Sager or very cheap vaio?

[Volk]

For on the go work, plus as much gaming as I can squeez out of a laptop. Either a sager laptop from www.pctorque.com or this sony vaio, brand new unopened box for $1,200 +tax. I'd want the sager for the 128mb Radeon 9200, but that would be around $700 more.

Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 2.8GHz
512MB DDR SDRAM for multitasking power, expandable to 1.0GB
Internal DVD±RW/CD-RW drive
16.1" SXGA+ TFT display with XBRITE technology
80.0GB hard drive
nVidia GeForce FX Go5600 graphics with 64MB video DDR SGRAM; built-in stereo speakers
Integrated 2.4GHz wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b-/802.11g-compliant); 10Base-T/100Base-TX Ethernet card with RJ-45 interface; V.92/V.90 high-speed modem
i.LINK (IEEE 1394) interface and 3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports for fast digital video, audio and data transfer; Memory Stick media slot
Weighs 9.1 lbs. with battery and optical drive; about 1.9" thin for easy portability; high-capacity Lithium-ion battery
Windows XP Home Edition operating system preinstalled

 

[skritch]

Having owned both Sagers (5680) and Vaios (505GX), I can say that the Sagers have significantly better build quality, particularly as regards the keyboard.

Every Vaio I've ever used has had the keycaps break after a short period of time. Not just pop off, where it's trivial to snap them back on; they break. The bits that snap together to hold the keycap to the keyboard itself breaks. And Sony haven't significantly changed their keyboard since the original 505 release.

Further, Sager's service is head and shoulders above Sony's (and I say this having worked at Sony for a period of time).

I wouldn't voluntarily give Sony money for a computer. In fact, I wouldn't do it at gunpoint.

Don't take this as a general, "skritch hates Sony" post. It's untrue. My daily PDA is a Sony (Clie NX70V). My bedroom TV is a Sony (24" WEGA). One of my favorite all-time DVD players is a Sony (7700, and I currently own 4 standalone DVD players). My handheld videocamera is a Sony.

I just don't find the Vaio notebooks to be built very well.

 

[Flipside]

As with most Sony electronics, you'll pay a huge primimum for the name and build-quality; however, after hearing numerous complaints, yet never owning one myself, I'd put my money on one of the following three companies: Sager, IBM, or Toshiba