Sony VAIO Series

Great computers. A bit pricey but well worth the money.

SONYS WACK

I purchased a Sony Vaio ($2,500 total) 8 months ago - the machine is still under warranty. Two weeks ago the left hinge connecting the screen to the computer snapped in two - the hinge was under no duress and the computer wasn't dropped, sat upon, or otherwise put in a situation other than everyday use. After the the computer was sent to Sony for repair, I received a repair estimate of $750 - - WHAT??! Sony claims that I dropped or sat on the computer and caused the hinge to break - this is untrue. At the moment I can't get beyond the initial Sony operators - when I asked for a manager I was told thet they're in a meeting (repeatedly) and that they would call me back in 24 to 48 hours. I did receive a phone message from the manager telling me that the initial repair determination stands.

I'm a graduate student and don't have $750 dollars at the moment so, even if I could get beyond the fact that the broken hinge was not my fault, I can't afford the repair. In my humble opinion Sony is awful - good luck to you if you buy a Vaio! If your luck holds, the computer will work just fine. If it doesn't and you need service, you're in for a hellish nightmare experience!! Bottom line - do NOT buy a Sony. Look for other brands with companies that actually back their products with service.

Last year I purchased Sony VAIO VGN-S270P a fully loaded system (e.g. wireless, 1GB, etc) in addition to purchasing 2 year extended warranty with a total price of around $3K. Well, in general I am pleased with the unit itself but when it comes to technical support SONY has the WORST technical support I have ever seen. Considering in my office we are also using Dell and HP laptops, it is clear to me that SONY has done and continue doing a poor job in providing technical support. In the last few MONTHS I have tried to update some of the laptop software using VAIO Update software. Well it is a joke: you constantly get the following message: “The Sony eSupport FTP server is experiencing unusually high traffic volume that is resulting in slow update/driver downloads…”. No matter what time I have tried including midnights and early mornings the FTP server did not respond. I called several times to SONY Technical support and the usual response is “Sir, we are really sorry due to the Katrina storm we lost our service center and restoring it takes time and money”, so you just have to try again and again. I think he touched the key point. SONY is clearly not investing what they should invest in their technical support. They had poor customer services before the storm and now it is even worst. What does is take to provide an alternative FTP site? I have also tried calling the phone number for the SONY extended service only to discover that it is actually not SONY that provide the service. They were clueless as o how to proceed and suggested to send the problem back to SONY. I am considering to follow up with the BBB but not sure what to expect. To all of you who are considering buying SONY Laptop: DO NOT TAKE THE RISK OF FINDING YOURSELF WITHOUT TECHNICAL SUPPORT. Bottom line: DON’T BUY SONY.

Overpriced, unreliable, uses Sony only proprietary technologies and poor customer service. Needless to say, don't even bother. You would be much better off buying a Dell or Toshiba, they are know for their reliability. Even better would have someone custom build one like www.ibuypower.com or if you have the experience build one yourself.

Its the best comp i had / great processing power with many advantages / its a great computer for online and non online work / with a pentium 4 processor it surves you well also the expandable RAM drive alows you to have unlimited capabilities. / with a standard 200 GB storage you will never have 2 worry about not having enough space./ The only thing i would recommend is a RAM uograde or a new graphic card since its integrates. / I WOULD DEFENETLY GET THIS COMPUTER AS IT WILL SERVE YOU WELL FOR AT LEAAST 5 years.!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a Sony Vaio lap top computer and within one month the keys started to break and the screen shakes uncontrolably. It is the worst computer I have ever had. Worse yet, the customer service departement was horrible.

I bougt a Sony Vaio W-20 for $1600. at first it worked fine. However after the first year warranty was over, it devloped problems starting with shutting down. It finally quit. Sony Srevice center is not much help. They sent me to an authorized services center. They tell me the mother board is bad. The mother board alone is $900. becarful buing Sony

After 3 months my vaio developed a problem which meant it had to be sent to the service centre - that is when everything went wrong. Sony service is so bad I would rather live with the problem in future (maybe that is what they are counting on). If you get a sony make sure it never goes wrong....

I've owned my Sony Vaio for 2 years with mimimum problems. They are expensive. However, if you buy last year's model, you are sure to get a good deal. I do have a little criticism for Sony Vaio. It's easy to upgrade the RAM and add a new hard drive. However, for the RX series (maybe other series too) it's difficult to add a cd-rom/r/rw or a dvd-rom/r/rw of a different make and model. To make it look right, I have to cut off part of the case. Also, the processor is behind the power source on the non-opening side. That would make that difficult to replace. In spite of that, I'm giving it a 5 because it performs so well, and it has room for extra RAM and/or hard drive.

It has good looks, that is about the only thing it has. Sony Computers suck, I have owned one in the past and it was nothing but trouble. I paid $1600 for it thinking it was probably good with Sony's name on it and well worth the money. The computer ran hot all the time, it got so hot at times it would just shut down, and it always kicked me off the net, it had some kind of modem issue going on, but the shop I took it too said they couldn't figure out what the problem was, they tried it also and agreed something was defective with it and it would need to be sent to Sony. I called Sony's customer service line about 4 times a day for a week , finally they told me I need to stop calling so much, even know I had free support for 3 months through them and just flopped down a nice knot of cash for the piece of junk. I finally took it back to the store I bought it and got my money back. Never again will I touch another Sony Computer.

A recent purchase, it is a bit pricey but seems to perform adequately. A BIG drawback is the lack of ANY information about loaded software, and I have found most versons to be at least two years old. CD burner program is timeconsuming as it uses only one drive for both copy and write (will not copy fro CD drive to CD-R drive). Requests for info on loaded software have been ignored. So far has performed as well as older Dell but a bit noisier.

The Sony Vaio purrs like a kitten, but needs a team of engineers to repair it. There are so many intricate parts and pieces, it is almost like trying to have your local greasy mechanic repair your Maserati. The system is sleek and well-built, and the keys flow like the river nile. Overall, a great system...just make sure you purchase the repair plan.

Runs perfectly, and I must say sony tech support was extremely helpful with any problems or questions I had. They went as far as emailing me back after I had talked to them, asking how they performed. Plus the silver-grey look kicks ass. I highly recommend sony vaio computers.

I opted for the Sony VAIO because of the rebates with all else being equal. SONY DID NOT HONOR THE $150 REBATES. AND they sent the notice that they did not honor it too late to contact them in the time allotted. Computer works okay but slow. I knew that would be the case because the Best Buy salesman explained that it was better for artistic capabilities which it has been. I am out the $150 which made it competitive. SONY CHEATS AND DOES NOT BACK UP ADVERTISED REBATES.

Note: THis is in referece to the sony <br> Vaio Desktop R450<br> For serious gamers and profersionals avoid using this computer. It is not easily upgraded nor is it as powerful as it claims to be out of the box. It's not nessiarly mis-advertise simply poor compents. The 1ghz model I use operates at the same speed as a 700-800 mhz comp, and there is serious heating issues inside the case (We ended up punching 2 holes in the case to put in some 70mm fans just to drop the temp 5C) This vaio operates NORMALLY at 61C or 141.8F! Yet somehow it remainded stable, and can stand to put up for over weeks at a time.

The machine itself is the best computer I ever owned. No real major problems to report, good software package, all the bells and whistles in the hardware and plenty of room for expansion. Right out of the box you can see the quality Sony puts into there machines. the only thing I wish Sony would do is include some kind of manual for the XP os. I love this machine.

Hardware has been very reliable. Comes with backup recovery disks. Excellent Speakers! All problems experienced have been due to OS and not related the hardware. I've owned several computers, two HPs and an Apple. Although my VAIO was Sony's "value" computer, suppasses the HPs in quality and reliability, and is an equal to the Apple in every area except OS. Although XP Home is an improvement over OS in my other PCs, I downrated the computer from 5 stars due to OS. I've read that Sony has poor technical support, however I can't speak to this as I never had a problem. I would buy this computer again. I can't say that regarding the HPs.

Looks like a cool computer to have.

My Sony Vaio has served me well. Most of all, the couple of times I've had to call on Sony tech support, I was made to feel that I was their most important customer. I will upgrade to a new Sony in the near future. mo,

I like my Vaio,and have had very little problems with my 560-DS.I've edited 2 movies to date,and although I needed better instructions (Sony hates manuals)I eventually figured everything out via online support.There is a lot more to this computer,and I have only scratched the surface.It may not be a Dell,but I am pleased.

I bought one of these for myself when they first were introduced in the market a few years ago. It is the best computer I have ever used, and has never given me a problem. If I were to buy another desktop, I would definitely buy another Sony VAIO. However, I will keep the one I have, upgrade it eventually, and buy a Sony VAIO notebook computer to use for when I move around. I have called their customer support a couple of times and they have been extremely nice and helpful.

I owned the P-70 series and it had some fun options which were available only to Sony. However, the hard drive, after only two years basically stopped working and I had to reformat it two times a month. Up until the two year mark I had no problems at all.

Some of the highest quality computers on the market. They use quality components like Intel motherboards and come packed with tons of software. The technical support is great and I've never seen any problems with any of them.

Very good design and colors. Works well doing editing videos and such. It's pretty fast. Good for designs and internet design. Fast connection and clear screen. Key pad is a little hard to use.

I have one of these at home. It's a decent computer, but it's a little slow. It has good features. It looks good, but the computer itself isn't great.

I had this computer for awhile and it was fast, easy and very nice.

Good computers. Probably the best in the world. Kick ass color scheme too. Best computer in the world. Big screen. Worth it's price.

The reason it's good is because Sony's monitors and O.S. are really good. The Trinitron monitors are hella good. I would suggest getting one.

Excellent monitor (flat panel) comes with P3 800. Excellent refresh time. Reliable hardware. Ok expandibility- it could be better.

The Sony Vaio are probably the best PCs on the the market because they have all the newest features plus a tremendous software package. They are also extremely user friendly and space conscious.

This computer is pretty cool, and I have one at home. It has cool graphics and I enjoy it.

Very useful. Has wonderful, clear color. Easy to access.

I bought one (recommended) for my friend. It has a DVD drive, CDRW drive, and digital movie input. Everything that you want in a desktop computer.

Excellent stuff with standard good quality but expensive. If prices were a little less it could've been the best buy.

These are great little toys but they are just too small. I think the designers made them small at the expense of ease of use. Extremely hard to use but are rather compatible. If they were a bit larger or less crammed they would be great.

It looks sleek and has every awesome component that's top of the line. It is very expensive but it's worth it because of the shape. I can't really swap in new CD roms nicely because the devices are fitted to match the color of the case. It has a silvery blue magnesium alloy casing.

Sony VAIOs are great computers. I liked the fact that they're durable and have nice features. Only thing is that they're expensive compared to other laptops (i.e. Dell, Gateway, etc.).

An excellent combination of audio and video power. It would be nice to have the audio card separate from the motherboard though.

Sony makes good things, but they normally are a little pricey. Nice small compact CPU though.

I bought this computer fairly recently, paying a pretty hefty price. That, combined with the specs, led me to some high expectations. But I've been disappointed. It's good with download speed and calculates very well in Excel. But it seems to have difficulty with multitasking. If I'm playing music, for example, while running another application, the Winamp sometimes stutters. Not a bad machine, but it could be better.

I own a Sony VAIO PCG 250 series and I like it very much.

This desktop is all in one. In this desktop contains a lot of useful material.

I think that the Sony Vaio series are the most visually attractive computers on the market. ITs design makes the computer look good. One thing I don't like is that the computer is overloaded with so many unnecessary programs.

A very small compact size which provides great versatility. Great LCD display with very high resolution and image quality. Great customer service. Strong and durable metallic case that is also very attractive. Internal hardware that is reliable and easily upgradeable. Expensive, for high income customers.

I recently bought a VAIO. It works well, however the options that default are annoying. In particular, DSL is disabled and hard to cofigure. Sony custom service is terrible. Sony should fully support Windows, but only does so to one extent. The hardware is enabled.

A pretty good computer but like all computers, it gets obsolete in a few months. The case is nice looking but I'd recommend building your own computer. Easier to upgrade. Generally cheaper too.

Looks cool and I like the video output. The PC is fast for any household. Over-priced!

They make very good desktops and lap top computers.

Pluses across the board. Compatible with Sony products such as camcorders and stereos. Software is included. The sound system speakers are exceptional.