% of the battery used. Is it really true that we get only 2 days of Stand By? (Not that I can imagine leaving my beloved computer unused for 2 days!)

One additional quirk. The TR has a very cool "DVD" button that lets you play a DVD with just one click. Additional buttons provide fast forward, stop, rewind. The buttons are accessible with the case open or closed. But who would watch a movie with the case closed? So far as I can figure, these buttons cannot be used to play audio disks, which one might do with the case closed. It seems to me Sony goofed on this point. Maybe they will give us an update to let us use the buttons for audio as well as DVD disks.

 

I'm curious if you bought the Fujitsu or the Sony. Do you like it? any reservations?

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by jcr

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>One additional quirk. The TR has a very cool "DVD" button that lets you play a DVD with just one click. Additional buttons provide fast forward, stop, rewind. The buttons are accessible with the case open or closed<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>

Well, theoretically one of the factory manufacturing options (that no one seems to have taken) includes video out, rather than just monitor out. If this option was taken, then the addional buttons being accessable with the case closed would make some sense. (ie, watching a DVD on a hotel TV, for example)

 

Grimtooth lists some very good points here as to why the P7000 has an edge over the VAIO T in terms of bang for the $. I agree with all of your points there. I find the fact that Sony refuses to go with modular drives a major drawback for the VAIO series.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Anyone see a real advantage of one over the other here?<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>

At this point, the only thing keeping me from getting the Fujitsu is not being able to see one in person.

As far as it's advantages over sony:

1] I'm told it has a magnesium case (haven't seen it in person), the sony's case is plastic.
2] The fujitsu is the cheaper way to go for battery life with the modular bay battery. ( for only $150 you go to 11 hours, rather than 350 with the sony to go to 10 hours ) I guess you could always carry around your original sony battery as well, but I'm big on carrying around the unit as a single piece.
3] Ability to go with an 80 gig drive on the fujitsu is key for me. This was probably the overwhelming deciding factor.
4] This sounds a bit silly, but I like the idea of swapping out the modular DVD burner and bay battery. I imagine 99% of the time I'll have the battery in it, but I like the idea of carrying the DVD drive along for trips - so I can rent and watch DVD's in the hotel room. Additionally, being able to install software without a host system is pretty important to me, especially for software that uses copy protection and simply mapping a DVD drive over from another machine wouldn't work. I guess this isn't really an option over the Sony. With the sony's long life battery you could have both at the same time. (At greater expense)

<blockquote id='quote'>quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>What about service from Fujitsu v. Sony?<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>

(beginning rant on laptop 'service' plans, feel free to ignore)

I have no idea about Fujitsu v. Sony service, but would like to say that I've had laptops and notebooks for years and years and years and the only 'service' I've ever had a need for is sending back one laptop with a dead pixel on the screen (which was covered under the original warrenty). I stopped paying for the extended service and warrenty plans on laptop computers many years ago, and have yet to have any kind of problem occur that the basic warrenty wouldn't cover. By my calculation at this point, the amount I've saved by not buying these service plans would cover the cost of a new laptop and a half. I guess to me this just seems like a way for laptop companies to charge their customers fear that their shiny new laptop will break at the time they are most likely to make such a sale. Ever heard of anyone buying a service plan for their laptop 3 months after they bought it?

Being a bit proactive initially helps a lot - actually run burn in tests yourself. Most stuff that is likely to fail usually will do so in the first 48 hours of burn in.

Grim

 

also, lets not forget the P offers a slew of memory card options - where sony only offers it's memory stick.

I like the P. Gimmie bluetooth and I will buy two of em [ ]

Leo

 

Sorry to bring back such an old thread, but I'm now in the market for an ultraportable and I'm torn between the Sony T150P/L and the P7010D....

The Fujitsu sounds like a no brainer based on its features and lower price, however, I have yet to see one up close because none of my local stores carry them[V]

I've played with the Sony and love it, but I have a few questions on the P7010 before making a final decision....


First off....

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>I wish Sony would supply recovery disks and get rid of wasting hard drive space by forcing a user to section off an area of hard drive for recovery files. Although the hard drive on this machine is 40GB, there's only 26GB left to use after all these programs and the OS are installed. That's probably still ample space for the average road warrior, but given the multimedia software and features this notebook provides you might be disappointed at having only 26GB to work with.<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>


Is this the same for the Fujitsu or does it come with separate recovery discs?

How big is the power convertor?

Is it huge or comparable to the Sony?

Also, is there an extended warranty with accidental damage offered for the Fujitsu?

I know many swear against warranties nowadays, but the added insurance has saved my butt on occasion, so I feel it's worth it....

I'd really like to know how Fujitsu is on support....

I know for a fact Sony support just plain sucks, but it's still good to know I can either go through Sony for repairs or any of Sony's local repair centers if needed....


Anyhoo, I don't plan on doing any heavy duty work or gaming on this (I have a Toshiba P25 S676 for that), but it will most likely be used for connecting to the internet while on the go, watching DVD's, uploading pictures and on occasion, a little video editing....

Will the standard 512MB Ram be good enough or should I upgrade?



And lastly, where can I get the best price on either notebook?






Thanx

Rick

 

Fujitsu's support is better than average, much better than Sony's in my opinion. I've seen recently some good deals on Ebay for both of these notebooks.

 

Snakeeater have you tried these stores listed in Fujitsu's website?

http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Ecommerce/ref_state.jsp

One of these stores gotta have one you can check out.

I bought a P simply because in Hong Kong where I got mine it was cheaper and has the SD card slot for my camera. I think the Sony's nice but I don't own a Sony camera for me to just use the memory stick slot and remember the P comes with one also.

Whichever one you go with you'll be happy with it for sure, I only went with the P because of the pricing and the SD card option. Good luck.

Tony

edit: the link didn't work but go to Fujitsu's website and look for retailers it will tell you who sells their computers in NYC area. Sorry.

 

My old Sony TR3 finally died (had problems with it before) a couple of days after the 1-year warranty ended. Anybody know if this new version has the same problems than the old one (over-heating)? I'm looking for a new laptop and despite my previous experiences I'm still kind of thinking whether I should give Sony another chance becuase I'm looking for portability (I'm not an Olympic athlete). Anybody any comments?

Somebody's been asking about the Sony support. My experiences were not that good.

 

Post in the Sony forum, you'll get more information there. Thanks.

 

I haven't heard of any fan problems whatsoever with the T series but have heard some with the new TX series.