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Sony Vaio laptops

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aline

Seeker

Joined: Aug 06, 2004
Posts: 45
Location: from Mauritius, currently in Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 07, 2004 - 12:08 AM
Post subject: Sony Vaio laptops

I'll be reaching Shanghai on the 6th of September. I'm thinking about buying a laptop for the first time and a friend of mine recommended a Sony Vaio. I heard that ibm is good but i don't really like the look of their laptops.
My friend says that he has heard that in China, some people remove original pieces from laptops and replaces them with cheap, bad quality ones. Is there an official Sony dealer? Is there a store in Shanghai where they sell only Sony things? I'm afraid of being duped. I've got no relatives in Shanghai and since it will be my first time in China, i don't really know what to expect there. I'd like to buy a laptop asap when i reach Shanghai.

Andreas
Board Royalty

Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 6422
Location: 31 N 121 E

Posted: Aug 07, 2004 - 04:13 AM

Buy your laptop in Hong Kong. Only way to make sure you get the right quality, valid international warranty, and good service.

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knockknock_ca

PopStar

Joined: Nov 27, 2003
Posts: 1068

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 07, 2004 - 11:00 AM

If you really want to get a vaio in China, you have to go to the sony stores. There's serveral sony store and a sony gallery in Shanghai. In fact, for vaio, the price is fixed, so it's the same either you buy it in HK, or China, or Japan. But if you get it, make SURE you get it from Sony stores.

sconcerned

Seeker

Joined: May 20, 2004
Posts: 40
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 07, 2004 - 12:13 PM

To make it worse, there are way fewer models here. The choice of Sony is also questionable. Sony has been hit by laptop recall recently if my memory serves. Here are a few brand names you may want to consider Toshiba, Fujitsu, and even Taiwanese brands such as Acer. Seems you need to do a whole lot of rethinking...

Andreas
Board Royalty

Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 6422
Location: 31 N 121 E

Posted: Aug 07, 2004 - 12:22 PM

You pay always more in mainland China, because Hong Kong is free of VAT and tax. Sony had indeed some issues lately.

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Henry_Chinaski
Board Lord

Joined: Aug 16, 2003
Posts: 5025

Posted: Aug 07, 2004 - 01:08 PM

IBM. It looks like crap but their laptops are work horses. Never break, never a single issue in any of them. Vaio has too many customized Sony produced parts...not an alternative to anything that you plan to use more than 2 years.
Get a top IBM in Hong Kong and enjoy it for the next 4-5 years without calling for support once.
Dell are the crappiest notebooks you could possibly want.
HP/Compaq: why have one of these if you can have an IBM? Price will be the same, so, get the sturdier IBM.
Latest IBMs with magnesium case are thin, strong, fast, unbreakable, big screen...

Sincerely speaking, buying a notebook just because of the looks is perhaps not the best choice, unless you just want to use it now and then.
If you will use the notebook a lot, go for IBM. If you are more of the multimedia type, than perhaps Sony or other brands make sense.

aline

Seeker

Joined: Aug 06, 2004
Posts: 45
Location: from Mauritius, currently in Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 12, 2004 - 02:30 AM

I'd consider an IBM if they had other colors. The black color doesn't appeal to me. I'm opting for both quality and looks for a laptop. I don't want to have to look at an ugly laptop everyday.
Seems like IBM doesn't appeal to many gals.
http://www.pconline.com.cn/notebook/news/0404/360519.html

hmmm well, I only considered Sony because my friend is using one and says it's great. I'd like to buy a laptop and not have any problems with it for at least a few years. It would be a hassle having to go back to the store all the time and have repairs done. What laptops would you recommend apart from IBM? Which laptops are more popular in China and what's the average cost for a laptop?
My friend recommended a Sony PCG-GRT380ZG. What do you think? It seems a bit 'too much' for me.

smurfette
PopStar
PopStar

Joined: Nov 07, 2003
Posts: 1287
Location: smurf village

Posted: Aug 13, 2004 - 02:56 PM

I use Sony too, the one I'm typing with is PCG-TR2C, only shortcomig is the LCD too small-10.6", but very light in weight, and with web-cam embedded, they used to have Centrino-when I bought it they did have-but stopped producing sets with the Wi-Fi facility installed afterwards, now the newest models still don't have it. And the radiation could be somehow annoying, it really gets hot easily.
Another one I have is also Sony, PCG-V505MNCP, bigger LCD-around 12", without web-cam and other features are almost the same as other Sony laptops.
The prices for the two are both around 15-16k. So far no big technological headaches occured.

Not sure if Sony appeal to gals particularly, actually I have no special preference but these Sony machines make it easier if you also use Sony DC/DV for memory stick reading. And the maintance of Sony brand in mainland is not bad, though not global service as IBM or Dell. So maybe not convenient to get repaired in US or other countries.

But hey they really look cute ;p

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okido

Rocker

Joined: Sep 14, 2003
Posts: 667
Location: A planet called Earth
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 13, 2004 - 04:36 PM
Post subject: Sony Vaio laptops

Henry_Chinaski wrote:

IBM. It looks like crap but their laptops are work horses. Never break, never a single issue in any of them. ............Get a top IBM in Hong Kong and enjoy it for the next 4-5 years without calling for support once.
Dell are the crappiest notebooks you could possibly want.
HP/Compaq: why have one of these if you can have an IBM? Price will be the same, so, get the sturdier IBM.
Latest IBMs with magnesium case are thin, strong, fast, unbreakable, big screen...

Sincerely speaking, buying a notebook just because of the looks is perhaps not the best choice, unless you just want to use it now and then.
If you will use the notebook a lot, go for IBM. If you are more of the multimedia type, than perhaps Sony or other brands make sense.

IBM never breaks? That's a news to me. Once I was in an office with all IBM notebooks and one Acer (I was using it. I got it earlier so it wasn't time for me to renew into IBM). Those IBMs were under 1-year babies while my Acer was 3-year old lady. However, almost every week I heard colleagues screamed in panic because their IBMs got something that they had to re-start the computer which means works done was lost. Later I switched to IBM too because of company policy. My IBM broke too.

Anyway, we are not here to debate which brand is better than the others. (Acer breaks too but in my case less than IBM.) The question is is China a good place to buy laptops? I think unless you are comfortable with local brands, it's always cheaper and more reliable buying your laptops in HK or Taiwan.

Ranter

Joined: May 14, 2003
Posts: 559

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 13, 2004 - 04:53 PM

From these posts it is good to see some proof for the, i assume, female criteria for a computer. My dear wants to buy a laptop and the only real matter she is concerned is the way it looks... who cares about the performance...

I only wonder when do they come up with snap-on covers that fit your daily outlook !!!

sam

Seeker

Joined: Apr 24, 2003
Posts: 55
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 13, 2004 - 05:58 PM

I've used 3 laptops - a Dell, a Sony and a Dell again. I would pick Sony anytime - ultralight and stylish (Dell's a real clunker by comparison). However, I bought my 3rd laptop in China (my first 2 laptops were bought in the states), and Sony laptops are VERY expensive here if you buy them from authorized Sony shops. There are grey markets for these but I am not sure about the quality and support, so I decided not to take the chance.

The advices for you to buy it in HK (or anywher outside China) is very valid.

By the way, looking for style points in laptops (or any product for that matter) is perfectly valid. If you're going to spend so much money on the product, it might as well look good.

aline

Seeker

Joined: Aug 06, 2004
Posts: 45
Location: from Mauritius, currently in Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 16, 2004 - 05:35 PM

Quote:

If you're going to spend so much money on the product, it might as well look good.

Yeah

Hmmm.. I won't be able to buy my laptop in HK. I'm taking the plane from Mauritius to HK and then HK to Shanghai. I will be in HK for about 2 hours only. I won't have time.
I think I'll buy a Sony Vaio or a Toshiba. There are so many models and it'll be tough choosing a laptop. arghh
I hope that they are not too expensive in Shanghai and that they have great support at the stores. How much does an average laptop cost?in RMB?
Does anyone know of computer shops near TongJi University?

I had a look at alienware laptops online the other day. Are alienware laptops available in Shanghai? I know that alienware are rather expensive & for gamers but these laptops sure are powerful and stylish.

Cob4lt

Lurker

Joined: June 01, 2004
Posts: 24

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 24, 2004 - 09:36 AM

Quote:

I will be in HK for about 2 hours only. I won't have time.

You HAVE time, 2 hours is enough, given that you know what to buy (research and decide which model you want, don't waste time looking around at the shop).
Just buy it at the airport, it is CHEAPER than buying in Shanghai.