New Laptop - Help Me Decide - MacBook Pros vs. Sony Vaio

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New Laptop - Help Me Decide - MacBook Pros vs. Sony Vaio vs. HP EliteBook

Choices:

1. 2009 MacBook Pro 15" - $1500 - 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3, 320GB, 9600M GT(256MB)+9400M, 7 hours of battery

2. 2010 MacBook Pro 15" - $1700 - 2.4GHz Intel i5, 4GB DDR3, 320GB, nVidia 330M GT, 8-9 hours of battery

3. 2010 MacBook Pro 13" - $1100 - 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3, 250GB, nVidia 320M GT, 10 hours of battery

4. 2009 MacBook Pro 15" - $1350 - 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3, 250GB, nVidia 9400M :(, 7 hours of battery

5. Sony Vaio CW Series - $1100 - 2.4GHz Intel i5, 4GB DDR3, 500GB, nVidia 330M GT, Blu-Ray Drive, 3 hours of battery

6. 2009 MacBook Pro 15" - $1650 - 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3, 500GB, nVidia 9600M GT (512MB)+9400M, 7 hours battery

7. HP EliteBook FN092UT 14'' Mobile Workstation, Intel Core i5 520M 2.40GHz, 2GB DDR3, 320GB HDD, 802.11n, Bluetooth, Webcam, Windows 7 Professional / Windows XP Professional Downgradable - FN092UT#ABA - Buy.com

I'm really going nuts trying to decide here. I'll be upgrading from the laptop in my siggy (Intel C2D 2.26GHz, 3GB, 320GB, Intel 4500M) which I purchased in mid-2008. I basically need something that works for me for around 3-3.5 years without becoming extinct. I'm not really considering the 13" MBP (or the old 15" MBP) because of the weak GPU which will probably become crap a year from now. Some key requirements for the laptop:

-Extreme multi-tasking

-Moderate gaming (MUST be able to run FIFA 2010 and 2011 smoothly ;))

-Should have good battery life (major negative for the Sony)

-Solid build quality (carry it around everywhere I go)

-Don't really care about the Blu-Ray Drive at the moment, but will I need one in a couple of years?

-Semi-portable, good weight distribution (Which is why I'm not considering any 15"ers apart from the MBPs)

I need to make my decision in the next 10 days. Initial upper limit on my budget was $1500 - but I can extend it to fit the 2010 MBP if it's really worth it. Any/all advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Out of those either get the new 1650$ mac (after education discount ??) or get the Sony and swap the hdd with an SSD which aside from being blazing fast should also increase around 20 - 30 mins of battery backup .

Your other options are not a significant improvement over the Toshiba you already have .

Even I was waiting for the new 13" mac's and its really disappointing they haven't added i3/i5 and the 15" is way over my budget .

I am just adding an SSD and a new battery to my 3 year old macbook with C2D .

Personally brain says Sony , heart says Definitely a MAC .
 
I really really want to buy a Mac. I'm sick of the driver issues with linux and I need a Unix/Windows dual-boot capable machine.

Question is, is (2) worth an extra $250 over (1) (even though tests indicate the 2.4GHz i5 is slightly faster that the 2.66GHz and the 330M is faster than the 9600GT/9400M?
 
IMO , Yes it is worth the extra 250$ over the 15" C2D mac . In terms of VFM obviously Sony is a no brainer .

Only thing that I would want in an laptop other than the configuration of the new mac pro is an SSD which would mean even more $$ .

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html

Reasons

+Better battery life .

+New trackpad .

+Next gen CPU / GPU compared to C2D which is almost EOL . (i5/i7 have an integrated memory controller as well , 32nm fabrication (will run cooler)

+If you are buying a mac you are not exactly looking for a VFM machine , 250 ~ is what 12k ?

-Mac's are always overpriced .
 
Why do you say that though? There doesn't seem to be a big difference in performance.. And actually, it'll be more like a $275-280 difference.
 
Edited previous post .

@McAngel

Yes , they are costly .. but the increase in performance is absolutely amazing .. probably the most effective upgrade in terms of speed you can make to your computer .
 
At the moment, I'm strongly leaning towards option 6 (just added) - it was retailing for $2299 before the new ones came out yesterday.

From what I can tell, the Core 2 Duo 2.8GHz is >= the 2.4GHz i5. And there really doesn't seem to be much difference between the 9600M GT and 330M.

Anyone know how much difference there'd be between the 9600M GT with 256MB memory and the one with 512MB memory?
 
Unless there has been any sort of special windows optimization done in the latest lineup, stay away from the MB if you predominantly want to boot into windows

The MBp (even a 13") running OS X IMO gives a substantially better (on paper) specced Wintel lappy more than a run for the money with the seamless UI, the overall snappiness of the OS and of course, the battery life

The same machine running windows somehow screws it up altogether with a battery life drop of almost 50%.. and the same multitouch trackpad which is such a joy to use becomes a painfully bad trackpad...

I am a self declared Apple fanboi, but wold strongly recommend you skip the MB if your windows usage is going to be anything more than an occasional dual boot into it...
 
Thanks for that SC. Was waiting for you to reply. Does it really get that bad? Will I be able to enjoy my casual gaming sessions?

It really is quite the conundrum.

And on top of everything else, since the new MBPs are using 330M GTs, video card support (usually the biggest issue) would be no problem if I were to turn it into a hackint0sh.
 
Does it really get that bad? Will I be able to enjoy my casual gaming sessions?

ah, for gaming..

No, then you don't have an issue

The only screwup with windows on MBP is the significantly reduced battery life

(oh, and that lovely glass pad turns into a regular Dell type ughpad)

but none of that would matter for gaming coz a) you'll use a mouse anyway, b) the lappy will be plugged in during gaming I assume

since the new MBPs are using 330M GTs, video card support (usually the biggest issue) would be no problem if I were to turn it into a hackint0sh.

Why would you want to do a hackint0sh on a MBP anyway?
 
superczar said:
ah, for gaming..
No, then you don't have an issue
The only screwup with windows on MBP is the significantly reduced battery life
(oh, and that lovely glass pad turns into a regular Dell type ughpad)
but none of that would matter for gaming coz a) you'll use a mouse anyway, b) the lappy will be plugged in during gaming I assume
Why would you want to do a hackint0sh on a MBP anyway?
That helps. I thought you meant there was a performance drop when using Windows - got me worried. And yes, it'll be plugged in when gaming.

I meant because the Sony Vaio uses the same video card, I should be able to hackint0sh it fairly easily.
 
Ok, i see the problem here. You're obsessing way too much over the specs. Your requirements don't really seem that taxing either. What's your idea of extreme multitasking on a 13" laptop? The current C2D MacBook Pro handles mostly every multitasking situation pretty well, so unless you're planning to do heavy video editing in FCP, running 10-20 tabs in safari, using itunes, photoshop simultaneously i don't think even the base 13" MacBook Pro is gonna miss a beat.

Yes, its kind of a letdown that they din't update the 13" with core iX processors but that's because of Intel's new licensing policy that doesn't allow use of nVidia chipsets with new Core iX processors.

So instead of using i5 with its shitty intel integrated HD graphics that would've been a significant downgrade from previous gen's 9400M, Apple decided to go with a much better 320M graphics chip (upto 2.2x faster than prev gen,) over some 10-20% performance gain in terms of CPU speed.

I'd say, the new 13" is still a good upgrade over the previous model in terms of better battery life, much faster GPU, twice the RAM and bigger hard drive.

The integrated 320M in the 13" is almost nearing 9600GT performance and is DX11 capable according to this thread on Macrumors:

New 13" Graphics results: Pretty impressive, near 9600M GT - Mac Forums

So 320M is NOT a weak GPU for casual or moderate gaming. It should handle your FIFA requirements pretty well.

Coming to the Vaio and Elitebook. They're both nice machines crammed with latest and greatest chips but they're both made of plastic, the design sucks and therefore the average build quality and they're are ugly as sin, atleast to me. The 14" Vaio CANNOT be regarded as a portable machine, that thing weighs over 1 lbs more and is about .60" thicker than the 13" MacBook Pro and its battery life is nothing to write about. Blu-Ray on a 13" notebook which doesn't even have a decent resolution screen is stupid and utter nonsense.

But if you're happy with windows they both are still nice options otherwise get the 13" MacBook pro or if you have more cash to splurge get the 15" i5 model. Put a SSD inside and you get the best upgrade in terms of overall performance.

I meant because the Sony Vaio uses the same video card, I should be able to hackint0sh it fairly easily.

I doubt it, hackintosh'ing a notebook with 100% success is extremely complicated, even if the hardware specs are somewhat compatible. I'm yet to see a post on insanelymac that shows a recent notebook running OS X with 100% success. And still OS X on a PC notebook is far, far less elegant and reliable than a real MacBook Pro.
 
I meant because the Sony Vaio uses the same video card, I should be able to hackint0sh it fairly easily.

Personally, not a big fan of hakint0shed systems..

I'd rather use windows in that case, coz by gng the hackint0sh way, you are taking away the very essence of why people who start using Macs fall in love with them
 
Styx said:
Ok, i see the problem here. You're obsessing way too much over the specs. Your requirements don't really seem that taxing either. What's your idea of extreme multitasking on a 13" laptop? The current C2D MacBook Pro handles mostly every multitasking situation pretty well, so unless you're planning to do heavy video editing in FCP, running 10-20 tabs in safari, using itunes, photoshop simultaneously i don't think even the base 13" MacBook Pro is gonna miss a beat.

Yes, its kind of a letdown that they din't update the 13" with core iX processors but that's because of Intel's new licensing policy that doesn't allow use of nVidia chipsets with new Core iX processors.

So instead of using i5 with its shitty intel integrated HD graphics that would've been a significant downgrade from previous gen's 9400M, Apple decided to go with a much better 320M graphics chip (upto 2.2x faster than prev gen,) over some 10-20% performance gain in terms of CPU speed.

I'd say, the new 13" is still a good upgrade over the previous model in terms of better battery life, much faster GPU, twice the RAM and bigger hard drive.

The integrated 320M in the 13" is almost nearing 9600GT performance and is DX11 capable according to this thread on Macrumors:

New 13" Graphics results: Pretty impressive, near 9600M GT - Mac Forums

So 320M is NOT a weak GPU for casual or moderate gaming. It should handle your FIFA requirements pretty well.

Coming to the Vaio and Elitebook. They're both nice machines crammed with latest and greatest chips but they're both made of plastic, the design sucks and therefore the average build quality and they're are ugly as sin, atleast to me. The 14" Vaio CANNOT be regarded as a portable machine, that thing weighs over 1 lbs more and is about .60" thicker than the 13" MacBook Pro and its battery life is nothing to write about. Blu-Ray on a 13" notebook which doesn't even have a decent resolution screen is stupid and utter nonsense.

But if you're happy with windows they both are still nice options otherwise get the 13" MacBook pro or if you have more cash to splurge get the 15" i5 model. Put a SSD inside and you get the best upgrade in terms of overall performance.

I doubt it, hackintosh'ing a notebook with 100% success is extremely complicated, even if the hardware specs are somewhat compatible. I'm yet to see a post on insanelymac that shows a recent notebook running OS X with 100% success. And still OS X on a PC notebook is far, far less elegant and reliable than a real MacBook Pro.

When I say extreme multi-tasking, I mean having 50 odd windows in FF, iTunes a 720p video running on VLC, all open at the same time without any lagging/stuttering.

Well the point is, the 330M is significantly faster than the 320M going by all the tests and scores I've seen and the biggest problem with the 320M is that I just don't see it doing the job 2 years from now.

3DMark06

330M - 6539

9600M GT - 5063

320M (Integrated) - ???

8600M GT - 3269

One key requirement for me is that I need to use this laptop for atleast 3 years.

I completely agree about the build quality, which is also one of the main reasons I'm considering getting an MBP. But the problem is, I still see the Vaio outlasting the 13" MBP in terms of specs and performance.

So I think it's between the Vaio and the 15" MBP.

Edit: Bah, I think I'm just going to end up putting in some extra shifts at work and buying the new 15"er. Better be worth it, Mr. Jobs. Thanks for the help guys.
 
I was in same dilemma whether to go for macbook or for sony vaio e and after seeing the vaio E series laptop with FullHD, it was clear.

core i3

ATI HD5650 dx11 GPU

4gig DDR3

500Gig HDD

Full HD 15.6" LED backlit Display (this is truly stunning)

win7 home premium 64-bit

esata, HDMI out

full size chicklet style keypad

all this is available for 49k and you can get a 3yr warranty (1+2) if you pay 5k extra. The same config in macbook pro costs 1.3L.

@OP, for the price of macbook pro 13, I think you can get a Sony Vaio and an ipad making it much better purchase overall. Leave out the design blah blah blah.
 
desiibond said:
I was in same dilemma whether to go for macbook or for sony vaio e and after seeing the vaio E series laptop with FullHD, it was clear.

core i3
ATI HD5650 dx11 GPU
4gig DDR3
500Gig HDD
Full HD 15.6" LED backlit Display (this is truly stunning)
win7 home premium 64-bit
esata, HDMI out
full size chicklet style keypad
all this is available for 49k and you can get a 3yr warranty (1+2) if you pay 5k extra. The same config in macbook pro costs 1.3L.

@OP, for the price of macbook pro 13, I think you can get a Sony Vaio and an ipad making it much better purchase overall. Leave out the design blah blah blah.
A 15" notebook that isn't a MacBook Pro is a strict no for me unfortunately because of the size and weight. :(
 
@OP, for the price of macbook pro 13, I think you can get a Sony Vaio and an ipad making it much better purchase overall. Leave out the design blah blah blah.

Bond, with Macs, it's usually not a question of specs to specs comparison.. and leave the design entirely out of the question..

I have a 5 year old mac mini that is still running solid as a 24x7 machine and is used on a daily basis as a movie/browsing machine

as for lappies, i was an obsessive compulsive switcher till i switched to a macbook (ask any of the old timers on TE :p )

To be honest, macs have helped me save quite a bit of moolah :)

I really cannot explain why, because it's not just one thing...

it's a combination of multiple small things...

e.g. the fact that now I treat my lappy as an instant on consumer device rather than a computer.. can't remember the last time I shut it down...

I just close the lid on the unplugged machine and I know it'll be ready to roll next morning, or shove it in my backpack knowing it will be all good 30 mins later, or hell, even when i wake it up 3 days later after an extended weekend outing

(not that windows cannot handle sleep, but it's nowhere as elegant and seamless... e.g. my office windows lappy requires a restart every 2nd to 3rd day coz either the wireless card will start acting up on emerging from repeated sleep cycles, or some process wil go bonkers)
 
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