• About

LIVEdigitally

Buying a new notebook

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Jeremy Toeman

The Old DellSo, as I wrote previously, it’s time for a new laptop.  The only problem is, I am a bit of a nut about buying laptops, I like to make sure I get the ‘right’ one for my needs.  And I’m a picky guy, here is what I want:

  • Fast, good performance.  I need to be able to leave, at least, Outlook, Photoshop, Word, and IE running simultaneously.
  • Decent battery life, enough to last 2:30 while actually doing the above
  • Standard IO, including 2 USB ports, WiFi, PCMCIA, and preferably a DVD drive
  • Bright screen, preferably wide-screen, of at least 13″, maybe even 15″ (the D800 was 15.4″)
  • Lightweight, no more than 5lbs (my back is killing me!  hopefully the newest Slappa backpack will show up soon so I can switch to it)
  • Must have Intel Centrino Duo!

ASUS V6J notebookThat’s a tall order, but I didn’t think it’d be impossible.  I’ve seen some new Toshibas and Thinkpads that I thought would fit the bill, but then I remembered a cool ASUS laptop I saw at CeBIT.

So, I went to their web site and found the V6J.  Next step, I Googled “asus v6j review“, and read reviews at CNet, and PCPro (UK). Decent reviews, but not great, so I continued at PCPro to read their review of the Evesham Voyager C550.

They liked it, but it was clearly too heavy for me. I decided I really liked their reviews, so browsed their notebooks section, where I found the Sony VAIO VGN-SZ1VP, which sounded, well, fairly awesome.  I then cross-checked the review at TrustedReviews, who gave it a 9/10.  From this read, I was hooked.

Cnet screenshotI did a few more scouting reads, including this Acer, some Lenovo news, and then I went to read some Editor’s picks at Cnet.  I have to say that Cnet, normally one of my favorite sites, was absolutely worthless here.  Check out the screenshot on the right.  In the “Work thin-and-light laptops” category, only a SINGLE model was reviewed in 2006, and one review dates as far back as June, 2005.  Furthermore, not a single notebook on the list had an 8.0 or higher score!  I’d rather them say “nothing, we can’t recommend anything right now” than see this worthless list.  Very frustrating.

The New VaioAnyhow, I decided to buy the Sony, which proved harder than it would seem.  Turns out that the SZ1VP model is a “pro” edition, not really even distributed regularly in the US.  But at the Sony Style Web site, I did find the VGN-SZ140.  After a couple of calls to the local Sony Style store, it turns out it is virtually identical. 

Here’s a few comparison photos between the old and the new.  Roughly a 2lb drop in weight (~35%), a supposed 60-70% increase in speed, and a 100-200% increase in battery life, and all I feel like I’m giving up is about 40% smaller screen.  Mister, you’ve got a deal.

The Vaio on the DellThe Vaio on the DellBoth notebooks (closed)From the sides

Share this:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Reddit

Related

Posted in General, Guides | 3 Comments
« CeBIT? More like CeBIG!
Beta Swag is Better Swag »

3 thoughts on “Buying a new notebook”

  1. Sameem says:
    March 20, 2006 at 6:44 am

    I see you took my advice :). Hope you like it! Im anxious to see what you think, as I’m looking at the same laptop in the coming months.

    Reply
  2. mike says:
    March 30, 2006 at 5:14 am

    i was thinking about purchasing this laptop. how are you finding it?

    Reply
  3. LD Editor says:
    March 30, 2006 at 10:57 am

    I am liking it a LOT so far… am putting together a whole review soon, but it’s definitely a keeper!

    Reply

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About

Jeremy Toeman is a seasoned Product leader with over 20 years experience in the convergence of digital media, mobile entertainment, social entertainment, smart TV and consumer technology. Prior ventures and projects include CNET, Viggle/Dijit/Nextguide, Sling Media, VUDU, Clicker, DivX, Rovi, Mediabolic, Boxee, and many other consumer technology companies. This blog represents his personal opinion and outlook on things.

Recent Posts

  • Back on the wagon/horse?
  • 11 Tips for Startups Pitching Big Companies
  • CES 2016: A New Role
  • Everything I Learned (So Far) Working For a Huge Company
  • And I’m Back…

Archives

Pages

  • About

Archives

  • January 2019
  • April 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • June 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • June 2005
  • May 2005
  • April 2005
  • March 2005
  • February 2005
  • January 2005
  • December 2004
  • November 2004
  • October 2004
  • September 2004

Categories

  • Convergence (81)
  • Gadgets (144)
  • Gaming (19)
  • General (999)
  • Guides (35)
  • LD Approved (72)
  • Marketing (23)
  • Mobile Technology (111)
  • Networking (22)
  • No/Low-tech (64)
  • Product Announcements (85)
  • Product Reviews (109)
  • That's Janky (93)
  • Travel (29)
  • Video/Music/Media (115)
  • Web/Internet (103)

WordPress

  • Log in
  • WordPress

CyberChimps WordPress Themes

© LIVEdigitally
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.