[striker100]

I really like the Sony Vaio SZ160 1.83GHz Core Duo 13.3" laptop, it is great looking and has a beautiful display, it's made of carbon fiber so it weighs 3.5 lbs and has a discreet video card. Do you think there will be a "high end" 13.3" MacBook that will compete with these specifications?

[jhonizzle]

Can the sony Vaio run OS X?....it can't compete

[TiDual]

I doubt it, at least not the one that's coming out imminently. It will be focused at the "inexpensive" end of the market ($999 or $1099), so as not to compete too much with the MacBook Pro yet. Even if there's a $1499 model, I don't expect it to be that light (too bad, but I don't expect it to be under 2kg) or have a dedicated video processor.

But then the Sony won't run OS X, so it's pretty useless. If OS X isn't important, then don't buy Apple.

[striker100]

Yeah I'm all for OS X (I've had 4 Powerbooks and still have 3 Mac's) but I'm looking for a great travel notebook and the Sony SZ160 is the nicest I've seen and played with. It's basically going to be used for web surfing, e-mail and Word so I'm not going to be missing anything by using Windows. Of course I'd prefer to get a Mac if only Apple would make a competing product.

[jhonizzle]

Striker, Apple is replacing the iBook later this this month (told to me by an apple sales person at the retail store) so be patient, because i'm sure Apple already has it made, they're just waiting to release it.

[amazing]

The MacBook replacement for the iBook is going to be aimed primarily at the educational market, so it's not going to be comparable to a subnotebook. Apple would be shooting itself in both feet if it aimed at a different market segment. It probably won't have a Core Duo, more like a Core Uno (as in, needs "Uno Mas.") That said, it's all speculation, rumors and divination--how can you compare something that hasn't been released yet???

Anyway, for your intended use, it'd be perfect, aside from minor unpublished and rumor-mongered considerations like weight.

After all, the ways in which Windows laptops are massively vulnerable to malware are through web browsing, email, and Word. The Mac is not vulnerable in any of these cases.

And if Boot Camp also allows it to dual-boot?

[harrisjamieh]

Originally Posted by amazing

The MacBook replacement for the iBook is going to be aimed primarily at the educational market

Primarily? Not likely. Yes, thats one sector, but the MacBook is apples consumer portable, and hence will be one of the most popular products, along with the iMac. Just look in the iBook forum at how many people are waiting for one..

[Velocity211]

Sony build quality isn't nearly as good as the MBP's

[jamil5454]

Originally Posted by jhonizzle

Striker, Apple is replacing the iBook later this this month (told to me by an apple sales person at the retail store) so be patient, because i'm sure Apple already has it made, they're just waiting to release it.

Sales Persons at Apple Retail stores know absolutely nothing more than you or me on unreleased Apple products. He/she was just guessing, or got it from a rumor site.

[tooki]

1. This is a Mac forum. Few people here will tell you to get a PC, no matter how nice it may be.
2. Nobody outside of Apple knows what new models are coming -- and as others have said, most people inside Apple don't know, either.

tooki

[icruise]

The SZ160 appears to cost $2499. It's a little strange to expect Apple's line of budget laptops to compete with it. But since you said yourself that you'd only be using the computer for the Internet, email and word processing, why on earth would you want to spend so much for a high-end computer? Get a MacBook when they come out and be happy.

Windows notebooks can be tempting (especially because Apple seems dead set against releasing a true subnotebook). But as someone who actually bought a Windows subnotebook a while back, I can tell you that they are often more trouble than they are worth.

[striker100]

Originally Posted by Icruise

The SZ160 appears to cost $2499. It's a little strange to expect Apple's line of budget laptops to compete with it. But since you said yourself that you'd only be using the computer for the Internet, email and word processing, why on earth would you want to spend so much for a high-end computer? Get a MacBook when they come out and be happy.

Windows notebooks can be tempting (especially because Apple seems dead set against releasing a true subnotebook). But as someone who actually bought a Windows subnotebook a while back, I can tell you that they are often more trouble than they are worth.

Yes the Sony SZ160 certainly is expensive but it has certain features that are not found on any Apple laptop such as:
Beautiful thin 3.5 lb carbon fiber case that runs cool even under heavy use, both a discreet and integrated video card for better performance/better battery life, a display that is amazingly bright and sharp. As I said before if only Apple would make a competing laptop I'd buy it in a second but they don't and that's too bad. Actually I can't figure out why they don't because I'm sure there would be a nice market for it.

[JKT]

Originally Posted by striker100

Yes the Sony SZ160 certainly is expensive

Expensive?! Given that it is just a MBP but with a smaller screen, no GBit ethernet and a worse graphics card, I would call that extortion.

If Apple do produce a mid-range 13" MacBook, it will probably cost less for more.