Need/want a new laptop – was thinking about a Sony Vaio. Any good?

SONY VAIO VPCEE2M1E/WI

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/sony-vaio-vpcee2m1e-wi-06559666-pdt.html

I know next to nothing about these things so any help welcome.

Only really need it for internet/email, basic stuff like that.

The Vaios are very good, with two caveats:

1) You pay a premium for the brand name; you'll get the same spec for less money by looking at other makes.

2) Sony have a nasty tendancy to be proprietary for the sake of it some times; I've had murders getting updated drivers for older Vaios in the past.

(In my experience, etc etc, no doubt someone will come along and contradict me shortly.)

(That said, it looks like a good spec for the money, now that I've looked at it properly.)

They are expensive compared to similarly specced machines BUT, they are quality and keep on working. Ive had a few laptops and the only ones that havnt died on me are Vaios.

There was an add on Telly or Radio the other day saying Sony Centres were doing a 50 quid trade in for you old one if you got something that's had it, might still not work out any cheaper than Curry tho!

Screens on Vaios tend to be very good, too.

I've had two Vaio laptops (only bought the second one because I could re-use the docking station and battery from the first). Both suffered with problems with the power supply. The first computer had it at 13 months and they refused to repair it because it was outside the 12 month warranty. Sadly, I was younger and more naiive then and didn't get into their obligations under the sale of goods act (in that laptop should last longer than 13 months irrespective of warranty). The second developed the same fault (overheating) at 2 years and cost a couple of hundred to sort. That was just over a year ago and it's happened again. The newer ones will probably have been redesigned and I've had loads of (non computer) Sony stuff before and found them a generally reliable brand.
Pros – Good screen. Good quality keys and seems generally well built.
Cons – Unreliable, overheating. Annoyingly partitions disk into two, so your C drive is half the size that you're expecting when you look at the spec sheet. Annoying Sony software loaded. Tend to cost more than other brands for the same specification.
Current laptop is not a Sony.

Had my Vaio laptop nearly 4 years and agree build quality feels sturdy, although the battery died some time ago but it stays static now running on the mains cable (I have killed the batteries on all my previous laptops)
Agree the keys & screen are very good. Not had any over heating issues as the rear is lifted off the table to allow greater air flow. (hoovering toast crumbs out of it regularly helps too :wink:)
Also like the ease of transfer of memory card from camera to specific slot on the front.
Would buy another as & when.

I'm typing this on a vaio P series, the screen is as good a display as the one on my iphone4 but four times the width, its quick, well made and the keyboard is superb, all the card slots you could want and its quick running win7. My main computer is a macbookpro but I've had nothing but trouble with it, this little think is a peach! would definatly recommend a Vaio, its probably worth checking out the acer aspire series too