There is a fairly recent post about the same thing with several opinions. Scroll down or do a search and take a look.
BTW a lot depends on if you want to deal with a rebate, freeze in line for a lappy coupon or enjoy a day off knowing the best deals will be after Christmas.
As far as I can tell, the Compaqs at Staples and Circuit City are the same (just different model numbers). I'm personally torn between the Compaq at Staples and the Sony at BBY. I know the CC is $50 less than Staples, but to me, $350 OTD is better than $450 OTD with a $150 rebate, especially since a Staples BF would allow me to stay home for an extra 2-3 hours compared to CC.
The fact that the Sony has an SD card reader is a plus, and the Sony is just really nice looking compared to the Compaq. Of course, I don't know if the integrated reader is worth an extra $50 and an earlier start to my camping trip.
scareyou2
Happy Member
posted: Nov. 12, 2007 @ 8:44p
IMHO, an internal card reader is not worth $50. You can easliy purchase USB external reader cards for less than $20. However, I don't hold high regard for Compaq products. Toshibas are an ok product. My wife owns a Toshiba, but it tends to freeze up at times. I personally would get the Sony....but I am not..... got so many things to buy that day (pulls hair), that I will have to pick and choose what I can afford.
Agree completely that the card reader, in and of itself isn't worth the extra money. As you said though, Compaq is sketchy (from what I've heard - never actually owned one myself). I've had a Toshiba for about 2 years (the BF special at CC in 2005) and it has held up well thus far. I think it's going to come down to what's available in the Staples ad beyond the first page. I'll probably be up anyway and will likely try BBY, but if I get there and it's apparent that I'm out of the running for the laptop, I'll settle for the compaq.
I've never owned a sony product (Except their walkman and minidisc players long time ago) until I got a BX series Sony Laptop.
I have nothing to say but good words when it comes to their service. They overnight the laptop both ways, and repair is always prompt and fast. One major plus is that they actually perform diagnostic on everything on your laptop, and they replace/fix little things, i.e. tighten loose lcd top, replace broken keyboards, pointers, etc when you don't even specify them.
Although I've sent my laptop in about 3 times, 1 time for major repair, all three times I have had flawless service, and every time, my laptop has come back nearly perfect. In fact, last time I had a major repair, they only not ended up replacing the motherboard (which was the problem), but the lcd screen and also part of the casing. I guess they wanted to be on the safe side, and i don't mind because my laptop looked a lot newer after repair than before.
I haven't dealt with Compaq, HP or Dell but I have dealt with Gateway before, and I think Sony is a notch above these companies, at least in terms of service/repair.
also to note, i have had to deal with them on getting my warranty period adjusted through my receipt (this is from last Sony BX trade-in deal), and both times the CS was very understanding and gave me no problems at all.
I probably would never buy other Sony products because they're overpriced, but when it comes to Vaio products, I know I can buy with confidence of knowing that my product will be well covered for the duration of the warranty.
Couldn't get the Staples link to work...404 error.
Of the other three, the Tosihba @ CC...although none of them meet my needs. I need more performance than any of these models provide. Chances are they all use slow PC-4200 RAM, the HDD are likely 4200 RPM drives, 5400 at best. The screens are low-res. And all of them come with only a touchpad...which I loath! Also I think "N" wireless is really worth having and I need my laptop to have bluetooth. But if I was buying something for the kids to just surf and type on, the Toshiba seems like the best deal.
solidfusion
Nerdy Member
posted: Nov. 13, 2007 @ 1:36p
bluelighter said: Although I've sent my laptop in about 3 times, 1 time for major repair, all three times I have had flawless service, and every time, my laptop has come back nearly perfect. In fact, last time I had a major repair, they only not ended up replacing the motherboard (which was the problem), but the lcd screen and also part of the casing. I guess they wanted to be on the safe side, and i don't mind because my laptop looked a lot newer after repair than before.
The very fact that you've had to send your laptop in 3 times for repair, one of them being major says to me you shouldn't ever buy another Sony again. Sure their customer support may be better than HP, but I can tell you that I've had 3 HP laptops over the past 7 years and I've only had to send 1 in for a minor repair (the touchpad stopped working properly). Now, I'm not saying HP is better than Sony, as I've personally had good experience with Sony as well. But I am saying that if I had to send one of my laptops in 3 times for repairs, I'd start looking for other manufacturers.
lithdoc
Happy Member
posted: Nov. 13, 2007 @ 7:10p
How does the Toshiba at CC compare with Sony of BB? Considering I'd like to get either one of them, what time would it be wise to show up to wait in line? Best Buy says they'll have at least 15 of sonys, so most likely that number will not exceed 20. How about CC, how many do they usually stock? Sorry about all these questions - never shopped on BF before! Thanks!
The Sony laptop is without a doubt better that the AMD based Toshiba.
The Sony laptop has...
1. Better screen 2. Better, slightly faster CPU which runs MUCH cooler. 3. Better battery life, again due to the cooler CPU and more efficent Santa Rosa chipset. 4. Faster 3D graphics with the new X3100 IGP (8 pixel pipelines vs 4 on the AMD based unit plus AMD based laptops with IGPs suffer from higher latency on the shared memory due to the IGP having an extra step of going throught the hypertransport bus to reach the shared RAM. But if you dont run 3D games it wont matter. 5. Sony laptop is slimmer.
The Toshiba looks like a fine laptop...its just not as good as the Sony....no way...
I stand corrected about my earlier comment regarding the card reader. Someone at SD posted the spec sheet for the Compaq 700 series (Link to the spec sheet) and it's showing a 5-in-1 card reader. In light of this, my dilemma is now simply aesthetics - Sony is nicer looking than the Compaq but $50 more and requires a much longer wait. May have to hit best buy this weekend to check the Sony out and see what the deal is with the keyboard problems many others have complained about.
lithdoc
Happy Member
posted: Nov. 13, 2007 @ 9:13p
onion said: The Sony laptop is without a doubt better that the AMD based Toshiba.
The Sony laptop has...
1. Better screen 2. Better, slightly faster CPU which runs MUCH cooler. 3. Better battery life, again due to the cooler CPU and more efficent Santa Rosa chipset. 4. Faster 3D graphics with the new X3100 IGP (8 pixel pipelines vs 4 on the AMD based unit plus AMD based laptops with IGPs suffer from higher latency on the shared memory due to the IGP having an extra step of going throught the hypertransport bus to reach the shared RAM. But if you dont run 3D games it wont matter. 5. Sony laptop is slimmer.
The Toshiba looks like a fine laptop...its just not as good as the Sony....no way...
Looks like the only thing going for Toshiba is its built-in webcam
Buckeyefan1
Member
posted: Nov. 13, 2007 @ 9:14p
vytautasvaicys,
Lets put it this way. The wife and I got up at 4am to hit the stores last BF, and there were hundreds of folks out waiting in lines. We were "late" to shop, if you can believe that. The laptops are the first to go during BF madness. Unless you are one of the first 15 in line to get a ticket, forget it. There are very good deals on laptops posted every week in the Sunday circulars with rebates. That extra $100 or so you'll spend on a laptop will be easily made up on the other items you can grab at other stores where the demand isn't so high. For example, I hit Sears VIP sale this past Sunday at 8:30pm - well after the sale started at 6pm. They still had the Sharp Acquos 46" LCD AND Samsung 50" Plasma for $984! There were more sales staff in the electronics dept. than there were customers at 8:30pm. I still had time to hit the tool dept. and purchase a huge toolbox at a fantastic price. The first stores we hit last year were WalMart and Target. They had everything in their circulars stacked to the ceiling, whereas those in line at BB and CC probably only scored the $2.99 DVD's and were disappointed in the electronics that sold out in the first 15 minutes.
TyDurden
New Member
posted: Nov. 14, 2007 @ 3:30a
Actually, a good place for my money was Office Depot (or Staples, or OfficeMax -- whichever has the most likely things you're interested in in their ads). The lines were not as ridiculous at OD as at BBuy (forget: HDTVs, Laptops, MP3 Players -- unless you are willing to show up at midnight the night before). CCity was similar, I'm told, but a little better.
I got to OD at 6:15 (they opened at 7) having walked into BBuy (opened at 6, i got there at 4am, with lines ca. 1/4 mile long) and found everything even vaguely interesting already sold, even >$1000 LCD TVs). BBuy was a total waste o'time, unless you get a bunch of friends together and play cards from midnight on with a card table and folding chairs...
OD, otoh, for 45 min wait, had exactly the right deal i was looking for (32" for <$600, which was my goal) and I also got a digital camera for my mother which was a very good deal that I had not been looking for, and 3 UPSes at a ridiculously cheap price.
My US$.02, and worth every penny.
dwsscs
Member
posted: Nov. 14, 2007 @ 7:54a
scareyou2 said: IMHO, an internal card reader is not worth $50. You can easliy purchase USB external reader cards for less than $20. However, I don't hold high regard for Compaq products. Toshibas are an ok product. My wife owns a Toshiba, but it tends to freeze up at times. I personally would get the Sony....but I am not..... got so many things to buy that day (pulls hair), that I will have to pick and choose what I can afford.
Go luck to you my friend.
I don't know I have a internal reader on mine. I love it, its so nice not having to find the card reader, the cable. The convenience factor is worth it to me, but I transfer photos from my camera, music to my phone all through the card reader.
BrookieH
New Member
posted: Nov. 14, 2007 @ 8:40a
Question...I have a Toshiba laptop now...and I have had it for about 4 yrs....and I am getting a new laptop for christmas(YAY)....should I go with the sony?...I was going to get a Dell....help!
dwsscs said: scareyou2 said: IMHO, an internal card reader is not worth $50. You can easliy purchase USB external reader cards for less than $20. However, I don't hold high regard for Compaq products. Toshibas are an ok product. My wife owns a Toshiba, but it tends to freeze up at times. I personally would get the Sony....but I am not..... got so many things to buy that day (pulls hair), that I will have to pick and choose what I can afford.
Go luck to you my friend.
I don't know I have a internal reader on mine. I love it, its so nice not having to find the card reader, the cable. The convenience factor is worth it to me, but I transfer photos from my camera, music to my phone all through the card reader.
I used one of my company's laptops recently that had an internal reader and really liked it (convenience as well as speed). I'm constantly syncing movies, etc. to my Blackberry and it was SO much faster than using the cable and BB Sync.
Toastyone
Member
posted: Nov. 14, 2007 @ 10:39a
Ruger said: Couldn't get the Staples link to work...404 error.
Of the other three, the Tosihba @ CC...although none of them meet my needs. I need more performance than any of these models provide. Chances are they all use slow PC-4200 RAM, the HDD are likely 4200 RPM drives, 5400 at best.
The Sony's hard drive is 5400, though the ram is only PC-4200
BrookieH said: Question...I have a Toshiba laptop now...and I have had it for about 4 yrs....and I am getting a new laptop for christmas(YAY)....should I go with the sony?...I was going to get a Dell....help!
Any of these would be an upgrade over a 4-year-old Toshiba (most likely). The Sony seems like a great deal, but BBY is likely going to be VERY tough in terms of making the front of the line. If you're talking odds of actually getting one of the door busters, Staples may be the best bet (at least where I live). Price-wise, the Compaq at Circuit City is the way to go, as long as you can swing $450 OTD and wait for your rebate. The Compaqs at Circuit City and Staples are identical (same series, same specs). To me, the $50 savings isn't worth the extra few hours in line at CC or the wait for the rebate. That said, I'm stuck between Best Buy and Staples, but leaning toward Staples
SilentMorning
Member
posted: Nov. 15, 2007 @ 12:51a
i had great experience with Toshiba satellite in the past, but just bought the 799 Toshiba deal @ BB and it broke down after 1 month. took it to service center as i can't get a new replacement from BB, it turn out to be motherboard problem and i have to wait a month for the part. i am still waiting on the part to arrive and hopefully get it back by end of november.
anyways, maybe i am being prejutice but it seems now all these manufacutre has moved their production line to china, the quality of the product is not as well built as it once was. to me the brand is important in a way but also the origin of the product as well.
good luck to all getting the 399 499 notebook as i know quality will not be there...
vytautasvaicys said: How does the Toshiba at CC compare with Sony of BB? Considering I'd like to get either one of them, what time would it be wise to show up to wait in line? Best Buy says they'll have at least 15 of sonys, so most likely that number will not exceed 20. How about CC, how many do they usually stock? Sorry about all these questions - never shopped on BF before! Thanks!
SilentMorning said: i had great experience with Toshiba satellite in the past, but just bought the 799 Toshiba deal @ BB and it broke down after 1 month.
good luck to all getting the 399 499 notebook as i know quality will not be there...
Honestly I had great luck with last years BB Toshiba 250.00 satellite. 1g mem, 120ish HDD, XP added another cheap 1g stick and it works like a charm, heavy user, thing runs everyday like a top, better than my junk box Dell that's had several problems in the 1st 60 days (vista 1501 notebook).
I say roll the dice on the cheapo laptop, pay a little more if it's less of a line so you stay warmer, longer at home.
bluelighter said: I've never owned a sony product (Except their walkman and minidisc players long time ago) until I got a BX series Sony Laptop.
I have nothing to say but good words when it comes to their service. They overnight the laptop both ways, and repair is always prompt and fast. One major plus is that they actually perform diagnostic on everything on your laptop, and they replace/fix little things, i.e. tighten loose lcd top, replace broken keyboards, pointers, etc when you don't even specify them.
Although I've sent my laptop in about 3 times, 1 time for major repair, all three times I have had flawless service, and every time, my laptop has come back nearly perfect. In fact, last time I had a major repair, they only not ended up replacing the motherboard (which was the problem), but the lcd screen and also part of the casing. I guess they wanted to be on the safe side, and i don't mind because my laptop looked a lot newer after repair than before.
I haven't dealt with Compaq, HP or Dell but I have dealt with Gateway before, and I think Sony is a notch above these companies, at least in terms of service/repair.
also to note, i have had to deal with them on getting my warranty period adjusted through my receipt (this is from last Sony BX trade-in deal), and both times the CS was very understanding and gave me no problems at all.
I probably would never buy other Sony products because they're overpriced, but when it comes to Vaio products, I know I can buy with confidence of knowing that my product will be well covered for the duration of the warranty.
That's amazing about Sony service. Is that a recent thing? I owned several Sony's in a row up until perhaps 5 years ago when I was finally fed up with the terrible, terrible service. It was truly awful and a giant step down from Toshiba, Dell, etc. and on a par with Averatec. Yes, I mean that. I tried Toshiba and it was adequate; I tried HP and at the time it was stellar so I kept buying.
But my current computer is a DV9000 that has been in to be repaired twice, both times for a failing wireless card. The service was hideous. Very slow, no updates on status, hopelessly Byzantine phone menus, and terribly accented customer service that was able to do nothing but read a script and repeat back to me the incorrect status from the web site. This on top of the fiasco with my former HP ZD7000 whose power plug melted and failed 3 times; that $2200 computer is now propping my office door open.
I'm looking for a new brand of computer but it would be tough to go back to Sony after what they did to me before.
UPDATE: HP has come through and treated me very well. Stuff happens with any big company but they have come through big time. After a second failed repair attempt, they are sending me a brand new computer, not even a refurb but brand new and the newer model too. Even better, after lamenting the old ZD7000, they are repairing that for free also. Kudos to HP. I shall continue to indulge my laptop computer jones with HP.
vinviper
Member
posted: Nov. 15, 2007 @ 1:50p
bluelighter said: I've never owned a sony product (Except their walkman and minidisc players long time ago) until I got a BX series Sony Laptop.
I have nothing to say but good words when it comes to their service. They overnight the laptop both ways, and repair is always prompt and fast. One major plus is that they actually perform diagnostic on everything on your laptop, and they replace/fix little things, i.e. tighten loose lcd top, replace broken keyboards, pointers, etc when you don't even specify them.
Although I've sent my laptop in about 3 times, 1 time for major repair, all three times I have had flawless service, and every time, my laptop has come back nearly perfect. In fact, last time I had a major repair, they only not ended up replacing the motherboard (which was the problem), but the lcd screen and also part of the casing. I guess they wanted to be on the safe side, and i don't mind because my laptop looked a lot newer after repair than before.
I haven't dealt with Compaq, HP or Dell but I have dealt with Gateway before, and I think Sony is a notch above these companies, at least in terms of service/repair.
also to note, i have had to deal with them on getting my warranty period adjusted through my receipt (this is from last Sony BX trade-in deal), and both times the CS was very understanding and gave me no problems at all.
I probably would never buy other Sony products because they're overpriced, but when it comes to Vaio products, I know I can buy with confidence of knowing that my product will be well covered for the duration of the warranty.
Minidisk! Talk about a blast from the past.....I remember guys in college having these saying how you can fit a crazy amount of songs on to them! Glad I didnt get one and "saved" up for an Ipod...
justwantmymoney
Member
posted: Nov. 15, 2007 @ 2:35p
So right now we are all still waiting to find out if Office Max and Depot will have laptop deals?
BB is going to be murder (see my story in the BB scan thread on how i got $&%^ even though I did get one of the first 10 cheap laptops 2 years ago).
Here is hoping that there will be a few more places with deals or it will mean even longer lines at BB, CC, and Staples.
lithdoc
Happy Member
posted: Nov. 15, 2007 @ 4:09p
Nope, both OM and OD have posted their ads and they're not overly impressive...
Killjoy2
New Member
posted: Nov. 15, 2007 @ 11:31p
Toastyone said: Ruger said: Couldn't get the Staples link to work...404 error.
Of the other three, the Tosihba @ CC...although none of them meet my needs. I need more performance than any of these models provide. Chances are they all use slow PC-4200 RAM, the HDD are likely 4200 RPM drives, 5400 at best.
The Sony's hard drive is 5400, though the ram is only PC-4200
According to the specs on the Compaq page for the C700 series, the drives are 5400 and the memory is pc-5300. I am thinking the Staples one will meet my needs and is the least expensive one I have seen.
Just as an FYI to anyone considering the Staples deal...
Compaq has a $30 MIR for any laptop with a model number ending in "US" purchased before 1/5/08. There's a pretty extensive list of excluded retailers, but Staples isn't one of them...brings the price down to $319.
What is the best laptop deal for gaming (under $800 or so)? Thanks.
lithdoc
Happy Member
posted: Nov. 17, 2007 @ 6:34p
mastavic said: What is the best laptop deal for gaming (under $800 or so)? Thanks.
For gaming you will need a fast GPU. In laptops, generally, fast GPUs dont come in Laptops For Less than $1500. So for around 800 you mind something that will play some low end or some 2-3 year old games.
mattisb
New Member
posted: Nov. 17, 2007 @ 7:29p
Any idea what model the Sony might be?
arbntmare
Broke Member
posted: Nov. 17, 2007 @ 9:22p
so this may be a stupid question.. but do laptops these days still have a dialup port?i travel to middle of nowhere place
i can't seem to find anything on the web sites of these products.
arbntmare said: so this may be a stupid question.. but do laptops these days still have a dialup port?i travel to middle of nowhere place
i can't seem to find anything on the web sites of these products. I just purchased a Dell Vostro 1500, which is Dell's newest line of laptop released approximately half a year ago, and it has a built-in dial-up port. Hope this helps.
lithdoc said: mastavic said: What is the best laptop deal for gaming (under $800 or so)? Thanks.
For gaming you will need a fast GPU. In laptops, generally, fast GPUs dont come in Laptops For Less than $1500. So for around 800 you mind something that will play some low end or some 2-3 year old games. Thanks for the information, but the laptop doesn't have to run the newest games or games that require a lot. I guess I am trying to get the best laptop for around $800 while having a bit of gaming in mind. If anyone can help me with that, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
cbehr
New Member
posted: Nov. 21, 2007 @ 10:47a
The Staples links in the thread doesn't work...I can't seem to find the deal anywhere. I called my local Staples and they said they had no idea what the sales are...
I just want to verify this is a deal before I wait in line! I checked my local paper today and no flyers for Staples. Anyone have any clue how many each store will get? To me it's not worth waiting 3-4 hours...but if I could show up an hour before and get one I'd be happy!!
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