MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Thinking of getting a new laptop and so far this seems to be the only reasonably priced one that doesn't come with integrated graphics - [Url= https://shop.sony.co.uk/shop/ipc/displayLayout/(rdb=0&cScrollCharGroupName=%24BASE_GROUP&citemarea=4B6218DEB3EC0064E10080002BC29BDF&cInstId=1&layout=27_185_74_75_77_78_79_80_82_91_92_152&cCharName=EU0000000S_E1513&next=config&carea=%24ROOT&order=&citem=4B6218DEB3EC0064E10080002BC29BDF50CE3AF7D4C30D90E10080002BC29B72&xcm=PCM_b2ccrmstandard&Z_OMNI_CSINT=14300314&cCharGroupName=%24BASE_GROUP&isHideActive=)/.do ]link[/url]
I would mainly be using it for the usual internet, music, plugging into the telly to watch films etc as well as maybe some audio production stuff and gaming. The games I'd run aren't really that intensive - league of legends or maybe some counter strike! Afaik this should be well enough specced for that, it actually has a better spec than my desktop! Is it worth getting the 2gb card upgrade or will the games be fine on the 1gb which may provide better battery life?
Oh and is white a bad colour choice for a laptop? I envisage it getting grubby and looking crap quite easily.
ive got a vaio, its ok now that i've got rid of the original viao programs that came with it, stuff like viao care, viao personalisation manager, they just used to start and then crash. de installed them, works better now
Was thinking of just formatting it straight away anyway and going for windows 7 as I've heard 8 isnt amazing.
Your link doesn't work
Vaios are excellent, i've had other brands and they die, Vaios just keep going.
Are you sure you can just reformat with a new OS? With my brothers VAIO he had to use the specific installation disc as it contains drivers for the screen etc that aren't there in a standard OS installer, and can't be downloaded.
Oh, well its a vaio e-series with an i5, 4gb ram, ati mobility 1 or 2gb gfx card. The only potential weakness is the 5400 rpm hdd?
If that's true about the drivers then that's a bit shit..
Vaio drivers are available on the SONY website.
I'd never buy or recommend a Vaio after personal experience trying to get a work one repaired by sony. (never mind that it broke in the first place).
Friends similar tales of sony's after sales back this up...
Not sure which laptop your supposed to be linking to but my Vaio is very good running windows 8. I changed the hdd to ssd when I bought it. Boot up is counted in seconds and it's never crashed yet. I don't use mine for gaming but plays video just fine. The backlit keyboard wasn't on my shopping list but now I couldn't do without it. Mine is the E series in the link below
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/sony-vaio-e-series-sve1513b4e-ae1-15-5-laptop-light-silver-20759711-pdt.html#longDesc
Has it happens I took delivery of a 17" Vario yesterday. So far so good, http://www.classicshell.net/ seems to do a good job of making Windows 8 less of a dick. Oh, and all the Vairo pre-installed has ben given the boot too.
Cheers,
Jamie
Vaio drivers are available on the SONY website.
They're supposed to be but the ones for my brothers laptop weren't (which was only about 2 years old) - Sony washed their hands of it. He ended up with an expensive paperweight. He is an IT consultant and proper geek but he couldn't find any way around it.
Oh, and I get bonus points for getting it home 😀
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Cheers,
Jamie
My experience of Viao laptops is a) whilst generally nice things you pay a Sony Tax for them, and b) getting drivers is a pain in the 'arris.
That said, the last time I touched one was a few years ago, I'd have hoped they'd sorted out the driver thing by now.
you pay a Sony Tax for them
The Sony tax was somewhat negated on ours as they had a upgrade deal a few weeks ago, I saved £70 on upgrading the processor to an i7 and a 500Gb HDD, which is what I was after anyway. Well I would have gone for a 1Tb HDD but they weren't in the offer!
Cheers,
Jamie
My experience with Sony driver support has been pretty good actually. The tiny P series we bought quite a while ago, 2007 ish, had way too much bloatware on it, but I started again from a clean W7 installation last year and cherry picked the bits I wanted - works a treat now, a lovely install with all the features I want and no junk.
Regarding "sony tax", I'm yet to find anything with as good a spec for £500 so I dont think that really applies here..
Not sure why the link wont work, but as I said its the e series with a graphics card upgrade. Just wondering whether I would be able to find something as good but maybe without the sony bloatware.
All laptops have bloatware, weeding it out is the first task for any new laptop owner 🙂
True! Haven't had a computer with pre loaded shit on it for so long, I'd forgotten what a PITA they can be.
Check Dell Outlet for proper deals
If you're after decent power I'd also look at a lenovo y500... but maybe not sub £500.