[IMPRESSIONS] Sony S15 & Samsung NP700Z5C

[Andre24]

Yeah for some reason the Samsung website says that 8GB is max but after further reading, I see everyone saying they're upgrading the RAM. That's terrific to hear! I was afraid we would be capped at 8GB. I'm with ya on the panel part. I'm waiting it out just a bit more for the hope that a new one is announced. Though, it won't be long until I make the purchase.

I must admit, I do like the designs of the XPS 14 and 15. The 15 looks like such a beautiful machine. However, the price, like you said, scared me away..

Let us know what you uncover if you test the Gigabyte and/or XPS!

[Mitlov]

Go with what you like, but just to clarify, I'm pretty confident that the S15 case is a combination of magnesium and aluminum. It may FEEL plasticky, but it's not actually made of plastic.

I'm not trying to talk out into it--if you looked at it in person and preferred the Samsung, get the Samsung--but just trying to clear up some facts about the Sony.

[gadgetrants]

This slippery slope is so stupid...I spent $650 on the Asus U36SD last March -- 2nd gen Core i5, magnesium alloy shell, NVIDIA 540M -- I thought I had the ideal machine, but it had several stuck pixels, so I sent it back. And then the Microsoft store ruined everything by saying, "Hey, since the Asus didn't work out and it was originally $1000, you can have any machine under $1000 for $650." Sounds great, right? But I couldn't find one with the right combination of weight, screen, battery life, etc. So I decided to wait and see what the spring lineup would bring...Lenovo, HP, etc.

But that dumb offer from Microsoft moved my tastes up to the $1K level, and now I'm looking at $1300 machines. Double the price I started at. Sheesh. Meanwhile my poor daughter has been forced back to an Asus single-core netbook, while I use her Core i3 12" machine!

Oh hey, did I mention: the price on the Samsung has been dipping a bit at Amazon -- it was about $1050 the other day. Other then a screen update, if it drops below $1000, maybe that's the last push I need!

-Matt

[LL2]

if you buy the sony you linked now you get $100 instantly off, $100 rebate, $90 off if you use the 10% student discount, and you still get the free sheet battery. That makes the price $710 + sheet battery. That might change some people's decision.

[gadgetrants]

Go with what you like, but just to clarify, I'm pretty confident that the S15 case is a combination of magnesium and aluminum. It may FEEL plasticky, but it's not actually made of plastic.

I'm not trying to talk out into it--if you looked at it in person and preferred the Samsung, get the Samsung--but just trying to clear up some facts about the Sony.

Yeah I saw your comment (on the Sony thread, right?) and I know exactly what you mean. It's VERY hard to describe. Most of my brain perfectly well understands it may be a super-strong space age material, but the caveman part is convinced that it sounds "brittle" and could easily scratch. I think it's a multi-modal effect, compounded by finish, how the keys feel, how the lid feels, etc. It just doesn't have the same "tightly assembled" feeling when you lift it up, compared to the Samsung.

-Matt

[Mitlov]

Yeah I saw your comment (on the Sony thread, right?) and I know exactly what you mean. It's VERY hard to describe. Most of my brain perfectly well understands it may be a super-strong space age material, but the caveman part is convinced that it sounds "brittle" and could easily scratch. I think it's a multi-modal effect, compounded by finish, how the keys feel, how the lid feels, etc. It just doesn't have the same "tightly assembled" feeling when you lift it up, compared to the Samsung.

-Matt

Yeah, I think the finish matters more than the material. For example, Thinkpads are largely plastic, and they feel bank-vault solid. It's the feeling of solidity that really matters, not the material used, and from what I've heard, the Vaio S doesn't really deliver a feeling of solidity.

[gadgetrants]

That's a nice example, thanks.

[Andre24]

What I meant earlier, perhaps I had worded it wrong, was simply that it felt like plastic. I mean, if I had to guess without getting any prior information about the laptop, I would guess that the laptop is made of mostly plastic. I don't see why Sony would claim that it is magnesium and aluminum if it actually wasn't. They certainly have better standards than that. To me though, I just want a laptop that feels sturdy. As much as I do like the Sony (I would have pulled the trigger by now if I hadn't seen the Samsung in person), I'm not entirely sure if I would like the plasticky feel to it.

Don't get me wrong, I love Sony. I feel like all their products have a more premium feeling to them. I'm not saying I'm gonna flop again (though, it would be no surprise), but I am going to go back and check out those laptops one last time, maybe even side-by-side if the Microsoft Store has them. I do want light and compact with powerful specs. I think that's what the Sony offers and that's what drew me to it in the first place. I do like the 1080p screen also. The Samsung for the most part just feels more sturdy. We'll see. I haven't completely made my decision, as per my constant posting in this thread. Haha, sorry, but I can't find an active Series 7 vs S15 discussion. I think if I get them side-by-side, I will be able to make the decision.

On another note, I actually got to tour the Corporate Headquarters of Sony today!!! It's in San Diego (Rancho Bernardo). My friend's parents work there, so his mom decided it would be beneficial to let us get a peek inside the Sony world. I'm actually heading into my first year of college in less than a month, and I will be majoring in software engineering, so the little field trip left me awestruck. It was just so great to be able to see a work environment of a major technological corporation such as Sony. Sony is one of THE largest international corporations, so you can imagine I was a bit star-struck being in there. Maybe I am overreacting, but I was just fascinated with everything. I must admit... the trip might have allowed the S15 to be back in the running for me.. haha. Darn indecisiveness.

[wariskazi]

is there any chance the sony s15 gets a screen fix before the $100 rebate runs out.

[gadgetrants]

is there any chance the sony s15 gets a screen fix before the $100 rebate runs out.

Have you seen one in person yet...and even better, do you do work that requires a color-accurate display? If neither of those is "yes" I definitely wouldn't sweat it. If it might be an issue you should see one in person. The "orangegate" issue is way overblown IMHO. But if you are picky about color, I'd say there's no data so far that any kind of fix is coming.

-Matt