Maybe it's the 16.4-inch panel, or maybe it's the built-in Blu-ray drive. Whatever it is, Sony's VAIO FW has garnered
quite a bit of attention. Just a fortnight after getting (extra)
official, this nimble monster made its way into the loving arms of
NotebookReview, where critics couldn't resist giving us a sneak peek before penning the fleshed-out review. We'll just get it out there -- initial impressions are really positive. Fit, finish and build quality were all deemed "excellent," and the overall design was dubbed "beautiful." Performance seemed to be above par during limited testing, though the screen is apt to be one of those love it or hate it ordeals. Check out the read link if for nothing more than a couple more shots.
Update: CNET has
a full review of the unit.
posted Jul 28th 2008 6:25AM
looks great but gonna be expensive as all vaio's are
I dunno about that, i got my FZ vaio with blu-ray, 2GB of RAM, 200GB HDD, Nvidia 8400M, etc, all for £699, which, being the UK, is cheap
You got me there Jamma that is a pretty good deal especially with the bluray and all that.
Was it refurbished, or did you buy it off someone? Cuz either of those don't count.
@ Ellianth
Neither, it was brand new, off a proper UK retailer called CCL Computers.
The only slight negative with the deal is that the CPU is only 2.0GHz, but since it's an Core 2 Duo, it doesn't matter too much
According to the cnet article, their test version was $1150 and base configurations start around $1000. Say...250-350 for BR? Even going up to $500 for BR still puts this in the palatable range, but that figure would likely turn people off to BR, so it's probably lower.
Dan Ackerman at CNET (guy who reviewed this laptop) is fuckin stupid...he says the procesor wasnt impressive (or slower) as compared to earlier processors from intel
this guy compared the FW (with P8400 2.26GHz proc with integrated graphics card 3GB ram) with the likes of asus, hp and gateway which either had T9300 processor (which is 2.5GHz and has 6mb cache with a dedicated graphics card & 4gb/3gb ram) or had a dedicated video memory graphics card (with T8300 2.4GHz proc)...this would obviously result in the sony being slower
yes the new proc has 1066MHz of FSB but still the other configurations(800MHz) will obviously outdo it
this guy should fuckin look at the specs before comparing
Base model FW11E is £799 P8400 3gb ram 250gb hdd dvdrw
FW11L is £849 same spec but with Blu-ray combo and 2gb ram
FW11M is £949 i think (can't quite remember) adds 4gb ram
FW11S is £1199 adds 300gb and BD writer
FW11ZU is £1299 has faster P9400 proc and Radeon 3650
Fairly good value in the lower specs for Centrino 2 and Blu-ray they are also fairly slim and don't feel too heavy, the screen is awesome quality.
@Vidit:
Yeah, he isn't the smartest monkey on fire. He actually said that the EEE was a better deal than the Wind because it was just a little bit faster due to the SSD... not considering the fact that the Wind is 100 dollars CHEAPER and has more HD space, not to mention better built with a better keyboard.
My advice, steer clear of CNET for most reviews.
With more ram, (3Gb is not usual on laptops)
it sure is faster.
Oh wow... that IS beautiful.
If you want something the size of a Texas dinner platter on your lap. It's HUGE!
looks like a Apple MacBook Air - just bigger (and with more power)
In what way, beyond the fact that it has a keyboard and screen? Frankly, it looks a lot like a lot of laptops, let alone the MacBook Air.
looks like a Sony Laptop - just bigger (and with more power)
Seriously dude, this is a pretty typical look for Sony. Apple didn't invent the wheel, they just overcharged for it.
nice shape, but why do they always keep the trackpad so small...would be very nice to have a larger one.
That's what she said!
Nooooooooooooooooooooo you don't want a large trackpad, you'd never har the end of it from the mactards!!
Beautiful on my planet is only what works beautifully.
BTW on my planet there are only laptops. Not hot chicks.
That keyboard profile looks verrry familliar to me...
You're right, it looks exactly like the Sony X505 from over 4 years ago!
You mean like all the other sony laptops? Including the ones that came out before the macbook? :)
Your comment was similar to what Stevie Wonder says everytime he touches a piano...
"i cant see!"
The Macbook air looks like the Sony, seriously why does everyone think Apple were the first to use that keyboard style?
I like the styling, most of Sony's new range kind of look like they took a Vaio TZ series and expanded it to fit even more stuff in to.
I have a Vaio FZ31Z - exactly similar specs (except screen of 15.4). and includes a Blue Ray RW.
I didnt like the Keyboard that much comapred to my previou still running great Vaio FS series.
Out of 4 GB (MAX RAM) you cannot use more than 3 GB in these Laptops as 1 GB is reserved for internal and thats the drawback! Vista is bit slow though it shows a fairly large performance index and Vista runs faster on my old FS 1.73 Ghz 2 GB system :-) well now I demoted both the laptops to XP.
Looks nice, but I don't like the trend with these ultra wide screens that they are introducing. Vertical space is reduced below what I consider "acceptable" and this for the shake of Film Industry!!!
Oh come on people.... let Film Industry change their aspect ratio... not PCs!
I've been thinking about this - we "see" in widescreen (i.e. without moving our eye we see more side-to-side than we do top-to-bottom) so it's no coincidence that this is the way things are going - the cinema industry had just led the way on providing this immersive experience of using a good amount of our visual field.
What I think there should be agreement on, though, is the fairly narrow gap between 16:9 and 16:10 for screen sizes so that my laptop and TV have the same res. And I'd also like to see a TV manufacturers produce a 2.35:1 TV so that movies can be played full screen without the big black bars. Unfortunately, 2.35:1 would make for stupid sized laptops so it's not going to work as a universal standard.
Just think of it as a little more room at the sides. ;)
Now if they could just get a 9650M GS in that. It would make my next laptop choice easy.
you mean the faulty nvidia chips??
Tip of the hat to Sony, strong lineup.
Note to laptop manufacturers:
Once you finally start shipping laptops without crapware installed on them, can you go one stage further and stop slapping stickers all over the place? Contrary to what you might think, they are not the equivalent of "go faster stripes" and they ruin what your talented designers have worked for.
Thanks.
I couldn't have said it better myself
my fingers always hurt after getting a new laptop from the incessant picking at the lame stickers.
Hint: once you have them off, a cleaner called Goo Gone takes the sticker glue right off (available at most hardware stores...in Canada at least).
goo gone has helped me out so many times. it seems like everything I have bought with the exception of the samsung yp-p2 has had some shitty hard to remove sitcker on it that leaves that residue.
or if you go to your friends place and see their computers still have the original stickers on them like 8 months later . . . infuriating. they are all black and shitty around the edges and for some reason when I offer to take them off they'll say something like "oh I dont know" or "I dont really think about it"
fools
do u realize how massive FAIL you are?
I didn't know the 3470 could get 2600 points in 3dmark06
or 3670?
I just saw this laptop at BestBuy last night. It is very nice, but i still like the m1530 better.
Title should read: "Sony Vaio gets Aired."
If I have to explain that, you're clearly not an Apple fanboy :)
wtf
Too bad their computers are difficult to work with, especially their drivers and support. I can vouch for this with my ongoing Help Desk job at Penn State, sure the laptop may be neat, but Im wary of one that has such poor support. And btw, I don't like Macs if you were wondering.
:)
esupport.sony.com - I work as a campus tech as well, and Sony's driver support is better than anyone else. Go to that website, type in the laptop model, and voila.
FIRST! to downvote you.
Combine one part Air, one part MacBook Pro, and one part Vaio. Blend until nice consistent mixture. Pour into 16" baking dish and heat at 1000 degrees for approximately 2-4 months. Enjoy!
Why does everyone coming along think that his is similar to the Macbooks? Seriously have you not been watching the computer industry for more then 2 years?
No man I haven't. I've only been watching the computer industry for the past 15-20 minutes.
It was a joke.
Could have fooled me.
It looks similar to the Air, but has its own unique features too.
BTW, yes, my pic was taken on a Mac, but I don't own one. NOT A FANBOY.
How? How does this resemble a MacBook Air? A MacBook Pro, yes, but an Air? One the one hand you have a 13" thin 'n' light laptop and on the other you have Sony's 17" (or close enough) bruiser. Tell you what, I'll smack you round the head with each and see if you can identify the Sony (tip: it'll be the one that hurts more).
BTW I own a MacBook Pro and probably am a fanboy but this doesn't seem to impair my eyesight.
It resembles the Air in that it has the black-on-silver, freestanding key, indented keyboard design as the Air. The touchpad is also a little like the Air's too.
http://mos.musicradar.com/images/Computer%20Music/Issue%20125/apple-macbook-air1-470-80.jpg
C'mon, Sony fanbois, you have to admit that this isn't just a generic laptop look. Not that I think it's bad to work off of previous designs, or that everything needs to be original.
looks like a macbook. LOL
Second!.......to low rank you!
pfft...they totally just ripped of Sony.
...no wait...
Very nice... how much?
What the heck's a "fortnight"?
two weeks.
http://justfuckinggoogleit.com/
They have it at Best Buy already. Anyone else think it's kinda funny that there is a sticker that says "1600x900 resolution", but another one that says "Full 1080p"? I know it has HDMI out, but that still seems a little decieving to customers.
I agree. That keyboard does look awfully familiar.
I first saw it on the Tandy TRS-80 CoCo II.
Now, why do Apple and Sony think this is a good thing to have, and why does Sony feel that Apple's silly mistake is worthy of being emulated?
My ASUS Eee has a better keyboard than these sillly chiclets without any travel or feedback.
MAJOR TURN-OFF of any Apple (or Sony?) Lappies.
Correction:
Tandy TRS-80 original CoCo. On the CoCo II they realized how crappy their keyboard was and upgraded it to a conventional one.
http://www.heartbone.com/comphist/TRS_80_Color_Computer_2.jpg
Sigh....................Apple fanboys...............such ignorant fools, blind to the world around them.
Can't believe they sacrificed a numpad just to space out the keys. Even some 15.4" notebooks from ASUS can squeeze in the numpad. It's almost a given that a 16.4" would. Apart from that, looks like a great notebook, but going to be very pricey as per usual.
these apple fanboys are driving me nuts! Im buying this sweet baby tonight
All that space, and not a full keyboard??? SRSLY??
this thing is slathered in "want it now".
please..
someone.
I just picked up an FW series, without Blue Ray, and 3GB RAM with the 3470 card for 1080 shipped. I have a corporate discount and that 1080 price doesnt include the $100 ill bet back from using sony card.
So basically I got it for $980.
I did saw the exact same model I ended up buying at Best Buy for 1149, without blue ray, 3gb ram, and 3470 video card. Its a gorgeous laptop, the screen in person is vibrant and crisp, I'm no longer going to be using my 17" 1280x1024 monitor on my desktop, I can deal with the 16" wide screen and the higher resolution.
He's right though... it looks like a powerbook from 05-06.
http://lowendmac.com/rivera/06/art/powerbooks.jpg
Now if only Sony made the HD 3650/70 available to NA consumers (or even better a 9600M GT or 9650M GS). I'll get the Sony Z as my travel/backup notebook and wait for Dell's 16.4" XPS model, hopefully with a better graphics card. Unless, Sony upgrades the GPU option in the meantime.
I'm pretty excited about the FW, I pre-ordered one two weeks ago, hopefully it will arrive sometime in September. I was suprised that I could get it for the price I did: T9400, ATI HD 3470 (256MB), and 160gb HDD all for $1350. It'll be bomb
I always regret when I buy a sony computer, so I'm not goint to spend for this one !
http://www.choose-laptop.com/LAPTOP-COMPUTERS/REVIEW-OF-NEW-SONY-16-INCH-VAIO-LAPTOP-COMPUTER
Engadget always reminds me why I truly hate the apple user base.
Funny, I was shopping for a new laptop a couple months ago. Debated between a macbook, macbook air, sony tz, or sony sz. About the only laptops that are expensive for the performance than sony are apple.
It's above $2k.
I would feel comfortable to buy a Macbook Pro rather than a Sony in the price.
It's only over $2000 if you go for the hi-def screen and all the Blu-Ray stuff, which i find unneccesary on a laptop. Without those, you're looking at around $1300 or less