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tristaniskoo · 10:46 PM

This thread was posted in reference to this old thread (It's on the edge of "six months" since the last post, so I moved these posts.) Glenn

This guy has a pretty comprehensive review:

http://jaggedlittlethrills.blogspot....-aluminum.html

Hope it helps you out!

Simon · Feb 12, 2009, 03:47 AM

Originally Posted by tristaniskoo

This guy has a pretty comprehensive review:

http://jaggedlittlethrills.blogspot....-aluminum.html

What's this???

The guy used a fictitious product image for his 'review'?

CharlesS · Feb 12, 2009, 04:53 AM

One advantage of the VAIOs is that they have FireWire built-in, whereas the unibody MacBook doesn't.

(I still can't believe I'm writing this)

Salty · Feb 12, 2009, 11:01 AM

If you love OS X you'll be miserable with Vista. I personally can't imagine having a computer that wasn't a Mac. Fact is everything you do goes through the OS. So if you don't like the OS the rest of the machine won't be as enjoyable. Not to mention even with faster hardware if the OS bogs it down then what's the point?

amazing · Feb 12, 2009, 11:55 AM

Resurrected thread. The OP has already bought a unibody MB, which is already acquiring honorable scars (dented).

Super Mario · 02:25 PM

The Z is OK but I don't like the SR.

I have a Sony AR and it is just so dreamy. The new Vaio AW series, the top model anyway, is the best notebook I have ever seen. Wish Apple would stop with the thin thing and build a desktop replacement with similar specs.

Anyway, I have a Hackintosh install on my external USB. It works good for when I need OS X!

Super Mario · 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by Salty

If you love OS X you'll be miserable with Vista.

Nah I configure Vista in such a way that my workflow on either OS is identical. If you know technology then you'll know how to customise and tweak an OS to your advantage. Neither system is better than the other except that Windows has more mature drivers for some hardware, and Win 7 looks better than Snow Leopard at the moment until Apple reveals the final version.

OreoCookie · Feb 12, 2009, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by Super Mario

Nah I configure Vista in such a way that my workflow on either OS is identical. If you know technology then you'll know how to customise and tweak an OS to your advantage. Neither system is better than the other except that Windows has more mature drivers for some hardware, and Win 7 looks better than Snow Leopard at the moment until Apple reveals the final version.

That's not always possible. Or desirable. You can tweak, but that costs time. And effort. Which I'd rather spend working or sorting photos or cleaning my apartment.

Plus, for some of us, there are apps that don't exist in the Windows world (TextMate, the ports system, Aperture (there is Lightroom, I know, but we don't get along), etc.). The Vaios are nice machines, but that's useless if they don't run the software I need.

I'm also surprised someone would say Windows 7 looks better than Snow Leopard. From what I can tell it's niced up/toned down Vista -- which isn't all that bad, but really far away in terms of user friendliness.

Super Mario · 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by OreoCookie

That's not always possible. Or desirable. You can tweak, but that costs time. And effort. Which I'd rather spend working or sorting photos or cleaning my apartment.

Nah it only takes a few mins longer than setting up a new OS X install. Just disable UAC if you know what you're doing, set your Windows Explorer prefs, download Switcher for Expose, download Twofingerscroll for two finger scrolling touchpad. All the rest depends on the apps you need.

The Adobe apps are exactly the same except that Photoshop CS4 is better (64bit and better response because Vista graphics drivers are more mature).

Office is better on Vista. VLC is better. Filezilla is better. Skype is better. Safari and iTunes are exactly the same. Windows Media Player is just as good as EyeTV. Gaming is obviously leaps and bounds better.

The last point must be stressed because one of the problem's of Apple's too too slim designs is heat removal. If I try to game under Windows on a MacBook Pro it isn't bad but when I use Nvidia's overclocking utlity I can only eek out about an extra 50-70Mhz before the machine heats too much and becomes unstable. On my Vaio I can clock the GPU from 475Mhz to 700Mhz and it is rock solid stable with temperature never going over 65C! I get higher 3dMark score (6000) with my 8600M GT than a 9600M GT gets in a MacBook Pro!

The overclocking also makes Photoshop CS4 much smoother too because images are now loaded into VRAM and GPU accelerated using OpenGL.

I'm also surprised someone would say Windows 7 looks better than Snow Leopard. From what I can tell it's niced up/toned down Vista -- which isn't all that bad, but really far away in terms of user friendliness.

It's very good. Yes it is a toned down Vista but it's peak feature and new Taskbar does beat Expose and the Dock both of which I have been a fan of since inception! DirectX 11 is also more mature than OpenCL so GPGPU will be faster, much of that is also down to better graphics drivers on the Windows side.

Big Mac · Feb 12, 2009, 11:08 PM

He's simply a troll. IMO.

Simon · Feb 13, 2009, 03:31 AM

Originally Posted by Super Mario

Nah I configure Vista in such a way that my workflow on either OS is identical. If you know technology then you'll know how to customise and tweak an OS to your advantage.

All that knowledge means nothing when you're up against the irrational and untraceable inner workings of Windows. A system that goes out of its way to hide what's actually happening from the user. That might seem great to mom, but it sucks for those who 'know technology'.

Neither system is better than the other except that Windows has more mature drivers for some hardware, and Win 7 looks better than Snow Leopard at the moment until Apple reveals the final version.

Neither system is better... except for Vista being better. You're a troll. Plain and simple.

Simon · Feb 13, 2009, 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

He's simply a troll. IMO.

Not just in yours. Everybody on this board knows Leopard works more reliable than Vista. Nobody here seriously thinks Vista makes you more productive. And hardly anybody here will find anything in Vista's GUI new, original, or inspiring. Why would they? Had they thought so they could have stayed with the 90% MS follower crowd. The very fact that they're didn't and instead came here pretty much spells it out.

If a guy's love for Vista were actually so great and he seriously left OS X out of conviction, would he keep reading and posting on MacNN? Wouldn't he be on WindowsNN or something? He's baiting. He's successfully triggered flame wars in the past and he's gearing up for the next one right here and now.

Super Mario · 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Simon

Not just in yours. Everybody on this board knows Leopard works more reliable than Vista. Nobody here seriously thinks Vista makes you more productive. And hardly anybody here will find anything in Vista's GUI new, original, or inspiring.

That's not very smart thinking, Simon. You're usually much brighter. Both OSes use the same classical paradigms for computing. Clicking, double clicking, swiping, opening, closing, copying, pasting etc etc. It's hardware performance and the apps that matter and the ones I listed do work better on Vista than Leopard, there are other apps that work better on Leopard than Vista.

He's baiting. He's successfully triggered flame wars in the past and he's gearing up for the next one right here and now.

This I take offence to. It's a thread about Vaios. In the past I have not been happy with MacBook Pro screen's colour depths and false promotion of them as having more colour than they have. I am justified in that.

OreoCookie · Feb 13, 2009, 05:02 AM

Originally Posted by Super Mario

Nah it only takes a few mins longer than setting up a new OS X install. Just disable UAC if you know what you're doing, set your Windows Explorer prefs, download Switcher for Expose, download Twofingerscroll for two finger scrolling touchpad. All the rest depends on the apps you need.

That's like putting lipstick on a pig

That's still bolted on and not integrated from the get go. I'd still get several windows if I connect my USB stick, telling it recognized the hardware alright and whether I want to do a slideshow. Thanks, but no thanks

Connecting to a wireless network still takes way too many clicks and I regularly hunt for the correct symbol, also because it's hidden. Then there's Time Machine. I could literally make you a long list of things that I rely on and need configuring, tinkering, etc. with Windows. Trust me, I've tried till 2005 when my parents ditched their Win 2k machine for a Mac mini. Just because I can scroll with two fingers again doesn't mean it feels like OS X ...

And yes, Windows has many features that OS X does or does not, recovery points are neat, for instance. Too bad very, very few actually use them. It's the same old story of usability, it's not about features, it's about the usability of features. I doubt my sister has used the slide show feature once when inserting a USB stick with pictures.

In most cases, the productivity aspect far outweighs the money aspect. I'd rather be on an old Mac rather than a new Windows machine. If there weren't OS X, I'd probably use some flavor of Linux, FreeBSD or OpenSolaris.

jogi · Feb 16, 2009, 12:38 AM

The Vaio looks good, but the only problem is, to be honest, Vista...

hadocon · Feb 20, 2009, 04:49 PM

Get a life.

calverson · Feb 23, 2009, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by OreoCookie

In most cases, the productivity aspect far outweighs the money aspect. I'd rather be on an old Mac rather than a new Windows machine. If there weren't OS X, I'd probably use some flavor of Linux, FreeBSD or OpenSolaris.

phoenix78 · Feb 23, 2009, 09:42 AM

The Vaio is a lovely machine but its still expensive. But, for a non-mac machine, i would go for the Dell studio-xps. At least it is a nice machine that doesnt have the pricetag of the vaio.

Whenever i have not had my mac i get separation anxiety. Not the hardware, but just the software. Vista is so frustrating. no spaces, no time machine, no native pdf creation. it just goes on and on.

As far as hardware goes, i would still pick a mac. Im here at my 17"mbp CD (1stgen). About 3.5years old and still looks and runs as good as the day i bought it. I upgraded my HD to 320gb. A few of my windows/linux loving friends who had bought laptops about the same time as me or a little after, already replaced those machines. The mac pays off in the end. At least you get the quality for the pricetag.

pcryan5 · Mar 3, 2009, 07:52 PM

I know Vista. I have used Vista. And Leopard - you're no Vista!