Thinking of a maxed out SB but see a lot of negative reviews?

Hi,



I'm thinking of buying an SB with all the options for about $2500-3000. I live on the road so this will be my main computer, mostly internet applications and office programs but I also spend a lot of time gaming. I also like to watch Blu-Ray discs that i get through netflix on the road (I know I'm weird for still using discs). I was considering the Lenovo X220 but it doesn't have the blu-ray or graphic processor.



As a road warrior, am I fool for choosing a Sony? On this forum people seem to complain about their fragility. While I do travel constantly, I never check my laptop and always try to treat it well. I currently have a Sager NP2090 15.4" but it's just too big and heavy, plus it's 4 years old and is starting to have some problems (6.5 lbs and big).



I'm planning on getting the i7 2620m, Windows 7 pro, Radeon HD 6630m, 256mb solid state, 8gb DDR3, and Blu-Ray burner.



Any advice? Should I be looking elsewhere or might I be happy with this laptop? Can it last 4-5 years like my sager did? Thanks!

Reply 1 : Thinking of a maxed out SB but see a lot of negative reviews?

If you're willing to spend that amount of money on a computer, have you ever considered the Sony Z or the upcoming SA? SA will be the same as the SB but offer a lighter frame construction made of carbon fiber, SSD as standard, and will have a higher res 1600X900 screen.

Reply 2 : Thinking of a maxed out SB but see a lot of negative reviews?

Hmmm, yeah....I will look into the SA. I spend my life on the road (20+ days per month) and a lot of that time is spent on the computer. As a result, my laptop is a big part of my life, which is why I'm willing to spend money on a good one. Thanks for the tip on the SA, I will check out the thread about them.

Reply 3 : Thinking of a maxed out SB but see a lot of negative reviews?

Otherwise the current Z may be up your alley as well. It's lighter than the SA/SB some have a 1080 screen as apposed to the 900 screen. A minor downside is that it uses the previous gen Intel chips- there's no Sandy Bridge update until June but the form factor of the computer will change to an external optical and graphics combo which may not be what you want if you're always on the go.

Reply 4 : Thinking of a maxed out SB but see a lot of negative reviews?

Speaking about build quality and fragility, the SB is actually pretty darn robust. You won't find much problems even if you're quite a careless user.



The Z is also a nice competitor. However, as a Z user myself I consider the SB superior. The only edge the Z has over the SB is the 1080p screen as well as 300 grams less weight (which is quite a bit). The SB does have a inferior screen though, the colors seemed a bit washed out, but shouldn't be a problem if you're not a screen-snob.



One thing to mark though-the current SB series is much more robust than the Z series-at least for the screen. The SB is just as (if not more) robust as the Macbook Pro. I wouldn't go too far saying that it's more robust than a thinkpad though.



If I were you I'd go with the maxed out SB. You won't be disappointed by the purchase

Reply 5 : Thinking of a maxed out SB but see a lot of negative reviews?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brianho1337 Speaking about build quality and fragility, the SB is actually pretty darn robust. You won't find much problems even if you're quite a careless user. The Z is also a nice competitor. However, as a Z user myself I consider the SB superior. The only edge the Z has over the SB is the 1080p screen as well as 300 grams less weight (which is quite a bit). The SB does have a inferior screen though, the colors seemed a bit washed out, but shouldn't be a problem if you're not a screen-snob. One thing to mark though-the current SB series is much more robust than the Z series-at least for the screen. The SB is just as (if not more) robust as the Macbook Pro. I wouldn't go too far saying that it's more robust than a thinkpad though. If I were you I'd go with the maxed out SB. You won't be disappointed by the purchase

Look through the Sony forum. I could have sworn there was someone that just took delivery of a maxed out SB that didint want it. Maybe you can buy it off him and save a few bucks.

Reply 6 : Thinking of a maxed out SB but see a lot of negative reviews?

Hmm, well the more I look the more I think I might want to wait for the SA series. This always seems to happen to me when I shop for laptops



The bad mouthing of the SB displays has me a bit wary. If I'm going to spring for a machine with a blu ray drive I might as well have a full HD display, although I seriously doubt I could discern the difference in resolution on a 13.3" screen. In the end, I guess waiting another few months will save me money in the long run!

Reply 7 : Thinking of a maxed out SB but see a lot of negative reviews?

Quote:

Originally Posted by maven1975 Look through the Sony forum. I could have sworn there was someone that just took delivery of a maxed out SB that didint want it. Maybe you can buy it off him and save a few bucks.

Ehh, I'm not that rich to get to swap computers every few months or so, but from the impressions I get from my dad's SB (not even a maxed out config to speak of-a Radeon HD 6470M and a 500 GB 7200rpm instead of a Radeon HD 6630 and a 256 GB SSD), it was still quite a good machine, though my Z does perform a bit more smoothly and streamlined. I'd expect the top end SB to be just as good as the Z, if not better.

Reply 8 : Thinking of a maxed out SB but see a lot of negative reviews?

Quote:

Originally Posted by maven1975 Look through the Sony forum. I could have sworn there was someone that just took delivery of a maxed out SB that didint want it. Maybe you can buy it off him and save a few bucks.

Ehh, I'm not that rich to get to swap computers every few months or so, but from the impressions I get from my dad's SB (not even a maxed out config to speak of-a Radeon HD 6470M and a 500 GB 7200rpm instead of a Radeon HD 6630 and a 256 GB SSD), it was still quite a good machine, though my Z does perform a bit more smoothly and streamlined. I'd expect the top end SB to be just as good as the Z, if not better.

Reply 9 : Thinking of a maxed out SB but see a lot of negative reviews?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brianho1337 Ehh, I'm not that rich to get to swap computers every few months or so, but from the impressions I get from my dad's SB (not even a maxed out config to speak of-a Radeon HD 6470M and a 500 GB 7200rpm instead of a Radeon HD 6630 and a 256 GB SSD), it was still quite a good machine, though my Z does perform a bit more smoothly and streamlined. I'd expect the top end SB to be just as good as the Z, if not better.

Did you notice anything bad about the display? Is the SB display as bad as a few reviews on here have made it out to be? To be honest, the SB seems like it'd be perfect for me except for concern about black level and yellow hues on the screen....



I'm also seeing reports that the SA won't even have a different display than the SB now...the half pound savings of the carbon fiber SA chasis isn't a huge deal to me, but if the display on the SB sucks it could be a deal breaker.