Question:
Development Field Work: ThinkpadX60 or Sony Vaio SZ
Your advice on purchasing a replacement to an Averatec 3250HX (terrible little machine) would be most appreciated.
A brief background, after my Averatec caught fire last week I decided to replace it. Since I live in Liberia I have surfed the net to find a laptop that travels well but has enough juice to store and edit my digital pictures and will not be out of date in 1 year. The new Thinkpad X60s seemed perfect. In fact, I ordered one with 1.5mb Ram, 100gb HD, and the 8 cell extended battery. I was a bit concerned that the computer had no optical drive and the screen/video property compromised too much quality for the on the go picture editing.
This morning, I saw a SonyVaio 120 for the same price. I was impressed with the fact that it had a built in DVD-r, a bigger screen, a dedicated video card, and similar features... so I ordered that one also.
Fortunately, both units are back ordered and judging from the estimated ship times I have five days to decide which one to cancel. Both seem like a good deal and both seem to have good reviews. But I am concerned about the negative comments Sony SZ 120 has been receiving.
Your advice in making this decision is much appreciated.
1) What is your budget?
Both the Lenovo Thinkpad X60s and Sony Vaio 120 are similary priced.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Deciding between:
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Writing, loading and quick editing pictures, storing and listening to MP3s, an occassional movie, internet, e-mail.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Frequent travel.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
No.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Dislike Averatec.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
5 would be more than enough.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
I will be purchasing online.
9) What country are you buying this in?
United States
Screen Specifics
10) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Not sure. Good enough for pictures.
a. XGA = eXtended Graphics Array; 1024x768; This resolution will give you the largest viewable text and images while offering the least amount of screen real estate.
b. SXGA = Super eXtended Graphics Array; 1400x1050; This resolution offers a middle ground between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA = Ultra eXtended Graphics Array; 1600x1200; This resolution will give you the smallest viewable text and images while offering the greatest amount of screen real estate.
d. WXGA = Widescreen eXtended Graphics Array; 1280x768 or 1280x800; This resolution offers the same as XGA except that there is more horizontal real estate; 1280 versus 1024. Popular for movie viewing due to support for widescreen.
11) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Not sure.
Build Quality and Design
12) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
No.
13) How long do you want this laptop to last?
Averatec lasted 1 year, am aiming for 2 years on new laptop.
Notebook Components
14) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
100gb
15) Do you need a DVD, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-R drive?
Would like one, but it seems as if you can buy an external DVD-r/rw for less than $200. If someone has a reccomendation for a good slim external DVD-R/RW I would like to hear their advice.
Thank you for your time and advice.
-UR