Any Reason NOT To Buy This Laptop From This Vendor?

Mark#1

Hi,

Misco.ie are selling Sony VAIO VGN AR78E laptops for €595 including delivery and "free" bag, lock & wireless mouse:

http://www.misco.ie/productinformation/~152608~WW~/Sony%20VGN-AR78E%20with%20FREE%20Bag%20Lock%20and%20Mouse%20Bundle.htm

Is there anything else comparable that represents a better deal?

The laptop would be used for general home use: e-mailing & social networking, casual surfing, nerdy home-type files like accounts & DVD/CD collections. Games capability not needed.

I know very little about PC/laptop stuff, but I do know that I'll probably get a better product for a lower price if I buy online instead of from a B&M ROI shop.


Thanks for any replies,

Mark

Overheal

http://www.misco.ie/about/tandc.aspx

It doesnt matter what you buy online, always read a websites policy on returns and warranties.

Mark#1

Thanks Overheal.

I'm guessing you're drawing my attention to Misco's policy of me having to deal directly with the manufacturer rather than them if I have a problem after 30 days after delivery?

If so, thanks, but is this really much different than if I were to deal directly with misco?

Pardon what may seem like naiivety, but isn't it reasonable to assume that if Misco have this arrangement with the manufacturers they deal with (in this case, Sony), any warranty issue would be handled adequately, whether I was dealing with Misco or Sony?

Or is it the case that Sony commonly say, "ah not these Misco f*!kers again! Why can't they just look after these warranty issues?! Let's deliberately delay this customer's warranty issue! Haha!"

Exaggerated example, I know, but is it something like that?

Aside from warranty specifics, is this a decent laptop at a decent price from a decent seller?


Thanks,

Mark

Overheal

it was my way of generally offering a tip. damned if i was going to read the whole thing

Mark#1

Okay. The gist is: Sony Vaio VGN AR78E laptop for under €600 incl delivery, bag & mouse.

Specifications
Product Description Sony VAIO VGN-AR78E - Notebook PC
Processor 1 x Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core T2390 1.86GHz, 533MHz
Chipset Mobile Intel® PM965 Express Chipset
Cache 2MB - L2 Cache
Hard Drive 160GB - Serial ATA-150
Networking Ethernet
Fast Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet
IEEE 802.11a
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.11n (darft)
Telecom Fax / modem - 56 Kbps
RAM 2GB (installed)
DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz
Graphics Controller NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GT GPU
Built-in Devices Stereo speakers
Wireless LAN aerial
Camera 1.3 Megapixels - Integrated
Display 17" WXGA+ TFT 1440 x 900
X-black LCD
Optical Storage DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM
Card Reader Memory Stick
Memory Stick PRO
SD Memory Card
XD-Picture Card
OS Provided Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
Dimensions (WxDxH) 41.6 x 29.9 x 3.3 cm
Weight 3.8 kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 year warranty

General
Width 41.6
Depth 29.9 cm
Height 3.3 cm
Weight 3.8 kg

Localisation English / United Kingdom

Built-in Devices Stereo Speakers, Wi-Fi, "Motion Eye" Web Cam, Bluetooth 2.0
Colour Black/Silver

System Type Notebook

Platform Technology Intel® Core Duo

Expansion / Connectivity
USB Interfaces 3 x Hi-Speed USB

Video Interfaces 1 x display / video - VGA, 1 x IEEE1394; 1 x HDMI

Audio Interfaces 1 x Audio in, 1 x Audio out; 1 x Optical SPDI/F

Network Interfaces 1 x modem - phone line - RJ-11; 1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base - RJ-45

Miscellaneous Interfaces 1 x DC in, 1 x Express Card Slot, 1 x SD Slot; 1 x PCMCIA Card Type I or II

Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support 1 year

Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year - carry-in

Processor
Chipset Type Mobile Intel® GM965 Express Chipset

Processor 1 x Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core T2390 1.86GHz, 533MHz

64-bit Computing Yes

Data Bus Speed 533MHz

Multi-Core Technology Dual-Core

RAM
Installed Size 2GB / 4GB (max)

Technology DDR II SDRAM - 667 MHz

Storage
Optical Drive DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM

Hard Disc Drive 160GB

Networking
Wireless NIC 802.11a/b/g/Draft n

Networking Network adapter

Data Link Protocol Ethernet , Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11a , IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11 Draft n

Compliant Standards IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11a , IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11 Draft n

Wireless LAN Supported Yes

Miscellaneous
Features Power button,Wireless LAN switch, Short-cut Keys (S1 & S2) , Mute, Volume Control, AV buttons

Power
Power Device External

Voltage Required AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )

Storage Controller
Type Serial ATA

Serial ATA Interface Serial ATA

Video
Video Memory 128MB Dedicated

Graphics Processor / Vendor NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GT GPU

Audio
Audio Output Sound card

Audio Input Microphone

Display
Display Type 17" TFT X-Black LCD

Max Resolution 1440 x 900 ( WXGA )

Telecom
Modem Fax / modem - CDC

Max Transfer Rate 56 Kbps

Protocols & Specifications ITU V.90

Features V.92

Battery
Technology Lithium-Ion battery

Operating System / Software
OS Provided Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium


A lot of this is Greek to me.

Thanks,

Mark

silversurfer

It might be worthwhile checking out what Dell have on-line.
I've bough a few of these in the last year and picked up one (15inch screen) for just under €500 a couple of months back. specs were quite good.

It all depends what you'll need it for.

Also, remember a 17" screen, makes the whole laptop heavier and bulkier

Rgds,
s

Mark#1

Thanks for your reply.

I was looking at a Dell Studio 17" for €600 delivered - seems to me to slightly better spec:

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=ie&cs=iedhs1&kc=NRS17351&l=en&m_30=111789&oc=N0173501&rbc=N0173501&s=dhs

BASE Intel® Pentium Dual Core Processor T3400 (2.16 GHz, 667 MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 - English
MICROSOFT APPLICATION SOFTWARE Microsoft® Works 9.0 / English - (Does not include Microsoft® Word)
HARDWARE SUPPORT 1 Year Limited Warranty - Collect & Return
WEBCAM 2.0 Mega pixel Integrated Web Camera - CCFL
COLORS, PATTERNS, & ARTIST DESIGNS Jet Black Colour with Matte Finish
LCD 17.0" Widescreen WXGA+ CCFL (1440x900) TFT Display with TrueLife™
MEMORY 1024MB 800MHz Single Channel DDR2 SDRAM [1x1024]
HARD DRIVE 160GB (5400RPM) SATA Hard Drive
GRAPHICS CARD Intel Integrated GMA 4500MHD
OPTICAL DRIVE Fixed Internal DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive including Software
PRIMARY BATTERY Primary 6-cell 56 WHr Lithium Ion battery
KEYBOARD Internal UK English Qwerty Keyboard
BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION No security option selected
Accessories
CARRY CASES No Carrying Case
BLUETOOTH No Bluetooth Upgrade
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Dell Wireless 1397 Mini Card (802.11 b/g)
Services & Software
PROTECT YOUR NEW PC No Security/Anti-Virus Protection - English
ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE SUPPORT No Accidental Damage Support
ONLINE BACKUP DataSafe Online Backup 2GB
Also included with your system
Cables 1 Meter Power Cord (3 Wire) - UK
Shipping Documents English - Documentation Studio 1737
Gedis Bundle Reference N0173501
Standard Warranty 1Yr Limited Warranty - Collect & Return
Power Supply 90W AC Adaptor
Order Information Studio 1737 Order - Ireland
Dell System Media Kit Studio 1737 Resource DVD (Diagnostic & Drivers)
Labels Wireless Label - Pentium Dual Core

Again, most of this means little to me, so I can't really tell which is the "better" machine. Like I said in my OP, the laptop will be used for general home use: e-mailing & social networking, casual surfing, nerdy home-type files like accounts & DVD/CD collections. Games capability not needed. Weight won't really be an issue - it won't commonly be brought anywhere outside the house, but will move between rooms.


Thanks again,

Mark

tonyboy247

please read the small print....dont want to sound rude but cash is king.... would i buy from them.....not a chance in hell...just being honest you know...that is unless you like taking headache tablets ah.:(

silversurfer

Dell studio would work fine for all of your requirements.
I'd always suggest a min of 2Gb of ram though

leninbenjamin

the 8400 with the VAIO is ****e. don't go near it, it was already out of date a year ago.

the 1GB RAM with the studio is ridiculous. you will have to spend another 50 or so to upgrade that mofo. the processor is wasted anyway with anything less than 2.

if i were you i'd get a Vostro 1710. The processor is better (T8100), it comes with 4GB RAM 667, 250GB HDD, and the 8600M GT which is better than all the alternatives listed here so far, and all for only €650 (70 off until Jan 28th). in fact you could probably haggle with them on the phone to get bluetooth and the webcam thrown in, i did when i got mine about a year ago.

the one thing about the Vostro's is that they are really heavy bastards, but since you're looking at a 17''to begin with i presume this isn't a major concern?

Overheal

try and find something with an ATI HD3470 and steer clear of the nvidia 8's - theyre already obsolete, and terribly defective.

Mark#1

Thanks for the replies.

The Sony is now off my radar, as are Misco.

Plenty of folk in work (a major global software company) say you can't go wrong with Dell.

Interesting that the Vostro range isn't that well plugged on the Dell site - it's all Studios & Inspirons.

Seems a Vostro costs less than a similar-spec Studio.

The graphics card in that Vostro 1710 for €650 is a 256MB NVidia GeForce 8600M GS (128bit) - is that one of those that you're saying to steer clear of, Overheal? What goes wrong with them?

If Dell did throw in the webcam with that Vostro, I'd be happy to pay €650. BTW, is the webcam built-in at the top of the screen, or is it a separate outboard peripheral?

There's 6 days till that offer ends, so I'll keep looking for another few days, and I do apreciate your responses - gotta love forums!


Thanks,

Mark

DJ Alex Black

I am Dell person. Try to get a good deal from them before it closes.
It's like Nokia and other phones. Dell is a leader. I don't work for them. But my whole family and friends use it - no issues so far. I am talking about new laptops here, not some 2 old crap

Overheal

Mark#1 wrote: »

a 256MB NVidia GeForce 8600M GS (128bit) - is that one of those that you're saying to steer clear of, Overheal? What goes wrong with them?

The manufacturing process used to print the 8 and 9 series geforce GPUs caused a defect, which causes the card to be very poor at being able to tolerate heat cycling (hot cold hot cold) - eventually the card breaks down, fails to display images/graphics properly, overheats in excess of 80 degrees celsius in most cases (normal: 40-50 degrees celsius) and because of this excess heat can cause numerous other problems in the laptop, not limited to failure to boot, failure to charge the battery, and memory module failures, if left unchecked. The predicted lifespan of an affected GPU is less than 18 months. At that point the laptop will be dead and require large sums of money to repair.

So go with an ATI. Please.

leninbenjamin

Overheal wrote: »

The manufacturing process used to print the 8 and 9 series geforce GPUs caused a defect, which causes the card to be very poor at being able to tolerate heat cycling (hot cold hot cold) - eventually the card breaks down, fails to display images/graphics properly, overheats in excess of 80 degrees celsius in most cases (normal: 40-50 degrees celsius) and because of this excess heat can cause numerous other problems in the laptop, not limited to failure to boot, failure to charge the battery, and memory module failures, if left unchecked. The predicted lifespan of an affected GPU is less than 18 months. At that point the laptop will be dead and require large sums of money to repair.

So go with an ATI. Please.

ah ****e... forgot about that. happened a friend alright with his 8600. by your count my laptop (8400 in it) has only 5 months left and it does run hot... didn't realize it was the GPU, just thought it was poor airflow. on second thoughts, i withdraw my recommendation of the Vostro with the 8600. but if you're not gaming, the versions with integrated graphics still represents great value.

should have gotten the two year warranty. :pac: didn't expect to have to hold onto this Vostro for more than the year, it was simply a cheap buy to tide me over til i could get something decent. but then the recession hit

art

Mark#1 wrote: »

... as are Misco.

Why are Misco out exactly? Just curious why you are discounting the entire site's offers (given I've never bought from them myself but their prices seem excellent).

Unbearable wrote: »

I am Dell person. Try to get a good deal from them before it closes. It's like Nokia and other phones. Dell is a leader. I don't work for them. But my whole family and friends use it - no issues so far. I am talking about new laptops here, not some 2 old crap

That's very mis-leading. For example, Nokia have large market segment but don't make particularly good phones, especially relative to other phone makers like LG, Samsung, or HTC for that matter who generally provide far more innovative, feature rich phones. Dell is likewise often cheap but to describe them as a "leader" is just wrong: ASUS, ACER etc (maybe, debatably, Apple) are the ones currently out there leading the market.

Mark#1 wrote: »

If Dell did throw in the webcam with that Vostro, I'd be happy to pay €650. BTW, is the webcam built-in at the top of the screen, or is it a separate outboard peripheral?

There's 6 days till that offer ends, so I'll keep looking for another few days, and I do apreciate your responses - gotta love forums!

Be careful there, I think you might be looking at the Ex-VAT price? Vostros are aimed at business purchasers so all prices are quoted ex-Vat. If I'm right, the final price to you, with delivery charge, will actually be about 790 euros

leninbenjamin

art wrote: »

Be careful there, I think you might be looking at the Ex-VAT price? Vostros are aimed at business purchasers so all prices are quoted ex-Vat. If I'm right, the final price to you, with delivery charge, will actually be about 790 euros

hmmm their site is down, but i'm certain that price included VAT (i had added it to my cart to check). There was a €70 discount on it when i was looking at it which is one of the reasons it looks deceptively cheap.

oh, and on the Vostro 1700 the webcam was built in, so I assume it's the same for the 1710.

Mark#1

Misco would be out because when you compare a Dell warranty, for example, having to go to the manufacturer rather than the seller could be more hassle?

Any time I've had issues with goods, I've always gone back to the seller, who, IIUC, is who should be addressing your issue, and not the manufacturer: your beef is with the seller, the seller's beef is with the manufacturer.

After thinking about it, I decided that if a seller specifically dictates (which, again IIUC, they're entitled to do) that a customer must deal directly with the manufacturer, that may not be a good indicator of a customer-centred ethic.

I browsed the Dell site again last night. My gaming will be on a PS3 and an X360, so if the laptop can handle youtube clips, video downloads & streams from band and movie sites, etc, then maybe an integrated card would be fine, as Leninbenjamin says?

The only mild concern I have is if I download any videos or films. I'd ultimately be planning to watch anything I downloaded on my AV system (though I've yet to work out the method of going about that), but what bearing would an integrated card have on any video or movie downloads?


Thanks,

Mark

Mark#1

Had a look on Dell's site again today.

Vostro 1710NB (N0117114), €580 ex VAT & shipping (€700 or so with VAT - looks like Art was right):
T5870 2.0GHz, 2MB L2, 800MHz FSB
1.3MP camera
4GB memory
250GB 5400rpm HD
Intel integrated X3100 graphics card

Studio 17 (N0173501), €814 inc VAT & shipping:
T5800 2.0GHz, 2MB L2, 800 MHz FSB
2MP camera
4GB memory
250 5400rpm HD
Intel integrated 4500MHD graphics card

Vostro seems better value than a Studio upgraded to similar spec, but it's €100 more than I'd hoped to spend, and I don't even know if that includes shipping.

A lower spec Vostro (N0117105), is €620 inc VAT. Is shipping free on small business machines?
T5670 1.8GHz, 2MB L2, 800MHz FSB
1.3MB camera
2GB memory
160GB 5400rpm HD
Intel integrated X3100 graphics card

If I was adamant on staying near €600, is there anything else out there on a par or better than this last Dell?


Thanks again,

Mark

Mark#1

FYI, I ordered a Studio 17:

T6400 2.0GHz, 2MB L2, 800 MHz FSB
2MP camera
3GB memory
250 5400rpm HD
Intel integrated 4500MHD graphics card
€698inc VAT & shipping


Thanks again for all your replies,

Mark