Hey guys, Im going to be in ENG 1 this fall, and I had ordered a laptop from Sony Vaio, tell me what you guys think Is this good for pretty much any program in engineering? I think I got a good deal on this :p. What problems might I face, in terms of running software, or just general things, since Im sure some of you guys have experience with Vaios :p


- Sony Vaio (Custom made)
Model VPCEG190S

- Microsoft Windows® 7 Home Premium

- Intel® Core™ i5-2410M processor (2.30GHz) with Turbo Boost up to 2.90GHz

- 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1333

- NVIDIA® GeForce® 410M (512MB VRAM) dedicated graphics

- High capacity battery (Lasts 6 hours)

- 14" VAIO Display with LED backlight (1366 x 768)

- 640GB (5400rpm) hard drive

These things come pre-installed with the laptop for free

- Microsoft® Office 2010 Starter (32-bit)

- Adobe Bundle (Free - $448 value)


And the price was $799.99 without tax ( There was a $200 off sale on certain items at sony, it ended yesterday) . This laptop is pretty new, I there arent any reviews, im really happy about the purchase, but I hope its a good quality laptop, haha.

Thanks for your opinions guys!

What software do you need for engineering? Statistical stuff, CAD, Mathematica, etc?

8GB RAM should be more than enough. Even if you do graphical simulation, the video card should be decent. I imagine most of the heavy processing is going to be done on lab computers which have the proper software licenses.

I beleive they have to do 3-d sketching D:

Yeah we do, i just want this laptop to last my entire undergrad haha, how are vaio's in terms or durability? :p

If you're looking for quality, I'd also look into getting an Asus.

I beleive that the durability is fine as long as you treat it with care. My friend has an older Vaio and he treats it horribly but yet it performs fine.

Hows the warranty on that laptop?

I've always been wary of Sony Vaios, but I've never used one. The specs look solid for the rest of your undergrad.

Originally Posted by blackdragon

Hows the warranty on that laptop?

Thats actually the one thing I was wary about, its just a one year warranty.

Originally Posted by TabbishAziz

Thats actually the one thing I was wary about, its just a one year warranty.

Yeah thats pretty standard, unfortunately most issues happen in the 1-2year lifespan :(

At least you didn't buy a Mac while going to McMaster, it has become a cliche. . . . oh and they suck.

As you had already ordered your “Custom made” VAIO, I don't know how much time you want to spend researching for your buy.
Usually I go with the flow: generally low cost and popular on ratings. I got myself an HP last summer for aprox. $400 (+tax), during the back-to-school promotions, and I am very satisfied. Except one thing: battery life just short of 3h, which can be a pain in the neck while on campus.

If you think battery life is important, I noticed that you got the “High capacity battery” 5300 mAh that according to Sony site lasts up to 6.5h, and not the “Large capacity battery [add $100.00]” that lasts up to 9.5h.

For the money you've spent, I would’ve probably gone for a Lenovo (formerly IBM): they are really good, reliable and sturdy.

A good research tool is Consumer Reports (CR) database (if you know the magazine). You can access this through your local library website, for example at:
http://www.opl.on.ca/research/databases?cat=all#m
https://opl.bibliocommons.com /user/l...l.on.ca/rpa/cr

What you get there are not only professional ratings from people that breathe testings and ratings, but also links to online shopping (usually US though).

CR brand reliability ratings put Lenovo on 4th place after Toshiba, Acer and Apple, while Sony, HP and Dell are at the bottom (based on “43,000 readers who bought a laptop between 2006 and 2010 about their experiences”, though “differences of less than 3 points aren't meaningful”).
http://www.consumerreports.o rg/cro...eliability.htm

And don't forget real people/buyers ratings and comments ! I find them invaluable and I usually go on Amazon.com, find the american equivalent model and check buyers' comments. FutureShop.ca, BestBuy.ca are good too.

For example, I think you may find buyers' ratings for last battery I mentioned above at:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-VGP-BPL13...Viewp oints=1

Good luck.

p.s. software discussion maybe later... and YES, I am all for what Sintos said !

own a vaio, and i've put it put through a lot. i love it, and it hasn't given me any issues

Originally Posted by martined

As you had already ordered your “Custom made” VAIO, I don't know how much time you want to spend researching for your buy.
Usually I go with the flow: generally low cost and popular on ratings. I got myself an HP last summer for aprox. $400 (+tax), during the back-to-school promotions, and I am very satisfied. Except one thing: battery life just short of 3h, which can be a pain in the neck while on campus.

If you think battery life is important, I noticed that you got the “High capacity battery” 5300 mAh that according to Sony site lasts up to 6.5h, and not the “Large capacity battery [add $100.00]” that lasts up to 9.5h.

For the money you've spent, I would’ve probably gone for a Lenovo (formerly IBM): they are really good, reliable and sturdy.

A good research tool is Consumer Reports (CR) database (if you know the magazine). You can access this through your local library website, for example at:
http://www.opl.on.ca/research/databases?cat=all#m
https://opl.bibliocommons.com /user/l...l.on.ca/rpa/cr

What you get there are not only professional ratings from people that breathe testings and ratings, but also links to online shopping (usually US though).

CR brand reliability ratings put Lenovo on 4th place after Toshiba, Acer and Apple, while Sony, HP and Dell are at the bottom (based on “43,000 readers who bought a laptop between 2006 and 2010 about their experiences”, though “differences of less than 3 points aren't meaningful”).
http://www.consumerreports.o rg/cro...eliability.htm

And don't forget real people/buyers ratings and comments ! I find them invaluable and I usually go on Amazon.com, find the american equivalent model and check buyers' comments. FutureShop.ca, BestBuy.ca are good too.

For example, I think you may find buyers' ratings for last battery I mentioned above at:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-VGP-BPL13...Viewp oints=1

Good luck.

p.s. software discussion maybe later... and YES, I am all for what Sintos said !

What was so funny about me getting a "custom made" Vaio? Its one of those custom-to-order models :p

And I see, i researced some stuff and i know a few people that told me vaios are great, and they look great too ( I didnt mind sacrificing some things for looks too) I was just curious to hear more opinions. Thanks!

Originally Posted by TabbishAziz

What was so funny about me getting a "custom made" Vaio? Its one of those custom-to-order models :p

And I see, i researced some stuff and i know a few people that told me vaios are great, and they look great too ( I didnt mind sacrificing some things for looks too) I was just curious to hear more opinions. Thanks!

Thx for ur thx. It serves me well.